Karen Ponzio Photos
The Nick Di Maria Quartet
Wednesday night’s luminous lunar display recalled the opening line of “That’s Amore”: “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…” so it seemed apropos that I was on my way to see The Nick Di Maria Quartet at Nolo, the State Street purveyor of New Haven’s most well-known meal and so much more.
Di Maria, founder of New Haven Jazz Underground (NHJU), has been performing there every Wednesday since June of this year with a rotating group of Connecticut-based musicians with much success.
“It’s been cool,” Di Maria said before his first set. “People are coming out for it.”
The night typically consists of two sets, one that begins at 7:00 p.m. and the next at 8:30, both lasting about an hour. Jazz standards are on the menu, though he did say that starting next week there will most likely be a few holiday classics mixed in as well. He added that there has been a steady crowd each week, and it continues to grow.
Nick Di Maria
On this evening nearly every table was full. A variety of pizzas and martinis filled the trays that flew by nearly nonstop. Di Maria praised the pies — he recommended the Clark Street, the toppings of which included eggplant and ricotta — as well as Nolo itself for reaching out to him to start the jazz series.
“They recognized the work we do,” he said.
The series is one of three that NHJU has been holding throughout the city. You can find them (and Di Maria, of course) at Three Sheets every first and third Friday and at Cafe Nine every second and fourth Tuesday. The NHJU also added a new event at the Ely Center this past Sunday that will continue on a semi-regular basis. They also recently kicked off a fundraiser for the second annual New Haven Jazz Party to be held in the summer of 2024. The last one was held in 2019, but according to Di Maria, there have been none since Covid. He is aiming for June, focusing on an “in-the-club style festival” and making all the shows “as free as possible.”
Wednesday night felt festive in another way; I had not been to this location since before Covid, so this reporter decided to celebrate with wine and pizza. The glass I ordered arrived pink instead of white. Thinking I possibly ordered incorrectly, I researched and found out it was Kobal pinot grigio from Slovenia, and that it is indeed of the pink variety due to the process by which it is made. It was delightful in every way.
Pink Pinot Grigio: who knew?
And how about those pizzas, with names like The Honey Pot, Brussel Hustle, and The G.O.A.T.? This reporter went for a classic mozz and onion instead, knowing I would be bringing most of it home to my husband and that it was one of his favorites. The char was there on its airy yet crispy crust, and the ratio of sauce to cheese to onion kept it light enough to make me want to eat way more than two pieces. And if pizza is not your thing (believe it or not, for some people it is not) the menu has a variety of choices beside pizza, including salads, appetizers, and yes, even desserts.
Mozz and onion: a Joe Ponzio favorite
Back to the music: Tonight’s quartet included Di Maria on trumpet, Mike Godette on guitar, Andrew Zwart on upright bass, and Avery Collins on drums. The first set saw the musicians putting their mark on such songs as “Turn Around” by Ornette Coleman and “United” by Wayne Shorter, with Di Maria leading the way and then stepping back to let each one of his colleagues shine on their own and as a trio. One given at any NHJU event is the generosity each musician shows the other. Everyone had their moment, whether it was Collins making his drumsticks dance through a beat or Zwart exploring the warmth of the rhythm or Godette creating licks as delicious as that first bite of pie. And then of course, there was Di Maria, who whether adding in a few notes from the side or out front tearing through a solo, plays with a passion that is almost impossible to look away from.
It got me thinking that jazz and pizza pair well, and they have a lot more in common than one might think. People who have a passion for them are near relentless in their pursuit of each, and each one has left an indelible mark on our fair city. There’s also plenty of each to go around these days, for which we are quite fortunate. But if you want to experience both at the same time, put Wednesdays at NOLO on your calendar and head on down.
The Nick Di Maria Quartet performs at Nolo every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and reservations can be made through the Nolo website. For more information on the other offerings of New Haven Jazz Underground throughout the city please follow them on social media.
