George Coleman at Ibiza

About half way through the second set on Thursday, September 23rd, George Coleman walked into Ibiza Lounge. As far as I know, no one was expecting him. Joe anounced that Mr. Coleman had arrived and the air in the room changed. He sat down on the white couch and listened to our tight house band, Eric Alexander on sax, Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Rick Germanson on piano, Tyler Mitchell on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Then he stood up and played along with the band on

John Coltrane's "Blue Train." The reverence and joy that we all felt to have Mr. Coleman present and to hear him play was palpable. At the end of "Blue Train" the audience roared. Joe asked Mr. Coleman to come up on stage and Eric Alexander said to me, "Get your camera ready, you are about to hear something fantastic." So I did. Click here to see the video of George Coleman and the band playing "Portrait of Jenny." All the musicians gave the best of themselves and out poured their accumulative experience, mutual respect, faith, and love for the music. Great art offers us the best of ourselves, if we open to it and give ourselves over to the experience. That is what happened to me. It was a rare, thrilling, generous night. Eric and Joe are back this week, Sept. 30th, with John Webber on bass and Rick Germanson on piano. There is not a better way to spend your Thursday night than in the presence of these hot musicians.

Eric Alexander is back!

After a couple months away Eric Alexander is back with his powerhouse, no-holding-back, authentic, passionate sax playing. Yeah, I liked it just a little bit. His sexy version of "Soul Eyes" by Mal Waldron liquified me. On the bandstand with him were the accomplished composer and bass player Dmitri Kolesnik, Gerry Gibbs on drums, and Steve Einerson on piano. They started off the first set with "On a Misty Night" by Tadd Dameron and later played a fierce "Relaxin' at Camarillo" by Charlie Parker. Click here to see it on youtube. Steve Einerson delivered a beautiful solo on "Tenderly." Tony Hewitt, a lovely man with a warm, rich voice, stopped by and sang "Black Orpheus." And Rosie Steinberg, an Ibiza regular, got up and sang "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." At the end of the night Paul Austerlitz showed up with his bass clarinet and sat in along with Chris Haney on bass. Next week, Sept. 23rd, Eric and Joe are back playing together at Ibiza for the first time in weeks.

Mozzin at Ibiza Jazz Nights

On Thursday, Sept. 9th John Farnsworth, Carlton Holmes, Peppe Merolla and Mike Boone wailed! Mike Boone, an accomplished, soulful bass player came all the way up from Philly to play for us. They started the set with John's original compositions "Mozzin" and "Street Beat," and then played a stomping version of Blue Bossa. John's poetic, sweet sax always captivates me. Carlton Holmes tells his own story on the piano. His touch is artful and sensitive and then he takes off down the road and you've got no choice but to follow. Peppe's freewheeling, explosive drumming got cheers from the crowd. And Angel Rose sang a gorgeous version of "Wave" and a sultry "Midnight Sun." Will Caviness, a young trumpet player, stopped by and sat in for a few tunes. They all came together at the end for a hard-driving "A Night in Tunisia." I came to this not as an experienced jazz listener, but more and more with each week I find myself getting lost in the music and feeling contented to be right where I am. That is a lovely gift . . . . Next week, after many, many weeks of traveling Eric Alexander will be back with us. We look forward to it.

Cool Jazz to End the Summer

The club was full this last Thursday as John Farnsworth lead the band. When the music started I was pulled to the stage by the intensity, the sharpness, the burst of melody, rhythm, and sound in the air. John is such a seasoned, smooth, and powerful player he takes care of his audience and brings us along on his ride. He opened with his own compositions, "Street Beat" and "The Princess of the Mountain." John Webber on bass played his composition "Mantillom." Jason Brown effortlessly backed the band on drums. And Carlton Holmes was dazzling on the piano. His solo during "Solar" knocked me out. Jazz Nights at Ibiza Lounge is a chance to feel the music, the night, your soul, and the passion of committed, fearless artists. John will be back next week with a new band and more extraordinary music.