“THE POCKET”AND OTHER DEEP TRUTHS: MORE FROM DANNY TOBIAS and the SAFE SEXTET: RANDY REINHART, MARK SHANE, PAT MERCURI, JOE PLOWMAN, JIM LAWLOR (Pennsylvania Jazz Society, June 13, 2021)

They’re back! Direct from the Hellerstown Fire Department, thanks to the Pennsylvania Jazz Society: Danny Tobias, trumpet, Eb horn; Randy Reinhart, trombone, euphonium; Mark Shane, piano; Pat Mercuri, guitar; Joe Plowman, string bass; Jim Lawlor, drums.

It was a lovely, friendly, swinging afternoon — and even if you have no idea how to get to Hellerstown, you can enjoy more of the inspired music. Thanks to Mike Kuehn, Pete Reichlin, and Joan Bauer for making us all feel so welcome.

Photograph by Lynn Redmile.

Perhaps the most weighty interpersonal question, HOW COME YOU DO ME LIKE YOU DO?:

Danny and Mark honor Fats in this statement of faith, I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES:

Time for the Horace Gerlach tribute, SWING THAT MUSIC:

Irving Berlin’s ALL BY MYSELF:

“They called her frivolous Sal,” immortalized in this classic, MY GAL SAL:

Something else from Indiana, WABASH BLUES, for Danny and Mark in duet:

Gather round, children, while Professor Shane explains THE POCKET . . . and then everyone plays COQUETTE:

May your happiness increase!

“CAN’T YOU SEE HOW HAPPY WE WOULD BE?”: DANNY TOBIAS AND THE SAFE SEXTET with MARY LOU NEWNAM (RANDY REINHART, MARK SHANE, PAT MERCURI, JOE PLOWMAN, JIM LAWLOR): Pennsylvania Jazz Society, June 13, 2021)

Photograph by Lynn Redmile.

Classic songs, played with expertise and feeling, by Danny Tobias, trumpet, Eb alto horn; Jim Lawlor, drums; Mark Shane, piano; Randy Reinhart, trombone, euphonium; Pat Mercuri, guitar; Joe Plowman, string bass; (guest) Mary Lou Newnam, tenor saxophone . . . thanks to the Pennsylvania Jazz Society.

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (Randy) / BODY AND SOUL (Mary Lou) / MOOD INDIGO (Danny):

Charlie Shavers’ UNDECIDED:

ONE HOUR, or, for the pedantic among us, IF I COULD BE WITH YOU ONE HOUR TONIGHT:

And a lovely swinging beverage, TEA FOR TWO, from which I draw my title:

A wonderfully rewarding afternoon . . . and you haven’t seen or heard all of it yet.

May your happiness increase!

ALERT! BE ON THE LOOKOUT! ESCAPED TIGER RUNS THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA SUBURB, AUTHORITIES NOTIFIED.

I was only fooling. No need to call 911 or hide the children. I’m celebrating the closing performance of Danny Tobias and the Safe Sextet at the Pennsylvania Jazz Society’s June 13, 2021 concert in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. The Safe Sextet is Danny, trumpet and Eb alto horn; Randy Reinhart, trombone and euphonium; Mark Shane, piano; Pat Mercuri, guitar; Joe Plowman, string bass; Jim Lawlor, drums. And they play TIGER RAG — without devouring the song or the audience. This one’s for my friend / friend of the music Joan Bauer:

Anyway, should an escaped tiger have burst into the hall, we had our secret weapon / protector: Clyde Beauregard Redmile-Tobias, who would have pacified it with wags and licks:

More to come from this delightful afternoon, with no wild beasts in sight. (However, the photograph of the tiger caught my attention because of its lovely coat and shining teeth. Is there a Tiger Spa, and does this one floss?)

May your happiness increase!

DANNY TOBIAS and the SAFE SEXTET: RANDY REINHART, MARK SHANE, PAT MERCURI, JOE PLOWMAN, JIM LAWLOR (Pennsylvania Jazz Society, June 13, 2021)

I asked my friend, the most admired Danny Tobias, what he wanted the band name to be for me to write about the session and annotate the videos: quickly, he came up with what you see above. Just another reason to admire him!

From left, Jim, Danny, Randy, and, keeping order, Mike Kuehn.

This was glorious jazz on a Sunday afternoon: a wonderful post-pandemic concert sponsored by the Pennsylvania Jazz Society and presented in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, featuring Danny Tobias, trumpet and Eb alto horn, Randy Reinhart, trombone and euphonium, Pat Mercuri, guitar; Mark Shane, piano; Joe Plowman, string bass; Jim Lawlor, drums, vocal; Mary Lou Newnam, tenor saxophone (guest star).

The whole band in their Sunday-casual splendor, thanks to photographer Lynn Redmile.

Here are the first four selections from the concert. I apologize (as videographer) for giving Randy less than his due, visually, but he comes through loud and clear.

WASHINGTON AND LEE SWING:

LOUISIANA:

SOLITUDE:

FIDGETY FEET:

What a delightful way to gather with the faithful and celebrate. You should know that the Safe Sextet has a mascot — Clyde Beauregard Redmile-Tobias, and he’s safe, too. In later videos, you will see a wagging tail bottom right: Mark Shane commented on what good time Clyde keeps. No surprise.

“You dog, you!”

Future concerts for the Pennsylvania Jazz Society will be Sunday, July 25: Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society; September 12: Glenn Crytzer Quartet; October 10: Jazz Lobsters Big Band; November 21: Jam Session. All concerts are from 2-4:30 PM at the Dewey Hall, 502 Durham Street, Hellertown, Pennsylvania. Students may attend free; first-timers and PJS members pay $15; non-members, $20.

Here is their Facebook page; here is their webpage.

Immense thanks to Mike Kuehn, Joan Bauer, and Peter Reichlin of the PJS for their kindnesses.

May your happiness increase!