Alive in the Bronx

A friend of mine came to the gig on Wednesday night and said she had to take off before it was over, get home, lots to do...  The second set ended, she was still sitting there, and she said to me, "I just didn't want to leave."  I said, "I know."  There's something about these guys, when they're playing, doing their thing, living it, up on stage, you can't walk away.

They opened the show with "Willow Weep for Me."  I haven't heard it in a while and I loved it.  Eric Alexander's sax, strident, unforgiving, pushed into the sadness, gave into it, ripped it out, told us how it is, and kept moving. They played a swinging, sultry "Misty," and a new piece Joe Farnsworth (on drums) wrote on his recent trip to Japan titled "Recover," a duet for himself and Eric -- restrained and reverent.

Rale Micic, Serbian jazz guitarist, showed up and sat in on "Sugar."  It was cookin'.  Click below.

  
Eric and John Webber (on bass) played "You Don't Know What Love Is," moving and lyrical.  They ended the night with "Parker's Mood," a big bluesy stunner.  Eric's colossal sound and major skill burned it up.  Click here.  It was some serious fun.

Last Night of Summer

Wednesday night Eric Alexander, Joe Farnsworth, and John Webber took the stage and opened their set with a driving piece they call "Bronx Jazz Session Blues," born out of the last year and a half of doing gigs up here in our neighborhood. This was our second gig at An Beal Bocht Cafe and we are so pleased to be there. The acoustics are brilliant.

On "They Say Falling in Love is Wonderful" Eric's sax started with that big, rich sound of his and then he artfully threaded himself through the song -- sweet and seductive. Joe gave us one of his eclectic, precise, dazzling solos on "The Song is You." (See the video below.) John played a solo piece, filling the room with his voice, vibrations, tones, moans, murmurs, and hums -- an entire band in his hands.

I loved their rendition of Bluebird, with penetrating, irresistible swing. Click here to hear it.  These guys are dedicated, masterful, and love to play.  Their individual decades of experience, along with their intimate knowledge of each other's musicianship, makes this trio incredibly tight, but also free to move to unexpected heights.

They closed the night with a ripping "A Night in Tunisia." The guys will be back at An Beal Bocht Cafe on Wednesday, Oct. 5th.

Join me Wednesday, September 7, for a night of live jazz at An Beal Bocht Cafe.
Featuring:
Eric Alexander on sax
Joe Farnsworth on drums

John Webber on bass

Joe Farnsworth and John Webber spent early August at the Orsara Musica Jazz Festival in Italy.

Click here to hear one of Joe’s killer solos.

Eric will be playing on Wednesday, September 7th, at An Beal Bocht Cafe. For reservations email LindasJazzNights@gmail.com.

“If jazz today has a brand, then saxophonist Eric Alexander is its standards bearer.”

All About Jazz, 2011, for more about Eric’s new album click here:

An Beal Bocht Cafe

Last night was my first gig as producer of Linda's Jazz Nights with Eric Alexander on sax, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and John Webber on bass. The guys were on fire playing to an enthusiastic, ripe, sold out crowd at An Beal Bocht Cafe.

The best art gets inside you and changes you, gives you a new way to experience your own life. That's what happened to me when I first heard these guys which is why I'm doing this and it happened again last night.

They opened up with a bluesey, swinging original tune. Then Steve Davis, who stopped by for the first set, lead a melancholy, beautiful "The Nearness of You." His trombone is smooth and subtle, and then the depth of it catches up with you.

Joe Farnsworth's solo on on the next tune was explosive and hypnotic. He has tremendous presence as a musician. He is enticing and commanding while simultaneously leading you into a song and taking care of his audience. His distinctive, wide-ranging, nuanced voice comes through on those drums creating a whole world suspending me in the moment.

They opened the second set with a screaming version of "Night in Tunisia." Eric's playing was right on the edge, huge, insistent, and undeniably passionate. Joe hit it with his ravenous appetite and then all three of them dug into the music and took off flying.

Eric moved into "The Man With The Horn," graceful, lilting, click here to listen.

John Webber played a solo that was stunning in it's complexity. Jazz moves in oblique and unexpected patterns beyond my conscious control. It dives past all my logical reasoning and I have no choice but to let it happen. When I watch John play I feel his composure and pure concentration while his fingers race across the strings responding to the impulses of that particular time and place. He embodies the contradiction of control and risk, and it is endlessly fascinating to experience.

The guys killed it at the end of the night with a bluesy, sexy "Parker's Mood." The crowd was loving the swing and hard drive. It was a great night of music and I am thrilled to say we will back at An Beal Bocht Cafe on Wednesday, September 7th.

Grant Stewart Quartet at Smalls

I sat on a bar stool in Smalls Sunday night waiting for the music to start, watching the crowd come in ... one guy sat against the wall opposite me behind the piano and closed his eyes and danced in his seat during the entire set. A young woman sat behind the piano player, David Hazeltine, and shook his hand glowing when he said hello to her. Another young woman was taking notes. I get off on the sense of community, everyone in that room there for the live experience, which demands your presence and gives you so much if you can open to it.

Grant Stewart started out the first set with "Theme for Ernie" and I waited for the music to take me, to throw me, to land me somewhere else (looking for an escape maybe, huh?), but it didn't. It held me right there in that room with those guys -- Grant was joined by Hazeltine on piano, Joel Forbes on bass, and Quincy Davis on drums -- and then I remembered that was the point.

His next tune was a seductive, dazzling ballad, "Maybe September," each note longing, lingering, promising something. Grant is an elegant, powerhouse of a player. His spontaneity, wit, and charm came through in his music, and when he spoke to us about his song choices for the night.

I have heard David Hazeltine play many times and I am always completely hooked by his effortless playing -- cool, assured, and balanced.

Later in the set they did a knock out version of "Paradox," and I was enchanted, harpooned by "Shadow of Your Smile." Check out Grant's new album "Around The Corner" here.

Coming Up . . .

My next gig will be Wednesday, June 22nd at An Beal Bocht Cafe, 445 West 238th Street, in the Bronx, 8:00 p.m., two sets, $15.00 cover. For reservations, tickets, or information email LindasJazzNights@gmail.com.

The night will feature world-renowned jazz musicians Eric Alexander on sax, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and John Webber on bass.

About Eric --
During the 1990's after placing second behind Joshua Redmond in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, Alexander threw himself into the whirlwind life of a professional jazz musician. In the last twenty years he has amassed a considerable discography of critically-acclaimed recordings. He has appeared on countless recordings as leader, sideman, producer, and composer. His latest, "Don't Follow the Crowd" has received a tremendous response including a rave review from All About Jazz. Eric continues to tour the world over and play with numerous jazz legends. He is considered one of the greatest saxophone players of his generation. I am thrilled to have him.

I hope you will join us and spread the word.