Photograph by Jeff Motch

Gilbert Castellanos (trumpet) plays at Panama 66’s Wednesday night jam.

For years, San Diego’s favorite destination for jazz on a Wednesday night was the jam session curated by trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos at Panama 66. He would feature performances in the early evening by students from his Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, and at around 8 p.m. Castellanos would move inside to the auditorium of the San Diego Museum of Art, where his pro-level jam would feature local heavyweights and a packed audience that frequently numbered in the hundreds. It was an ideal situation for the musicians, the fan-base and Panama 66 co-owners, husband-wife team Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman.

Then, in mid-March of 2020, everything crashed overnight. “It wiped us out,” says Motch. “We immediately lost so much money, just thousands and thousands of dollars worth of food in refrigerators that we had to giveaway or throw away.”

The couple thought they might be able to reopen the venue with significant restrictions back in September, but a last-minute phone call from the County of San Diego put the kibosh on that idea. “We decided not to rush back into reopening, because we had to refund everyone’s money and apologize.”

Two months ago, Panama 66 saw the restrictions easing, but wanted to make sure that the coast was clear before making a commitment, so they called the same official that originally canceled the September shows. “She was incredibly helpful,” says Motch. “She sent me a copy of all the guidelines and requirements to open up.”

On February 17, Motch brought Gilbert Castellanos and his band back to Panama 66. There have been many changes because of COVID-19, however. “First of all, we had to change the event into a paid show. There are just too many people who would want to come see him for free, and it would be impossible to follow the guidelines. I’d get 50 people inside the door, and have to turn 150 people away.”

Reservations are now required for the Castellanos shows and they’ve been selling out as soon as they become available. Motch is calling the event a “6-Feet Supper Club.”

“It’s a completely different situation. We’re not inside anymore. I go in every Tuesday night and reset the entire floor plan to accommodate. The rule is six feet between the people, not between the tables. Gilbert is playing straight down the middle and there is no middle row — he’s playing to an empty row.”

Prices vary depending on proximity to the music. So far, Panama 66 has featured music on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Friday and Saturday shows are not ticketed events, but the safety protocols are still being enforced.

I asked Motch what was the biggest lesson he garnered from the whole pandemic experience?

“There was nothing that could have prepared us for this experience. We’ve always operated on a ‘hit-by-a-bus,’ principle, where anyone might not show up tomorrow. So you have to cross train all your staff. I thought we were ready for anything, but nothing could have made us ready for this. I kind of hunkered down in sort of a hibernation mode. We decided to do everything with caution. We were not going to be the first one to reopen. We were not going to be the first to react to the news unless it had to do with safety.”

In the days before the pandemic, Panama 66 had a staff of 60. Today they’re carrying about a third of that. “But I’m hiring. So if you are a kitchen worker/musician, you should send me a resume.”