Karen Ponzio Photos
Jeff Fuller and Friends.
Jazz can be found practically every night of the week in New Haven: at cigar bars, alongside pizza, and amidst videos and DVDs, among other places. For a jazz fan who wishes to partake of live music even during the day, Elm City Market has brought back its popular weekly jazz brunch on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., which means not only do you get tunes, but you can have a meal (or a muffin or a mug of coffee or both) as well.
It all resumed on Sunday with Jeff Fuller and Friends, no strangers to this event or to the local jazz scene in general. They had been regulars before the pandemic. The trio consisted of Fuller on bass, Darren Litzie on piano, and Ben Bilello on drums. Set up at on the State Street entrance to the store, eight tables were available in the café for attendees, though once the music started, many who were shopping — and even a few of those who were working there — stopped in their tracks and started to bop along with the music.
The band and the tables were also conveniently located near the section of the store where you could order brunch food prepared to your liking; I was informed that one can order from the breakfast, lunch, or brunch menus for this event. There was a self-serve case full of a large variety of baked goods such as muffins, scones, danishes, and bagels. Coffee, teas, and juices were also available.
This reporter ordered a wild mushroom omelet from the brunch menu that was made with fontina cheese and came with toast (rye for me, please). I could have built my own omelet or chosen from the multitude of options on the board. There really was something for everyone, including crepes, acai bowls, and flatbreads. A large coffee was also mandatory on this chilly day, though the café was comfy and warm, and the sun beaming through the windows added an extra layer of coziness.
I slathered butter on my toast and pounded through about half my omelet before I began diving into photos and videos. The eggs were light and lovely, the filling rich and savory. I had a thought to maybe bring the other half home, but I couldn’t resist finishing it, which I almost never do typically with an omelet. If you are a meat eater, their ultimate steak omelet came by me on its way to another at one point and looked incredible. I should also note that both omelets, in fact all of the omelets, are less than ten dollars each.
Now back to that jazz, which on this day included both standards — like Freddy Hubbard’s “Up Jumped Spring” — and originals, like “Happenstance,” the title song form the trio’s third album. You can see and hear both of those in the videos below.
The trio volleyed between upbeat and tranquil tunes, each performer complimenting the other while soloing and together clearly in sync. Fuller, his eyes closed, coaxed the rhythm from his bass while Litzie danced across the keys and Belillo tapped and tickled soulful beats from every part of his drum set. When they performed the standard ballad “That’s All,” they brought a brightness to it that rivaled the late morning sun.
Before taking a break Fuller welcomed everyone and introduced the band, noting that they were all “very happy to be back here.” He added that they would be back again next week, Jan. 28, and then every second and fourth Sunday after that.
“Mark your calendars!” he said with a smile.
Fuller’s smile stayed with him on break where he sat down and talked about the joys of Sunday jazz brunch.
“Sunday morning for many is a time of relaxation,” he said. “The music can be part of the relaxing on a beautiful day like today. Even if the weather isn’t great, it’s a fun alternative the late-night scene.”
Fuller also sang the praises of Elm City Market.
“This is a very special supermarket,” he said, calling it “community oriented and quality oriented.”
“It makes sense to have good quality entertainment. Jazz is for the people. The kind of jazz we play appeals to all people.”
Jeff Fuller
By the time the trio returned from break, not only was every table filled, but there were also people standing nearby listening, and yes, even a couple of dancers. Next to me Sidney Harris had been sketching the band while having his coffee. In true New Haven fashion, we had a connection: he had once drawn for the New Haven Independent “when it was on paper,” he said. He said he had been a frequent attendee to this event many years ago and was happy to see it return.
Harris sketched to the music.
The first two songs of the second set were “Keep Hope Alive,” from Fuller’s latest CD of the same name, and “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which Litzie said was “one of my favorite standards.” One could not imagine a more apropos way to begin again.
Jazz Brunch at Elm City Market continues every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jeff Fuller and Friends will be performing there again next Sunday, Jan 28, and then every second and fourth Sunday. For more information, please visit the Elm City Market website.
