In 1985, as AIDS was rapidly spreading, Catholic Charities in San Francisco was one of the first organizations to respond. A 20th anniversary celebration of this monumental support took place at Shanghai 1930 entitled “Martinis & Jazz,” featuring brilliant songwriter/musician Spencer Day. The annual event benefited four Catholic Charities CYO-supportive housing programs for†people living with HIV/AIDS and their direct assistance and health programs, which collectively provide direct services to approximately 1,300 clients per month.“I’m a huge advocate for HIV and AIDS research and services, and I’m honored to be here,” said Day.


“The HIV Services Division of CCCYO operates the largest residential, medical care facilities for those with disabling HIV/AIDS in San Francisco,” said Brian Cahill, executive director of Catholic Charities CYO. “Our four programs for people living with HIV/AIDS and their direct assistance and health programs will benefit greatly from this engaging event.” Catholic Charities, which merged with CYO in 2003, claims to be the largest provider on the West Coast of supportive housing for people living with HIV. Since 1907, CCCYO has been committed to serving all people in need, regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation. Founded to care for the orphans of the San Francisco earthquake, CCCYO has been a leader in providing human services to the Bay Area for nearly 100 years. Today they operate more than 30 programs throughout San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo Counties. These programs change the lives of children, families in crisis, single parents, the homeless, the elderly and disabled, those living with HIV/AIDS, and refugees and immigrants. CCCYO does not receive funding from nor contribute funding to the Archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Cahill said CCCYO does a lot of partnership work with the Departments of Public Health and Human Services. Director of Programs and Services Glenn Motola, Psy.D., pointed out two facts: 25 percent of anybody in SF who has ever lived with disabling HIV has received a service from CCCYO; and 200,000 nights of housing are provided annually.††

Spencer Day won a 2003 Star Search competition that propelled his successful international career. This 26 year old’s clever, stylish, carefully crafted singing and piano work reference the timeless compositions of Ravel, Weill, and Gershwin. Day says he’s really “somewhere between cabaret and pop/jazz fusion.” And Shanghai 1930’s environment evoked the perfect atmosphere of a thirties-era Shanghai jazz club. Day is also a frequent performer at the Plush Room. He was recently the opening act for World AIDS Day in Sydney, Australia. With his band of electric guitar, percussion, and standup bass backing him up, he started out with “All Or Nothing At All” and followed with a new composition he wrote, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” a poignant piece about a soldier going overseas with the lyrics, “Love, lay your head on my weary shoulders; I can hear the battle drums; love, say a prayer for your little soldier, if tomorrow never comes.” Then he sang all about murder in the deep South, “Oh Mary, Look At What You’ve Done,” with a jazzy interlude.

“The devil’s gonna be comin’ for you,” he sang. He turned many of us on with a spicy tango number, “Darling, Close the Door and Turn Out the Lights,” and such steamy lyrics as “Let us fall into the sheets, for you see I’ve made some plans to keep the neighbors up tonight” and “I won’t tell a soul, so come lose control, and open your mind.” Hot stuff! Recently single, he followed with two breakup songs, “You’ve Gone Away and Left Me Crying Alone” and “Born To Be Blue” and a cry in your beer number, “No Matter How Much I’m Drinkin’, I Still Go Home Alone.” He sang a few old standards, such as Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is” and he did some nifty scat, but my favorite numbers were the two original songs from his latest CD, Movie of Your Life, including the title song and “Ernie’s Hollywood Party.” The former asks about the movie: “Did you have a happy ever after; did it make you sing with joy and laughter; did it ever make you want to cry?” The latter song, a rumba number, Day earlier told Bay Times was inspired by his extremely uncomfortable time spent at a Tinseltown affair where everyone had “plastic chests and personalities,” and he said he felt like a “prisoner in paradise.” The CD contains only Day’s original compositions—each one with a different musical style and different message, and includes a video of “Movie of Your Life” by the Academy of Art in San Francisco. As Day remarked, “This has been a very exciting period of self discovery as a writer, arranger, and performer, and I hope these new songs reflect that.” His next show is at Herbst Theatre on March 18 with the Grammy-nominated Turtle Island String Quartet. He added, “So, here’s to the road that lies ahead,” and this writer couldn’t give a better toast. The CD is positively inspirational. It is available at spencerday.com.