One of my new favorite jazz standards is "Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock. I had not heard it before. It's got a soulful groove and the guys , John Webber on bass, Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Rick Germanson on piano and Steve Williams on drums, made it pop. It was "all up in my body" to quote Miles Davis. John Webber lead the band and as always was the sturdy backbone with swing. They also played a version of "Summertime," which was, forgive me, steamy. Joe's trumpet was commanding, but easy and sweet too. Rick Germanson, who has played many times at Ibiza, is an open, thoughtful man with a charming wit and that is reflected in his luminous playing. It was the first time at Ibiza for Steve Williams who was cookin' on the drums. Tony Hewitt stopped by and treated us to his expressive, liquid voice on "Alone Together" and "Skylark." And the acclaimed jazz pianist Tardo Hammer sat in on "Shining Hour" and "I've Never Been In Love Before." They closed out the night with a provocative, alluring rendition of "Soul Eyes." I've said it before in this blog and I'll say it again ... we are so lucky to have these world-class musicians coming up every week to play in this spacious, beautiful club. John Webber will be back leading the band this week, October 14th, once again making it swing.
