Not many people can say they have a jazz club in their garage. But then not many people are Mike Parayno.

In the course of just one year, the 47-year-old Berkeley bohemian, Asian American Studies professor and maker of handcrafted birdhouses (a hobby he calls a form of “therapy”) has turned an impromptu backyard BBQ into a live music venue in the course of just one year.

Fueled by word of mouth advertising, Birdland Jazzista Social Club has become an unexpected jazz hot spot—attracting a range of musical talent from Grammy nominated John Santos to Berkeley High School students.

Along the way, he’s been threatened with fines by the City of Berkeley, spent $25,000 out of his own pocket, and welcomed everyone from millionaires to homeless transients as audience members. 

The space is replete with Hookah pipes, stacked bottles of Filipino rum (free to anyone who’s attended more than 20 events), Filipino hot sauce, cushion-lined chairs, a birdhouse-saturated backyard, board games, a fire pit and a video feed of world champion boxer Manny Pacquaio crushing opponents to help set the mood.

The one-year anniversary celebration of Birdland last weekend was a testament to the amazing success of Parayno’s backyard cultural institution on Sacramento Street.

Friday night’s show drew about 300 people—including 20 visiting Danish journalists—to hear John Santos and his Sextet playing Afro-Cuban jazz, acoustic Brazilian bossa nova music by Laucia Paiva, Malian blues from Yacine Kouyate, an opening set from Berkeley High School students, and a late-night set by the Jonah Udall Quintet. On Saturday, Kouyate opened, followed by Hammond organ specialist Brian Ho with local legend Calvin Keys on guitar, and a house-rocking late-night blues set by Craig Horton.

 “We’ve been having parties for a long time in this garage,” Parayno said.“Crazy neighbors” forced him to mellow out for a while but last year he decided to have a Memorial Day BBQ. The “multi-culti grill” was born and became a weekly event with neighbors Paul Lynch and Morgan Lim helping out. Lynch played in a jazz band and asked Parayno if his trio could perform, and shortly after Parayno began booking local jazz acts regularly. Members of the Berkeley High Jazz Band caught wind of the event and began showing up. Parayno welcomed neighbors and passersby. He bought lights, upgraded his sound system, and moved an old car out of the garage to make room for a small stage.

Before long, the Birdland sessions were in full swing; bookings included acts like veteran pianist Tammy Hall and up-and-coming guitarist Terrence Brewer. A core group of regulars was joined by new arrivals every week—many of who also became regulars.

In December 2010, the City of Berkeley threatened Parayno with code violations if he continued to throw his parties. He faced an $8,000 fine for running an unliscensed club, among other violations.

To satisfy the city, Parayno made the venue a private social club requiring membership. First time attendees pay a fee of $20 and provide their names and addresses. Every time after that, they pay $10, with all proceeds going to the artists. Alcohol is never served, but Jazzista’s can bring their own. The food is always free “When you monetize food, it gets funky,” Parayno said.

In 2011, the parties continued, and the bookings got bolder and bigger—acts like Latin jazz master Josh Jones, legendary R&B/jazz guitarist Lloyd Gregory and avant-garde jazzsters Broun Fellinis made appearances.

Now, three filmmakers are shooting documentaries about Birdland’s origins, a tale Parayno, who prefers to be called “Birdman Mike,” never tires of telling.

During a break in Saturday’s set, Parayano explained what  “jazzista” meant to him:  “It’s really someone with a healthy appetite for conversation and music,” he said. “Being a jazzista, you come to Birdland not to wind down, but to wind up.”

 “I never thought I’d feel so special playing in a garage,” said John Santos, the musician from Friday's line-up. “It was pretty incredible. Pretty down-home.  And as an East Bay native, it’s nice to make a discovery like this in the East Bay.”

First-time visitor Valeria Ponte, 50, described Birdland as “very cozy and very organic. There’s no pretension,” she said. “I feel very comfortable.”

Birdland is on a roll. Parayno launched a new website (www.jazzista.org) intended to appeal to a younger, late-night audience.  His Friday night lineup now includes a Saturday blues event and he plans to add a Sunday brunch, and maybe even a Thursday night spotlight of up-and-coming artists.  Local companies like Peet’s Coffee have made donations, and audio equipment companies have offered endorsements.   

And in terms of attracting wonderful talent —bands now reach out to Parayno asking to play.

Parayo estimates that, with the money he pays out to the artists combined with the food he contributes free of cost, he’s pumping about $180,000 annually into the local jazz economy.

For his part, Parayno doesn’t take all the credit for Birdland’s unique success.  “There was no motivation to form a community,” he said. “The community formed around it.”