About three weeks ago, singer Barbara Rosene and pianist Ehud Asherie delighted us with an evening of music at Mezzrow; early on they were joined by the reed wizard Michael Hashim. I have become used to hear Michael doubling on alto and soprano saxophones — our mutually pleasing acquaintanceship goes back to very late 2004 or early 2005. But that night, coming from a gig playing for NYU graduation ceremonies, he brought his tenor saxophone along. If you’ve never met Michael, he is an absolute virtuoso (and someone deeply interested in a scholarly way in many artistic endeavors that don’t have reeds in them).
Ehud Asherie is simply one of the finest pianists of this or any other jazz era, as a soloist or a wonderfully subtle accompanist. But I think this is the first opportunity I’ve had to observe and record Ehud and Michael as a duo. And the results, although too brief, are spectacular.
A dazzling CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN:
And a campanologist’s delight, RING DEM BELLS:
Thank you, Michael and Ehud. Give this duo a gig! A CD! A weekly gig . . . !
May your happiness increase!