April Hot House 2021_Layout 1 3/24/2021 5:28 PM Page 1 The only jazz magazine in NY in print, online and on apps! April 2021 www.hothousejazz.com Smalls Jazz Club Page 2 Livestream from Jazz Forum Page 4 Lew Tabackin Marcus McLaurine Carolyn Leonhart Ron Naspo Deer Head Inn Page 6 Livestream from WPU Page 8 Where To Go & Who To See Since 1982 April Hot House 2021_Layout 1 3/24/2021 5:28 PM Page 2 Aging Like Fine Wine: derange it,” the jazzman muses. “I don’t like to just get up and play, I like to get inside the song, become one with the song. I try to internalize what I play until the LEW TABACKIN song is you: You feel like you wrote it. It becomes a part of you.” By Elzy Kolb Even better is when he can bring the lis- teners along with him. Lew recalls a night when “I landed on a note that was nothing special, in a way, but I put all of my com- municative energy into that note and felt the audience coming into it too. It was the ultimate Zen experience, the ultimate thing to aspire to: reaching the audience in a special, personal way. Not like playing something stupid and the audience goes crazy, but playing something simple and the audience becomes part of it. That does- n’t happen very often. It will be fun to see if I can still pull it off.” Lew’s performances since the start of the pandemic include just three livestreams, and a recent gig at the Deer Head Inn, placing him in front of people for the first time in more than a year. He’s looking forward to April 13, when he’s set appear for a Smalls Jazz Club crowd, in addition to streaming. Set to join him on the bandstand are trumpeter John Eckert, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jason Tiemann. OUNT LEW TABACKIN AMONG Since the shutdown, “Yasushi and Cthe many who missed out on celebrat- Jason have saved my life. We’ve been get- ing a milestone in 2020. Born March 26, ting together every week to play, we’ve 1940, the flutist/saxophonist was looking developed a repertoire. John is an old forward to enjoying his 80th birthday with friend and a wonderful trumpet player. He a packed calendar that included Asian and has a wonderful sound and a wonderful European tours as well as four nights at sense of history. I thought it would be nice Birdland. “It was supposed to be my big if he joined us: two old guys and two young year, but my last actual gig was March 13 guys.” The foursome is likely to play origi- or 14,” he muses. nals, reworked standards, and material by The dates were rescheduled for 2021, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and the but after a second round of cancellations as late trombonist Jimmy Knepper, with whom the pandemic drags on, Lew advised his both Lew and John had a relationship. European promoter to get to work on book- While much of the world has been on ing a 90th birthday tour for 2030. “He can’t pause, Lew has dedicated himself to stay- say I didn’t give him enough notice,” quips ing in shape on his demanding instru- Lew. However, he notes that his 90th will ments. “You have to blow a lot of air. If you be awfully close to the centenary of anoth- don’t play, the muscles go around the side er veteran saxophonist with whom he of the lips. I have to balance my practice to shares representation, Benny Golson. “My keep my flute chops up, to maintain a cer- guy will probably be too busy booking tain level. When I pick up the sax, I prac- Benny’s 100th birthday to work with me,” tice without a neck strap, it’s like the octogenarian notes with his character- weightlifting. I play with a fairly heavy istic understated humor. mouthpiece and reed. It’s hard to play An hour-long conversation with Lew tenor for 20 minutes, then pick up the flute Tabackin covers a lot of territory. A recent and sound respectable. As you get older Saturday chat included references to Miles you have to think about it more, but I can Davis, Martin Amis, Deepak Chopra, John still make a lot of noise.” Lewis, and John Coltrane. Lew also delved Though Lew has talked about putting into the pros and cons of streaming, the together an octogenarian band—“It would- teen idols he went to high school with in n’t be difficult, there’s a lot of them run- South Philly, as well as the delivery of ning around,” he notes—he is a longtime everything from wine to washing believer in multigenerational ensembles. machines. And, of course, his own “Mixing generations creates something approach to music and performance. that transcends personnel. If you’re lucky “Instead of arranging music, I like to continued on page 14 Leonhart cover photo by Nathan West, McLaurine by Chris Drukker, Naspo by Chris Drukker. 2 Tabackin photo this page by Fran Kaufman. April Hot House 2021_Layout 1 3/24/2021 5:28 PM Page 2 April Hot House 2021_Layout 1 3/24/2021 5:28 PM Page 3 Aging Like Fine Wine: derange it,” the jazzman muses. “I don’t like to just get up and play, I like to get inside the song, become one with the song. I try to internalize what I play until the LEW TABACKIN song is you: You feel like you wrote it. It becomes a part of you.” By Elzy Kolb Even better is when he can bring the lis- teners along with him. Lew recalls a night when “I landed on a note that was nothing special, in a way, but I put all of my com- municative energy into that note and felt the audience coming into it too. It was the ultimate Zen experience, the ultimate thing to aspire to: reaching the audience in a special, personal way. Not like playing something stupid and the audience goes crazy, but playing something simple and the audience becomes part of it. That does- n’t happen very often. It will be fun to see if I can still pull it off.” Lew’s performances since the start of the pandemic include just three livestreams, and a recent gig at the Deer Head Inn, placing him in front of people for the first time in more than a year. He’s looking forward to April 13, when he’s set appear for a Smalls Jazz Club crowd, in addition to streaming. Set to join him on the bandstand are trumpeter John Eckert, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jason Tiemann. OUNT LEW TABACKIN AMONG Since the shutdown, “Yasushi and Cthe many who missed out on celebrat- Jason have saved my life. We’ve been get- LOU CAPUTO & COMPANY ing a milestone in 2020. Born March 26, ting together every week to play, we’ve developed a repertoire. John is an old 1940, the flutist/saxophonist was looking LOU CAPUTO & THE NOT SO BIG BAND forward to enjoying his 80th birthday with friend and a wonderful trumpet player. He TTHEH E RROOMO O M has a wonderful sound and a wonderful ".... pulsing organism of a band. Their a packed calendar that included Asian and charts are sophisticated complex and European tours as well as four nights at sense of history. I thought it would be nice AT HHOMEOME RON NASPO boy can they blow"... Don Mc Neil if he joined us: two old guys and two young Birdland. “It was supposed to be my big SHEA CENTER FOR year, but my last actual gig was March 13 guys.” The foursome is likely to play origi- PERFORMING " Tried and true Swingers, they can take Livestreamed Performances • 4:00 p.m. ARTS you around the block with stops in be- or 14,” he muses. nals, reworked standards, and material by WAYNE, NJ Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and the tween. All of which are played to The dates were rescheduled for 2021, Sunday, April 25 Sunday, May 2 973.720.2371 perfection"... Chris Spector but after a second round of cancellations as late trombonist Jimmy Knepper, with whom WP-PRESENTS.ORG both Lew and John had a relationship. Guest bassist Ron Naspo The Steve LaSpina Quartet Trumpets - John Eckert & Kerry Mac Killop, the pandemic drags on, Lew advised his with the WP Latin Jazz Trombone - Sam Burtis, Tuba - Dale Turk, While much of the world has been on Sittin’ In European promoter to get to work on book- Ensemble, directed by Sunday, May 9 Alto/Flute - Geoff Burke, Tenor sax - Virginia Mayhew, ing a 90th birthday tour for 2030. “He can’t pause, Lew has dedicated himself to stay- Houston Person and one hour Piano - Don Stein, Guitar -Tom De Pietra, Chico Mendoza before say I didn’t give him enough notice,” quips ing in shape on his demanding instru- Bill Charlap Bass - Yas Takada, Drums - Mike Campeni, ments. “You have to blow a lot of air. If you performance Percussion - Leopoldo Fleming. Lew. However, he notes that his 90th will Vocal - Susan Diedrichson be awfully close to the centenary of anoth- don’t play, the muscles go around the side er veteran saxophonist with whom he of the lips. I have to balance my practice to shares representation, Benny Golson. “My keep my flute chops up, to maintain a cer- guy will probably be too busy booking tain level.