nothin Jazz Sessions Sweeten Thursday Nights | New Haven Independent

Jazz Sessions Sweeten Thursday Nights

Karen Ponzio Photo

Mike Carabello Trio

Thursday night can be hard to define. For some it is the unofficial start of their weekend fun. For others it is the sign that it is time to slow down and chill out. Luckily, New Haven Jazz Underground and Atelier Florian have teamed up to give New Haven a reason for both types to head out on the town.

The Thursday Night Jazz Sessions at the Chapel Street restaurant have been up and running since September according to the Underground’s organizer, musician Nick Di Maria, who also performs at the sessions, which are held weekly from 9 to 11 p.m.

They’re going well,” DiMaria said before the most recent show. We’re getting the late night crowd — New Havenites of all kinds — and it’s building up. We’ve started pinging on people’s radars, and musicians are reaching out to play there as well. The work is paying off.”

A different act plays each week, though according to Di Maria there are two residencies currently — his on the second week of each month and Mike Carabello’s on the first week. But the acts that have been booked cover the whole spectrum” of jazz, including duos, trios, and quartets, with and without vocalists.

Fernanda Franco — vocalist for the band FATE who performed at one of the first sessions back in September as part of a quartet — attended last night’s show as a fan. That was fun. I got to play straight-up jazz, which I don’t get to do often” she said. And I love the room.”

Flan. Sigh.

Thursday night’s room was filled with music and guests enjoying New Haven Restaurant Week, that wonderful time of year when many of the city’s restaurants offer patrons a three-course meal of some of their favorites for a set price. Atelier Florian also has something new they are now offering weekly from Thursday to Saturday called the Social Hour from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. with drink and food specials.

We wanted to make it a more put away your phones, hang out, and socialize’ type of thing,” said general manager Mark Tuocy. He also said the response to the jazz sessions thus far has been phenomenal.”

We’re working with Nick to keep it fresh and new,” he said, adding that the jazz brunch series they collaborate on is still going strong.”

Fresh is the perfect word to describe Thursday’s act, the aforementioned Mike Carabello Trio, led by the Hartford-based Carabello on keyboards and including Brayden Beason on bass and Rob Picard on drums. The band set up in the back of the restaurant, where there is a natural little stage,” Tuocy said, and sound can travel upstairs to the patrons dining there as well.

The three musicians settled in, began gently, and took the venue through two one-hour sets of cool jazz standards punctuated with hot riffs that made it feel like a private jam session that the rest of us got to get a sneak peek at.

They made it sweet and sentimental with They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and fiery and furious with Night in Tunisia.” Carabello’s fingers danced over the keys, his face lit up as if he was having the time of his life. It was a playful set, tight as can be, but also with solos and steady change-ups moving between smooth and soulful to more frantic rhythms while remaining eminently interesting from start to finish. Even the wait staff and kitchen crew were seen smiling and moving to the sounds throughout the night. The trio even made the classic When the Saints Go Marching In” sound sexy and new. The intimate crowd responded warmly.

According to Di Maria, this series exemplifies the New Haven Jazz Underground’s mission. They will continue to work to bring more shows — this one, the brunch series, and the Tuesday night jam session at Three Sheets — to New Haven in the year ahead.

We’re already getting the ball rolling on next summer’s acts,” he said.

Thursday Night Jazz Sessions run weekly at Atelier Florian from 9 to 11PM. More information about them as well as their jazz brunch series can be found at the restaurants Facebook page and/or the New Haven Jazz Underground Facebook page. More information about the New Haven Jazz Underground can also be found at their Patreon page.

Tags:

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

There were no comments