MAKE MINE MEZCAL: TAMAR KORN, JAKE HANDELMAN, JESSE GELBER (Oct. 19, 2014)

Casa Mezcal — 86 Orchard Street on New York City’s Lower East Side — became one of my favorite places in autumn 2014.  Brightly lit with friendly people and good food, it also has been offering the best music for a Sunday afternoon: with appearances by Tamar Korn, Dan Block, Ehud Asherie, Tal Ronen, Mark Shane, Jake Handelman, Jesse Gelber, and others.

(At the time of this video, Jesse and Kate Manning’s new baby, Greta Helen Gelber, had not yet made her appearance on the scene — but she’s happily here now.)

Here are three more performances from October 19, 2014, featuring the trio of Tamar (vocal improvisations), Jake (trombone and vocal), Jesse (piano), the repertoire ranging from Twenties pop to jazz classics to a spiritual:

CAKE WALKIN’ BABIES FROM HOME:

DO THE NEW YORK:

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE:

Here’s the instrumental highlight of that afternoon — a trombone / piano duet on JAZZ ME BLUES:

This session was my first introduction to the very talented and jubilant Mister Handelman — trombone and voice — and you should meet him for yourself.

The odd ectoplasmic effect on a few of these videos is what happens when one shoots video against a brightly lit window.  At points, Tamar and Jake look like actors in a silent film . . . which might be temporally appropriate.

Now.  Don’t tell anyone, but I was at Mezcal yesterday and experienced a delicious musical afternoon with Tamar, pianist Michael Coleman, and bassist Rob Adkins.  Hotter than the salsa verde!  (Videos to come.)  Try Mezcal for yourself — a most congenial place.

May your happiness increase!