Worldly celebration for slain reporter --Daniel Pearl's diverse musical tastes were amplified by bands at the Club Amnesia

Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in February, was an avid musician who played violin and mandolin with symphonies, bluegrass groups and offbeat indie rock bands everywhere he lived.

Someone once asked him whether he believed in the afterlife. "I don't know," he said, quoting an old jazz tune, "but I sure hope Gabriel likes my music."

On Saturday afternoon and early evening, friends, family and appreciative musicians paid tribute to the late reporter's love of music with a convivial concert and jam session at the Mission District's Club Amnesia. The event was part of a worldwide celebration of Pearl's 39th birthday, which would have been last Thursday.

Dozens of performances around the globe were either dedicated to Pearl or organized in his memory, including concerts by Itzhak Perlman and Ravi Shankar and classical programs in Massachusetts, Los Angeles and at Stanford University, his alma mater.

Like Pearl's tastes, the styles at the compact Club Amnesia ranged considerably, from traditional mountain music and timeless rock 'n' roll to the Pakistani fusion of the San Francisco band Shabaz.

"When Danny moved overseas," said Michelle Pearl, Pearl's younger sister, who is an epidemiologist in San Francisco, "he left his records with various friends. I went to one of his friend's house and cataloged the records, and they were all over the place -- jazz violin, the Grateful Dead, R.E.M., Cuban salsa."

On Saturday, Michael Gill, a childhood friend of Pearl's from the San Fernando Valley, played keyboards with his Bay Area cover band, Colorblind. Some of the material was openly emotional, such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Elton John's "Daniel"; some was more festive, such as a version of "Jailhouse Rock" with Michael's brother, Daniel, making an animated guest appearance on guitar.

"A lot of the photos shown on CNN and 'Larry King' (at the time of Pearl's slaying) were of Danny and Danny," explained Michael Gill between sets. "They signed their e-mails to each other 'The other Danny.' "

During "Jailhouse Rock," Michelle Pearl twirled around the dance floor with her friend Eric Schaible. A few minutes later, between acts, she stepped up to the microphone.

"That's the first time I've danced since Danny went missing," she told the audience. "It feels good to be celebrating."

The best-received performance of the night belonged to Ferhan Qureshi, the Pakistani bandleader of Shabaz, who spoke of his deep gratitude for the opportunity to play the event.

"As a Pakistani, a Muslim, an American and, I'm finding out tonight, a musician too," he said, the killing of Daniel Pearl "really affected me. It's a fringe part of society that carries out these acts. I want to show the positive side of Pakistani culture."

Then he gave a clinic in classical Pakistani music, describing the traditional 16-beat pattern he thrummed on his tabla set and riffing on an ecstatic, scat-style vocal.

Pearl was said to have loved Pakistani culture. "The inspiration for me was the cross-cultural part" of his legacy, said Donna Hines, a newcomer to San Francisco. Moved by the reporter's slaying, she volunteered her services for the local commemoration and quickly found herself organizing the event.

"I thought I'd lick a few envelopes, make a few calls," she said. Soon she was cold-calling nightclubs, looking for a suitable venue. Amnesia beginning with an A, it was one of her first attempts. "She got one sentence into her spiel, and the owner said OK," said Brett Mendel, Michelle Pearl's boyfriend. "That's very typical of the outpouring of support the family is seeing."

As the dusk settled outside, the club's red mood lighting began to take effect. Jolene Danger, a D.C. songwriting partner of Pearl's who now lives in the East Bay, played a few songs they wrote together with her current band, Vibraslap. One, she explained, was written by Pearl for a mutual friend and her unborn, overdue child.

"Come out, come out," went the lyrics. "The world is not such a bad place."

As another band carried its guitar cases toward the stage, Michelle Pearl took a fresh-air break on the sidewalk. One of the evening's musicians came up and introduced himself.

"I never got a chance to meet Danny," he told her.

"Now you have," she replied, smiling.