Latin Jazz at Ibiza

Joe Farnsworth, our band leader, was back with us at Ibiza this past Thursday after playing a gig in Poland among other places. Joe brought in his long time friend and mentor Nat Reeves on bass. Nat has an impressive biography and has played in every major jazz venue all over the world. I particularly enjoyed his solo during "I Hear a Rhapsody." Alex Diaz, a fantastic jazz conga player, was also with us. When he let loose on those drums it was pure love for the music and completely infectious. They played a hot version of "Caravan." Mike DiRubbo on sax, as always gave us his rich, powerful sound. I love when he gets into a bluesy groove. The accomplished jazz pianist Mike LeDonne, who also currently has the number one selling cd on the jazz charts, was doing his sublime thing. A friend of mine and a gorgeous singer, Angel Rose, got up on stage and treated us to "How High the Moon" and "At Last." And Joe gave us all of himself on those drums, a complicated mix of seeming chaos and perfect rhythmic precision, of stillness and breathless motion. He put together a unique mix of music reflective of his personal passion and he'll be doing it again next Thursday, July 15th.

John Webber and the band

On Thursday night John Webber put together a mighty quartet of musicians. It was the first time at Ibiza for Rick Germanson on piano and Phil Stewart on drums. Joe Magnarelli on trumpet had been up to play for us a few weeks ago. I don't know when these particular four musicians have played together in the past, or if they have (I forgot to ask John) but it speaks to their level of musicianship that they could come together and make a night of jazz that was so moving and tight. John called two sets that flowed effortlessly. I loved "Manha de Carnaval" translated as "A Day In the Life of a Fool," a Brazilian song which appeared in the 1959 film "Black Orpheus." It had the perfect balance of emotion and complexity that hit me in my head and my gut and before I realized it I was inside the song being carried along. They also played "You've Changed" full of longing and passion. As you can probably tell, I dig the romance in jazz. Rick Germanson's playing was clean, fluid and completely accessible. The piano sounded simply beautiful. Check out his latest album "Off the Cuff." Phil Stewart on drums created a lovely dialogue with each of the other musicians. He stood very firmly right on the thin line of making his own statement and simultaneously supporting the band. Joe Magnarelli was fantastic, a powerhouse of a player, always interesting and unexpected. And last, but definitely not least, John Webber was a virtuoso on the bass -- long, graceful solos that built and transformed and kept leading me down the road with him and left me wanting more. We are so lucky to have these world-class guys coming up to the Bronx. Joe Farnsworth will be back at Ibiza Lounge this coming Thursday with more surprises.

Riverdale Press

Great article in the Riverdale Press this week!

Ibiza Jazz Nights - Eric and Joe

Eric and Joe were back in full force this week. John Webber was there on bass and Mike DiRubbo on sax. Once a month Frankie, the owner, has a comedy night with 3 or 4 comics doing stand up on Thursdays so the crowd was an eclectic mix of jazz lovers and comedy fans. The place was full and the energy was high when the band started playing. Eric and Joe began their set with a song they wrote for Frankie's new baby girl. And then they played "Misty," the 1954 standard by Erroll Garner. Eric's playing rode that fine line of tension between letting go and staying in control - contained sensuality. It is that mix of intelligence and passion that I love. Joe played one of his signature drum solos; signature in that you never know where they are going to go -- volatile, powerful, fascinating. Every time I watch him I wait for the moment when he takes off and does his thing. (And I found out on Thursday night that in addition to John Webber being a great bass player he is a fantastic dancer. He spun me around, dipped me and had me back up on my feet before I knew what happened.) Mike DiRubbo brought his inventive, rich, soulful sound to the mix. David Croce, a bass player who has played at Ibiza, showed up and we had a conversation about the elastic boundaries of jazz, where the artistry lies, and how a musician can move "outside" the song taking the audience with them and then bringing them back. At the end of the night Jose Fernando, a singer who was in the house, got up and sang a gorgeous version of "Besame Mucho," written in 1940 by Consuelo Velazquez. Don't forget Jazz Nights starts at 6:00 p.m. with an open bar for an hour and the music is at 8:00 and 10:00. Hope to see you there this Thursday.

Ibiza Jazz Nights - John Farnsworth and the band

Last night with Joe and Eric traveling, Joe's brother, John Farnsworth (www.myspace.com/johnfarnsworth), the multi-talented sax player and composer put together a thrilling night of jazz. Steve Einerson was there on piano (www.myspace.com/steveeinerson), David Croce on bass (www.davidcroce.com), and Peppe Merolla on drums. They opened with a song titled "Street Beat" written by John, and went on to play a sexy, steamy version of "Moonlight in Vermont." That was my favorite. Steve's piano playing was sharp and evocative, and David was cool, inspired, impulsiveness on the bass. Later in the set Peppe blew the roof off the place with a drum solo during "Ferris Wheel", also written by John -- spontaneous and bold -- one of those unique, ephemeral moments of live music that I was so happy to be present for. (www.peppemerolla.com) We were lucky to have all these guys with us last night. Next week, June 24th, Eric and Joe will return to Ibiza Jazz Nights with some more great music. Be there!

Ibiza Jazz Nights - artistic home for jazz musicians in the Bronx

It was a full house this past Thursday at Ibiza Jazz Nights with an enthusiastic audience and some great new guest artists on stage. Along with Joe Farnsworth, our band leader, we had John Webber on bass, David Hazeltine on the piano, Jim Rotondi on trumpet and Sean Lyons on tenor sax. This is the first time Jim Rotondi has been up to Ibiza and it was a treat. He is a powerhouse of a player and he really blew the lid off "The Girl From Ipanama." In the second set of the night he played "Blue Moon" like nothing I've ever heard before -- shivers up my spine. Jim plays all over New York and the world, and has toured and recorded with a host of jazz luminaries. Check out his music at www.jimrotondi.com. Sean Lyons brought a warm, soulful sound to the night (www.lyonsjazz.com). John Webber heated up the bass and Dave Hazeltine was gorgeous on the piano. David Croce, an elegant bass player, who has played all over New York City and the U.S. (www.davidcroce.com) sat in while Tony Hewitt, a sensual, expressive singer, sang the "Theme from Black Orpheus." And Rosie Steinberg, a lovely jazz singer, sang "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" and gave us a lush rendition of "That's All."

As always, Joe lead the band with his world class drumming. A vibrant artistic community is happening at Ibiza Lounge thanks to Frankie Goris, the owner, who loves this music and has given us, audience and artists, a home to come together in. Frankie is an accomplished businessman with deep convictions and a huge heart. And I, for one, am very grateful to him for taking us all on this ride. See you this Thursday, June 17th.

Ibiza Jazz Nights, June 3rd - anything can happen . . .

Including Joe Farnsworth, our fearless leader, and I do mean fearless with those sticks, finding whatever he could in the room to keep a rhythm on -- besides his drums. Joe was tight, yet unexpected as always. He is all precision and skill mixed with complete spontaneity and audaciousness. The guys opened the first set with a song dedicated to Frankie's, the owner's, new baby girl. Then Eric Alexander played a solo during a song called "Stan's Shuffle" that was full of soul and built and built in intensity until it felt like he had reached the height of his power and then he took it a little bit further ... it was thrilling to be in the room. Quiet, steady John Webber stands in the back playing that bass and then comes out with these solos that are fast and hard-hitting. David Hazeltine was dazzling on the piano. Renaud Penant, an old friend of Joe's, stopped by and sat in on the drums on "But Not For Me." And Tony Hewitt sang a beautiful rendition of "Invitation." It was such a good vibe nobody wanted to go home, so they kept playing late into the night. Joe and his guest artists will be back again next week, June 10th. Stay tuned. (Photos of Eric on the sax, Joe on the drums, John Webber on bass, and Tony Hewitt singing.)