CHANDLERS LIVE JAZZ IS THEIR “Icing On The Cake”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHANDLERS STEAKHOUSE

By April Neale

There is only one place in Idaho that features live jazz seven nights a week, a concept restaurateur Rex Chandler was interested in long before he came to Idaho. The restaurant, which is almost 18 years old, has evolved, explained Chandler. “But if you think about my history and background, music was always what we did in the early days of Hawaii. The restaurants in Waikiki and Honolulu, where I grew up, were much like what Chandlers is today. Music has always been a component of Chandlers," he said.

Idaho was ripe to recreate the fusion of food and live music that Chandler enjoyed. "The other choice I made was to have entertainment in the restaurant. It was totally void in Boise. I thought having that element in the lounge was a great opportunity. We built the lounge and added a little area for a duo, trio, and piano," he explained.

Rex knew the music element of Chandlers would transform the room. Never obtrusive, professional musicians—performing as soloists or in a tight trio with a vocalist—always transport their customers to a world of sophistication. “Jazz is timeless,” said Chandler, who teamed up with Chuck Smith, a music professor at Boise State University. Smith, the restaurant’s musical director for several years, agreed to take the job only if the musicians hired could read music.

“The idea energized me. I had just returned from New York after visiting a few jazz clubs and thought, this is what Boise needs. That's when we moved in that direction. After the pandemic, we brought in Mike Rosenthal. Mike has an incredible repertoire of experience in jazz and is just a brilliant pianist. He continues to be our musical director. But we are very conscientious of the sound level because it can be intrusive to the dining room," Chandler said.

Rosenthal is quick to give credit to his musicians, whom he arranged and directed. "We are fortunate; we have guitar duos, guitar and bass, piano trios, piano quartets, and feature the singers on the weekends,” he said. Primarily, the featured singers are Amy Rose and Emily Stanton, although Rosenthal said that they sometimes bring in others like Alexandra Sjobeck, Garrett Mayer, Tim Green, Chuck Smith, Jimmy Lawrence, Nick Monteiro, and Rob Harding.

“We're looking for the best talent we can find, and as the valley expands and continues to grow, so does the talent pool. We've been fortunate to tap into some very talented people," he said.

Come to Chandlers for the relaxing atmospheric vibes and stay for the fine dining—a perfect pairing that is truly one of a kind.

“This music accompanies fine dining and adds to the sounds of glasses tinkling and people laughing and enjoying themselves. When I walk into any restaurant, I'm at home if I hear those sounds and music in the background and the good smells of food. It doesn't matter what restaurant or where it is,” said Chandler.

Lucky for us, Rex Chandler is a master of mood seven nights a week. "Jazz can only be played by exceptional musicians; the level of professionalism that Rosenthal and his players bring, they're class A musicians,” he said. “We call our music program 'the icing on the cake.'”