Kriss Santala was standing outside on the patio of Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant on Chapel Street, smiling and hugging people while the wait staff brought the lights and equipment into the bar area.
“We played outside at the first one, but I think we’re inside this time,” she said. “I was so thrilled to be asked to come back, and when I found out it was Jazz Week, I was even more thrilled. This is going to be fun!”
Jazz Week, organized by Jazz Haven, ends Saturday night. On Friday night it features Isabella Mendes at Fornarelli’s, Herb Wilson Trio at Cave A Vin, and Yosvanny Terry and Baptiste Trotignon at Firehouse 12. Saturday will see Tony Dioguardi and Friends at Cafe Nine, David Chevan at Fornarelli’s, and Nick DiMaria at Cave a Vin. (Click here for more information.)
Thursday evening, Santala and guitarist Michael Coppola swung across two sets of jazz and jazz-infused standards. In addition to being a Jazz Week event, it also happened to be Free Music Thursday at Harvest, an event that has been ongoing since Aug. 10 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Santala and Coppola had played that very first show, and were asked to return for this one.
The show began with Coppola playing solo seated near the door of the bar area while Santala continued to greet and exchange pleasantries with friends and fans. The bar and restaurant itself were already starting to fill. Santala joined Coppola and welcomed everyone to the bar. “
We have a few songs for you” she announced. She introduced Coppola, though by the response of the audience, it appeared many were familiar with both performers, who are no strangers to the New Haven music scene. Both play regularly at Cafe Nine, where Santala is also a bartender and occasionally books shows, there as well as other city venues. Coppola is known for his 9‑string guitar, which he developed himself. Santala is known for her versatility behind the mic as well as her own guitar work. Tonight, however, was about jazz, which Santala said she “just loves so much.”
The duo launched right into “Georgia on My Mind” and proceeded through 10 songs in their first set, ending with “Fever” before taking a break. They made each song their own with the delicious combination of Santala’s smoky sweet vocals and Coppola’s delicate, complex guitar work. As wait staff carried fragrant and colorful plates of food through the crowd, the duo created quite the intimate atmosphere, even as the bar got progressively more crowded and busy. As she sang “Smile,” Santala smiled herself. She dedicated the songs “Spooky” and “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” to fellow musician and friend George Baker, who was in the audience and received a round of applause himself. Even when playing the familiar Billy Joel classic “Just the Way You Are,” which Santala said was a new one for them, the exchange between the two performers had its own intimacy and respect that made the oft heard song seem fresh.
During the break both Santala and Coppola made their way around the room, before Coppola once again played a couple of solo songs to begin the second set while Santala looked on lovingly. It was hard to not keep your eyes on him. Coppola’s fingerwork was breathtaking, quick and purposeful, creating a completely unique sound. Toes tapped and heads nodded as the music weaved its way through even the seated and confined spaces of a crowded and busy bar.
The next set began with the Bee Gees classic “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” — a song known for its harmonies — yet Santala’s lone vocals made it a more singular and solitary experience, conveying the melancholy and isolation of the lyrics as she gently pleaded “and let me live again.” Santala also shone on the classic “Summertime,” more often than not played and sung in a more drawn out fashion, but tonight with a little kick to it, inviting a sense of excitement about the “easy living” described in the song. Both performers slowed it down for the standout numbers “End of the World” and “My Funny Valentine,” the latter of which had Santala’s powerful vocals subdued to almost a whisper. The set ended with “Dream a Little Dream,” and Santala once again thanked everyone. The audience response at the end of the evening, as it had been throughout the night, was one of overwhelming admiration for these two consummate performers.
“I’m so happy I think I’m gonna do a little dance,” Santala joked afterwards. The room had been filled with the sights and sounds not only of shared food and drink, but fun and friendship in the name of music.
