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03/01 Monday
10:22 PM The Fringe
George Garzone
Bob Gullotti
John Lockwood
Established 1971!
The Fringe are one of the genuine living treasures of the Boston jazz scene. Originally formed back in 1971 by tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Richard Appleman, and drummer Bob Gullotti as an outlet for their free jazz improvisations, The Fringe have entertained and enlightened Boston area jazz audiences for over 30 years. Bassist Appleman left the band in 1985 to become Chairman of the Bass Department at Berklee College and was replaced by veteran bassist John Lockwood.
Along with their impressive tenure with The Fringe, Gullotti, Garzone, and Lockwood are in great demand as session players and have played with many of the greats of contemporary jazz. Along with keeping up with a busy performance schedule, each of them are well-respected educators helping to inspire the jazz musicians of tomorrow.
03/02 Tuesday
5:40 PM Vinyasa Flow class with Rachel
8:00 PM Odd Tuesday Milonga
03/03 Wednesday
7:00 PM Open Vinyasa Yoga
9:30 PM Notrio
Nat Mugavero and Gill Aharon, duo with guests
This is a short set. Eventually Wednesday nights will be booked with local and touring musicians as part of an attempt to have a midweek musical oasis. Notrio will prepare the room and then deliberate music will begin. Our room preparation procedure has been in development for the last five years. We feel ready to ready the room for anyone.
We are just starting to get this idea going, so if you want to come in and help build something, please come in and help us prepare the room. By April, Notrio will be followed by something else every wednesday.
10:30 PM 1st Wednesday - Jim Hobbs
jim hobbs-alto, forbes graham-tpt, tom plesk-tbone, junko simons-cello, jacob william-bass, laurence cook-drum
03/04 Thursday
7:30 PM Jorge Pérez-Albela
Jorge Pérez-Albela began playing drums and cajon in his native Lima, Perú. He moved to the U.S. in 1994. Since then he has performed or recorded with Grammy winners Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez and Gian Marco, as well as Geoffrey Keezer, Claudio Ragazzi, Bert Seager, Eric Kurimski, Sofia Rei Koutsovitis, Eva Ayllon, Tania Libertad and Mili Bermejo. Jorge has toured throughout the U.S., Europe and South America, performing at major Jazz Festivals and venues including: The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, The Jazz Gallery, Jordan Hall and The Berklee Performance Center
Jorge will be leading his group with band members:
Bert Seager on piano.
Jorge Roeder on bass.
and special guest:
Marco Pignataro: on Tenor Saxophone.
For Videos, Mp3 and current schedule of upcoming performances please visit:
www.jorgeperezdrums.com
03/05 Friday
7:00 PM Ellen DeGenova
Singer/Songwriter Ellen DeGenova teams up with piano whiz Tim Ray to perform originals and covers. A finalist in the 2009 Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, Ellen pledges allegiance to no genre and has a bad habit of marching to the beat of her eclectic heart.
8:30 PM Alizon Lissance
Alizon Lissance is one of New England’s most intriguing performing and recording artists. Playing piano since the age of six, her gutsy rock n' blues style has been honed on such local stages as the Paradise, Harper's Ferry, the Channel and the original House of Blues. Her CD, “So What About You” showcases the exciting variety of styles that give Alizon her distinctive and unique musical identity.
Alizon sings, plays keyboards and records her original music as a solo artist and with her own group, "Alizonia". She is a founding member of The Love Dogs, an established jump swing, rhythm ‘n blues band that has been performing on regional and national stages for the past fifteen years with recordings on the Tone-Cool and T-Ray record labels. She also freelances with other local artists in and around the Boston area.
http://www.alizonmusic.com
03/06 Saturday
7:00 PM Naturalistic and Esperanto
This is Naturalistic's CD release show, the show will also be with Esperanto a modern jazz trio out based out of Boston. Both groups come with a lot of energy and with two distinct voices guaranteed to give everyone a change in perspective on today's modern music.
Esperanto at 7:15, Naturalistic at 8:30
$7 at the door
10:00 PM Private Event
03/07 Sunday
11:00 AM Yoga with Natalie
6:00 PM Gillypad
6pm Notrio
The band is:
Randy Wooten - drums
Gill Aharon - piano and compositions
Jef Charland - bass
Blake Newman - bass
Andrew Stern - guitar
Alec Spiegelman - winds/horns
Rick Stone- Alto
Kelly Roberge - tenor
Eric Hofbauer - guitar
9:30pm Attic Dancers
03/08 Monday
5:40 PM Yoga with Natalie
8:00 PM Arthur Felluca
"In forty three years of coaching wonderful talents from all over the world, Arthur Felluca places in the very top fifth percentile."
-Phil Wilson, legendary jazz composer/arranger, professor at Berklee College of Music
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Arthur is a composer, arranger and versatile woodwind instrumentalist. Recently he earned a B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music, where he received both the Herb Pomeroy Award and Wayne Shorter Award for achievement in his major. His music has received praise from such jazz icons as Phil Wilson, Greg Hopkins, Benny Golson and Maria Schneider. Currently he attends New England Conservatory and is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Jazz Composition.
The Art Felluca Group is a 6-horn, 4-rhythm section ensemble consisting of some of the top young jazz talents in Boston. All members are current students or recent graduates of Berklee College of Music or New England Conservatory, and each offers an original voice reflecting his or her unique interpretation of jazz. The group is determined to pay homage to the past while looking toward the future of jazz. Later this month, the group will record its debut album Inward.
The ensemble is:
Art Felluca - compositions
Matt Joseph - trumpet
Aaron Bahr - trumpet
Michael Sachs - alto
Mike Tucker - tenor
Ryan Dragon - trombone
Ben Whiting - bari sax
Alex Wintz - guitar
Takeshi Ohbayashi - piano
Oliver Watkinson - acoustic bass
Jonathan Pinson - drums
Special guest Jihye Kim on voice.
10:22 PM The Fringe
George Garzone
Bob Gullotti
John Lockwood
Established 1971!
The Fringe are one of the genuine living treasures of the Boston jazz scene. Originally formed back in 1971 by tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Richard Appleman, and drummer Bob Gullotti as an outlet for their free jazz improvisations, The Fringe have entertained and enlightened Boston area jazz audiences for over 30 years. Bassist Appleman left the band in 1985 to become Chairman of the Bass Department at Berklee College and was replaced by veteran bassist John Lockwood.
Along with their impressive tenure with The Fringe, Gullotti, Garzone, and Lockwood are in great demand as session players and have played with many of the greats of contemporary jazz. Along with keeping up with a busy performance schedule, each of them are well-respected educators helping to inspire the jazz musicians of tomorrow.
03/09 Tuesday
5:40 PM Vinyasa Flow class with Rachel
8:00 PM Even Tuesday Milonga
03/10 Wednesday
7:00 PM Open Vinyasa Yoga
9:30 PM Notrio - prepares the room for Longital at 10:30
Nat Mugavero, Eric Hofbauer and Gill Aharon
This is a short set. Eventually Wednesday nights will be booked with local and touring musicians as part of an attempt to have a midweek musical oasis. Notrio will prepare the room and then deliberate music will begin. Our room preparation procedure has been in development for the last five years. We feel ready to ready the room for anyone.
10:30 PM Longital
There is a psychedelic version of the end of the world, where fish fly over the rivers filled not with water, but with music streaming into the seas. This is the unexpectedly joyous tale of the title track of Gloria (release: March 9, 2010; Slnko Records), the new album by Longital, Slovakia’s best-loved indie band. Spaced out electronics and rockabilly guitar solos, samples of melting icebergs and bowed electric guitar are enveloped by achingly beautiful duets between co-conspirators Daniel Salontay and Shina, the man and woman behind the band.
http://www.myspace.com/longital
03/11 Thursday
7:30 PM Doug Pet Quintet
The show will feature many of Doug's compositions which are largely inspired by latin and middle-eastern folk music and placed in a contemporary jazz context. The band will also perform arrangements of a few favorite standards. The group's repertoire and sound balances sections of intricate melody and counterpoint with extended moments of improvisation.
The band will feature:
Doug Pet: saxophones
Vivek Patel: flugelhorn and trumpet
Noam Wiesenberg: bass
Michael Gleichman: drums
TBA: piano
http://www.myspace.com/dougpet
03/12 Friday
7:00 PM Srinivas Reddy & Sameer Gutpta with The Exiles
Srinivas Reddy & Sameer Gutpta with The Exiles
Classical Sitar and Tabla Recital followed by The Exiles
7pm start
10:00 PM Raffa and Rainer
Hailing from the murky swamps of the South, a sweet voice with the best guitar this side of the Suwannee River is what you'll expect. What you won't expect is that these characters ain't from 'Bama. They emerge from that sprawling metropolis Miami, Fl, a place known more for its dance clubs and neon than moonlit swooning and swaying. Raffa Jo on vocals and guitar makes you feel like you've fallen into a tender dream. Rainer Davies on various strings plucks out a groove so steady you'll be wanting to buy up some real estate in his neighborhood. These two have come together in their live performance to forge a sound not easily categorized, but if you'd like to venture there it would be something described as sweet la - la, gypsy folk, dirty honey - in a jar sittin' on a windowsill next to the shoo-fly pie. See....? Told you so.
This will be their NY Release party for their long awaited sophomore album, No Mercy. Preview some of the tunes atwww.myspace.com/raffaandrainer
Band featrues Joe Rehmer on bass, and Boston residents Steve Pardo on sax, and Brian Fitch on drums.
Buy a CD at the door for $15 and get in for FREE, or $10 to get in.
03/13 Saturday
2:00 PM Art Opening: Fissures Anthony Oliveto and Marissa Meyzen
10:00 PM Noisse Cretni
Noisse Cretni is a unique jazz group whose sound is a product of a multifaceted background. Noisse Cretni is an ever evolving jazz context which allows for the merging of the spirits of 1960s modal jazz and today’s modern and progressive jazz sound. The members of Noisse Cretni are Erik Clear (sax), Andrew Alden (vibes), Ryan Renteria (guitar), Brian Sandlin (bass), and Matt Cozzi (drums). Featuring standards and originals by Andrew Alden and Matthew Cozzi. Come fill your ears with the sounds of jazz to come.
www.purevolume.com/NoisseCretni70124
03/14 Sunday
11:00 AM Yoga with Natalie
3:00 PM Axis Ensemble
The Axis Ensemble presents an eclectic show of modern composition, from John Adams Road Movies to works by Elliot Cless and Jason Coleman and a new quasi-improvisational piece by Nathalie Miebach, a Boston sculptor/composer.
6:00 PM Gillypad
6pm Notrio
7pm Bryant Park Quartet
Based in New York City, the Bryant Park Quartet (Anna Elashvili, Ben Russell - violins; Adam Meyer - viola; Tomoko Fujita - cello) performs the spectrum of the string quartet repertoire to a diverse audience with captivating elegance and unique energetic style. As the first Ensemble-In-Residence at the Stony Brook University Community Music Program, the BPQ have spearheaded a new initiative to bring a high level of chamber music to Stony Brook's students and community. Recipient of a 2008 Chamber Music America Residency Partnership grant, the BPQ is engaged in generating excitement for music in schools and communities across the country. Learn more at www.bryantparkquartet.com
The band is:
Randy Wooten - drums
Gill Aharon - piano and compositions
Jef Charland - bass
Blake Newman - bass
Andrew Stern - guitar
Alec Spiegelman - winds/horns
Rick Stone- Alto
Kelly Roberge - tenor
Eric Hofbauer - guitar
03/15 Monday
10:22 PM The Fringe
George Garzone
Bob Gullotti
John Lockwood
Established 1971!
The Fringe are one of the genuine living treasures of the Boston jazz scene. Originally formed back in 1971 by tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Richard Appleman, and drummer Bob Gullotti as an outlet for their free jazz improvisations, The Fringe have entertained and enlightened Boston area jazz audiences for over 30 years. Bassist Appleman left the band in 1985 to become Chairman of the Bass Department at Berklee College and was replaced by veteran bassist John Lockwood.
Along with their impressive tenure with The Fringe, Gullotti, Garzone, and Lockwood are in great demand as session players and have played with many of the greats of contemporary jazz. Along with keeping up with a busy performance schedule, each of them are well-respected educators helping to inspire the jazz musicians of tomorrow.
03/16 Tuesday
5:40 PM Vinyasa Flow class with Rachel
8:00 PM Odd Tuesday Milonga
03/17 Wednesday
7:00 PM Open Vinyasa Yoga
9:30 PM Notrio - prepares the room
Nat Mugavero and Gill Aharon, duo with guests
This is a short set. Eventually Wednesday nights will be booked with local and touring musicians as part of an attempt to have a midweek musical oasis. Notrio will prepare the room and then deliberate music will begin. Our room preparation procedure has been in development for the last five years. We feel ready to ready the room for anyone.
10:30 PM TBA
03/18 Thursday
5:40 PM Yoga with Natalie
7:00 PM Birdsong At Morning
plays what Daniel Gewertz of the Boston Herald describes as "art music both unpretentious and ravishing." The core trio of Alan Williams, Darleen Wilson and Greg Porter will be joined by drummer Billy MacGillivray playing songs from their two recordings, Bound and Heavens, as well as material from their forthcoming March release, Vigil. A very pleasant way to spend a wintery Sunday afternoon. $10 Donation
10:00 PM A Thousand Years at Sea, and Kellen Zakula
www.myspace.com/athousandyearsatsea
"A Thousand Years at Sea's singer-songwriters out of NYC and California, Colin Cotter and Ethan Lewis, rock some indie-folk on fiddles/guitars/vox, playing new material as well as songs off their debut album, Silver Shores Await. Arising out of the California fiddle music world, these two multi-instrumentalists combine artfully several genres to create a dynamic and unique sound."
"Kellen Zakula draws from a diverse musical background including folk, indie rock, and classical idioms. He began his musical career as a fiddler, studying with Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky and earning a degree in classical violin performance from the University of Northern Colorado. It was during his last year in Colorado that he found his voice as a singer songwriter – utilizing fiddle, tenor guitar and claw hammer banjo for his original material. In the spring of 2008, Zakula relocated to Boston, MA, drawing inspiration for songs and instrumental tunes from the city's lush acoustic music scene."
03/19 Friday
10:30 PM "An Evening of Jazz with E.S.P."
Yesterday's Bebop meets today's electric Jazz. Originating from central NY, E.S.P. is an exciting, modern jazz quartet featuring accessible original music. Their sound is part groove, part bebop, and part Latin. Its real jazz, that you don't need a G.P.S. to follow!
This world class jazz quartet has been on the scene since 1999, and celebrated its ten year anniversary by releasing a new CD called “Time’s Up!” which plays on radio stations in over 90 cities all over the U.S. and abroad. Reviewers love it...
-"Time’s Up is a fine piece of work that both contemporary fans and jazz purists can easily enjoy." Ron Jackson smoothjazzvibes.com
-“Bravo! You are going to love the music on this CD” - Peter Erskine.
-“Time’s Up! is nothing short than awe inspiring 5 Stars!” - Cashbox Magazine”.
-“One of the top 10 Best CDs from Central NY in 2009 - Mark Bialczak, The Post Standard.
-"It has truly been worth the wait for this new ESP album”- Eric Cohen, WAER Jazz 88.
-“Clearly inspired by the tradition of true jazz improvisation, yet “Time’s Up!” glistens with a contemporary sound.” - Jazziz Magazine
The concert, presented by Syracuse’s award winning jazz label, Spider Records, will feature Matthew Vacanti on bass, John Magnante on guitar, Karl Sterling on drums and Brian Scherer on sax and flute.
www.espjazz.org/
03/20 Saturday
3:30 PM Tell Me a Beautiful Lie
a staged reading of a new musical; a romance set in the Crimea after the Russian Revolution.
This event is free.
7:00 PM Modern and Straight-Ahead jazz with a Superband consisting of:
Mark Shilansky - piano
Rachel Caswell - voice
Sara Caswell - violin
Kristin Korb - bass, voice
Les Harris, Jr - drums
www.kristinkorb.com/
www.markshilansky.com/
www.myspace.com/markshilansky
www.caswellsisters.com/
10:00 PM The Mike Baggetta Quartet
Mike Baggetta : Guitar
Jason Rigby : Saxophone
Eivind Opsvik : Bass
George Schuller : Drums
The Mike Baggetta Quartet performs the original, award-winning music of guitarist and composer Mike Baggetta. Group interaction, fearless improvisation and a strong emphasis on melody are some of the hallmarks of this group, making it an exciting musical event for all kinds of listeners. Their debut album is "Small Spaces" released on Fresh Sound New Talent records.
"On his solid new release, Small Spaces (Fresh Sound New Talent), the guitarist Mike Baggetta seeks an adventurous yet accesible dynamic..." - Nate Chinen, The New York Times
"Mike is one of the best young improvisors on the NY scene..." - Vic Juris, Jazz Guitarist
"This is a superb band...outstanding, and the performances are totally compelling." - Andy Hamilton, Jazz Journal (UK)
"...his melodic sense is truly beautiful." - Tom Chandler, Jazzreview .com
"Rare is the young musician who fuses avant garde and postbop mettles so effortlessly—Small Spaces is a refreshingly unsafe approach to modern jazz." - Clifford Allen, All About Jazz NY
"Guitarist/composer Baggetta is one of those subtle players. He does not overwhelm you with volume or seek to impress with fleet-fingered improvisations. Instead, each piece he performs creates new worlds of possibilities...utilizing approaches from many different genres but never sounding derivative of any one person or school." - Richard Kamins, The Hartford Courant
03/21 Sunday
11:00 AM Yoga with Natalie
6:00 PM Gillypad
6pm Notrio
7pm Parker Shper
The band is:
Randy Wooten - drums
Gill Aharon - piano and compositions
Jef Charland - bass
Blake Newman - bass
Andrew Stern - guitar
Alec Spiegelman - winds/horns
Rick Stone- Alto
Kelly Roberge - tenor
Eric Hofbauer - guitar
9:30pm The Monologue Bombs
http://www.myspace.com/themonologuebombs
03/22 Monday
5:40 PM Yoga with Natalie
10:22 PM The Fringe
George Garzone
Bob Gullotti
John Lockwood
Established 1971!
The Fringe are one of the genuine living treasures of the Boston jazz scene. Originally formed back in 1971 by tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Richard Appleman, and drummer Bob Gullotti as an outlet for their free jazz improvisations, The Fringe have entertained and enlightened Boston area jazz audiences for over 30 years. Bassist Appleman left the band in 1985 to become Chairman of the Bass Department at Berklee College and was replaced by veteran bassist John Lockwood.
Along with their impressive tenure with The Fringe, Gullotti, Garzone, and Lockwood are in great demand as session players and have played with many of the greats of contemporary jazz. Along with keeping up with a busy performance schedule, each of them are well-respected educators helping to inspire the jazz musicians of tomorrow.
03/23 Tuesday
5:40 PM Vinyasa Flow class with Rachel
8:00 PM Even Tuesday Milonga
03/24 Wednesday
7:00 PM Open Vinyasa Yoga
10:00 PM The Respect Sextet
Eli Asher (trumpet, toys)
James Hirschfeld (trombone, tuba, toys)
Malcolm Kirby (bass)
Ted Poor (drums)
Josh Rutner (reeds, radio, toys)
Red Wierenga (piano, keyboard, respectronics)
The Respect Sextet, called "one of the best and most ambitious new ensembles in jazz" by Signal To Noise, brings its unique brand of eclectic free jazz to Cambridge for the very first time. Its latest CD, Sirius Respect: The Respect Sextet play the music of Sun Ra and Stockhausen, was deemed "one of the most compelling recordings of the year" by the Wall Street Journal and was a "LOVE IT" pick by Newsweek. Through its eclecticism, humor, devotion to improvisation, predilection towards swing, and its use of toys and “little instruments,” The Respect Sextet has drawn comparisons both to New Dutch Swing and the AACM. Many dialectics are at work (and play) in Respect’s world, in which the serious, heady, and intellectual mingle with the light, comic, and absurd, where compositions alternate and mesh with improvisations, and where tight ensemble work coexists with loose, empathic interplay.
03/25 Thursday
8:00 PM Naya Records Presents Two New Albums: Sarah Brindell/ Cameron & the Trenton St. Collaborative/Shea Rose
Naya Records celebrates the album releases of two up and coming artists, Cameron & the Trenton St. Collaborative and Sarah Brindell. With special guest, Shea Rose.
http://www.nayarecords.com/
Sarah Brindell:
www.sarahbrindell.com/
Cameron Greenlee:
www.myspace.com/camerongreenlee
www.cdbaby.com/cd/camerongreenlee
http://www.myspace.com/jushearose
03/26 Friday
7:00 PM gaetana brown,alto jeffro, black steel peacock, Bunny Holocaust
10:00 PM bob gullotti project
marty ballou bass
jeff galindo trombone
billy jones tenor
03/27 Saturday
3:00 PM Wotienke
Years ago Wotienke was a girl playing the piano and singing by herself in Amsterdam, but while living in the Czech Republic she became a band. The unlikely musical long-distance relationship between the Dutch singer-songwriter and four Czech musicians turned out to be very fruitful. The band toured through the Czech Republic, Holland, Poland, Austria and Slovakia and finally settled down in an Amsterdam based studio to record their first album Mainland Sailors in spring 2009.
Authenticity, simplicity and a playful performance define the music of Wotienke, which travels from light chansons and poppy tunes to more edgy and sometimes experimental songs. Lyrical inspiration comes from every day life, love or curiosity. But an uncle who became rich by selling sand to desert people or commuting from one city to the other also formed triggers for songs.
In March 2010 Wotienke will travel far away from home to go back to where she started: performing solo.
More information:
www.wotienke.com
www.myspace.com/wotienke
www.wotienke.bandcamp.com
Quotes from the press
“Although Wotienke has only just released their debut album, their music sounds unbelievably mature and global.”
Radek Bureš, Filter 10/2009
“The album manages to be not only playful as a big-beat, but also to be intellectually introverted, casual or full of strength, it can absorb your attention and make you think. Primarily, it provides an excellent music experience.”
Zdeněk Neusar, freemusic.cz 10/2009
“Wotienke gracefully slides from jazz to chanson and alternative rock. Every piece from the group has a very strong emotional charge and power”
Roman Lipčík, Report 01/2010
7:30 PM Songs for Songs: A Benefit for Children in Uganda
Four singer/songwriters from Berklee College of Music coming together to raise money to deliver guitars to orphans in Pader, Uganda.
10:00 PM Noisse Cretni
Noisse Cretni is a unique jazz group whose sound is a product of a multifaceted background. Noisse Cretni is an ever evolving jazz context which allows for the merging of the spirits of 1960s modal jazz and today’s modern and progressive jazz sound. The members of Noisse Cretni are Erik Clear (sax), Andrew Alden (vibes), Ryan Renteria (guitar), Brian Sandlin (bass), and Matt Cozzi (drums). Featuring standards and originals by Andrew Alden and Matthew Cozzi. Come fill your ears with the sounds of jazz to come.
www.purevolume.com/NoisseCretni70124
03/28 Sunday
11:00 AM Yoga with Natalie
6:00 PM Gillypad
6pm Notrio
7pm TBA
The band is:
Randy Wooten - drums
Gill Aharon - piano and compositions
Jef Charland - bass
Blake Newman - bass
Andrew Stern - guitar
Alec Spiegelman - winds/horns
Rick Stone- Alto
Kelly Roberge - tenor
Eric Hofbauer - guitar
9:30pm Joe Hunt Trio
9:30 PM Joe Hunt Trio
drum legend Joe Hunt
Terry Bernhard - Piano
Bronek Suchanek - Bass
It's been a long time since drummer Joe Hunt called New York home, but you wouldn't know that to talk with him. "I want to spend more time in New York," intoned the veteran drummer over the phone during a recent interview between reminiscences of Ornette, The Five Spot, Bill Evans and the whirlwind pace of his early days in the city. The Indiana native was ubiquitous—if somewhat overshadowed—on the New York scene in the heady days of hard bop and experimentation. Drop the needle on a George Russell LP from the early '60s or any number of post-bossa Stan Getz albums and chances are you'll hear Hunt's lithe ride, insistent hi-hat and nimble cross rhythms behind a slew of more recognizable names.
It all started with "a big break in 1960," recalled Hunt. "George Russell had met [trombonist and fellow Indiana native] David Baker at the Lenox School of Jazz in '59 and Baker recommended me when Russell was looking to form a studio band" the following year. It was a huge break for the young drummer, as Hunt went on to recount: "There were a lot of great drummers in Indianapolis at the time, but they couldn't read well—so I got the job." Years of classical training no doubt helped the 21-year-old interpret Russell's famously difficult music with its snaking lines and odd rhythms, winning him the gig that would change his life.
By way of the Lenox School, Hunt arrived in New York with a steady gig in one of the best groups in jazz. Playing nightly with Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Don Ellis and bassist Chuck Israels and recording on The Stratus Seekers, Ezz-Thetics and The George Russell Sextet at The Five Spot, Hunt began to attract a following. His emphatic swing and deft ensemble work made a strong impression on Israels, who in turn introduced Hunt to Bill Evans and Stan Getz. "Chuck set up the Getz gig in 1964," recalled Hunt, referring to his two year stint with the saxophonist, and set up an audition for Bill Evans' trio in '66, which led to a year's work with the pianist.
Israels and Hunt also played in pianist Don Friedman's trio in the early '60s, establishing an easy rapport that is apparent on A Day In The City—Friedman's 1961 debut for Riverside. "We used to rehearse at Don's East Side apartment every Wednesday," said Hunt, "and I pestered [Riverside A&R man] Orrin Keepnews to give Don a record date." The resulting session—while commercially unsuccessful—was a rousing artistic success, a precursor to the work that Israels and Hunt would later do with Evans. Despite the success, the group went its separate ways soon after completing A Day In The City, playing together periodically before Hunt made a move to Boston in 1971 to teach at Berklee School of Music.
"I was looking for security," said the drummer when asked about the relocation, "teaching was a long shot." With a growing family and bills to pay, the 30-something freelancer jumped at the chance to get "off the road and make some steady money" in Boston and he wasn't alone. The scene was changing in the late '60s and early '70s; jobs were scarce and the prospect of teaching at a college was appealing to many struggling musicians, even if it seemed foreign. Vibraphonist Gary Burton—a close friend—had already decided to join the faculty at Berklee when he brought the drummer to play a gig at the school—it was the beginning of a 30-year tenure for Hunt.
Except for a brief sojourn to Harrisburg, PA a few years back, Joe Hunt has spent the last 35 in Boston with few regrets. "The scene in Boston is transient, [but] I'm lucky to have a lot of gigs," he said. The now-retired professor is still the first-call drummer in the city, gigging with old friends and former students around town and at Berklee. "The music lives in the academy," said Hunt with a hint of resignation when asked about his teaching career. "It may have lost a little of its guts, but at least it's being played." During his tenure, Hunt has mentored some of the brightest stars in jazz today, including John Scofield, who played with Hunt while he was still a student.
"The only problem with forming groups with students was that everyone ends up going to New York City," said Hunt of his role as mentor/collaborator. Today—as always—New York is a mecca for legions of aspiring musicians from around the world and few can resist the siren's song. At 68, Hunt still admits to feeling the pull of The Apple, "I sometimes regret leaving New York in '71," he candidly admitted over the phone.
Luckily for fans in the city, Hunt will be returning for a night at The Kitano next month with Don Friedman and Chuck Israels, a rare opportunity to hear the classic trio that recorded A Day In The City and the first time the group has played together since disbanding in the '60s. "I see Don periodically, but Chuck hasn't seen either of us in a long time," admitted Hunt, seeming genuinely excited to be playing with the trio after so long. Fans have waited decades for the reunion and it promises to be nothing short of a magical evening.
Recommended Listening:
· George Russell, Ezz-thetics (Riverside-OJC, 1961)
· Don Friedman, A Day in the City (Riverside, 1961)
· Stan Getz, Nobody Else But Me (Verve, 1964)
· Tony Zano, In Retrospect (Mark, 1983)
· Bert Seager, Because They Can (Antilles, 1987)
· Joe Hunt, Trio (Dreambox Media, 2002)
03/29 Monday
7:00 PM Sofia Gonzalez - Cancelled
10:22 PM The Fringe
The Fringe are one of the genuine living treasures of the Boston jazz scene. Originally formed back in 1971 by tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Richard Appleman, and drummer Bob Gullotti as an outlet for their free jazz improvisations, The Fringe have entertained and enlightened Boston area jazz audiences for over 30 years. Bassist Appleman left the band in 1985 to become Chairman of the Bass Department at Berklee College and was replaced by veteran bassist John Lockwood.
Along with their impressive tenure with The Fringe, Gullotti, Garzone, and Lockwood are in great demand as session players and have played with many of the greats of contemporary jazz. Along with keeping up with a busy performance schedule, each of them are well-respected educators helping to inspire the jazz musicians of tomorrow.
03/30 Tuesday
8:00 PM Odd Tuesday Milonga
03/31 Wednesday
9:30 PM Notrio - prepares the room
Nat Mugavero, Eric Hofbauer and Gill Aharon.
This is a short set. Eventually Wednesday nights will be booked with local and touring musicians as part of an attempt to have a midweek musical oasis. Notrio will prepare the room and then deliberate music will begin. Our room preparation procedure has been in development for the last five years. We feel ready to ready the room for anyone.