Michela Marino Lerman dancing the night away at Small's, NYC - April 8

(Screenshot by Russell)

Michela Marino Lerman (tap dance); Mathis Picard (piano); Russell Hall (double bass).

It isn't every day BSH reviews a tap dance performance. In fact, has there ever been such a day? A tap board, piano and double bass occupied Small's 'small' space. Having toured the world, including a stint in London's West End, dancer, choreographer and educator Michela Marino Lerman returned to one of her favourite venues to present a one hour set of tap in the company of pianist Mathis Picard and bassist Russell Hall. 

Michela Marino Lerman's set list suggested we were in for a 'jazz' gig. Opening with Jason Moran's Arizona Landscape, tapping to Monk's Brilliant Corners supplied the key, the great bop era composer-pianist helped make sense of it all*, the closing piece, Chick Corea's Windows suggesting MML is, at heart, a jazz dancer. Pianist Mathis Picard is A-list material, an amazing musician (stride patterns at his fingertips) who has previously based himself, variously, in Fontainebleau, Glasgow, Chicago and now NYC, dazzling technique, composer of Hello heard here in Greenwich Village, the perfect foil to MML. In demand bassist Russell Hall (see Ann Alex's review of Anaïs Reno's new album) covered every move, contributing original material (Wildcard) to the trio's set. 

Piano and bass played a couple of duets, giving our self-styled 'hoofer' a break. The trio dazzled, bop, swing, big country Copland-Brubeck evocations, hoe-down to jig. This Small's set certainly was something different!

* Did Monk ever work with dancers? 

Russell