Eddie Condon, when the band was romping through a lengthy IMPROMPTU ENSEMBLE at Town Hall, would encourage a musician to take another solo, and say, happily, “Too good to ignore!” That’s the way I feel about the music I experienced at The Ear Inn on March 25. So here are four more sterling performances by four Jazz Masters, no exaggeration there. They are (from the back) Greg Cohen, string bass; Matt Munisteri, guitar; Scott Robinson, tenor saxophone, taragota, trombonium; Jon-Erik Kellso, trumpet.
And here are the four — as the Brits say (I think?) TWO UP, TWO DOWN.
Let us start with a wistfully swinging SOMEDAY SWEETHEART — or, as Pee Wee Russell used to call it, SOMEDAY SWEATSHIRT:
Then something even more searching and sweet — Scott begins observing the dusk with AT SUNDOWN:
A romp through the Orientalia of the early twentieth century with CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN:
And a nod to Bix Beiderbecke with SAN:
Wonderful tumbling interplay, great listening among the players!
And as a P.S. — today, May 8, is Mister Kellso’s birthday. We owe him thanks and hugs for all the beauties he creates!
May your happiness increase.
Is someone playing brushes, or tapping a newspaper?
I hope I didn’t leave him out, but if you hear good percussive sounds, it is the splendid drummer Chuck Redd, keeping time lovingly on the paper tablecloth with his wirebrushes. Your hearing is A+.