Midweek, it must be Small's

(Screenshot by Russell)

Lew Tabackin Quartet live streaming from Small's, NYC - April 13

Lew Tabackin (tenor sax); John Eckert (trumpet, flugelhorn); Yasushi Nakamura (double bass); Jason Tiemann (drums)

Live streams at Small's consist of two one hour sets. This review is of Tuesday evening's second set, starting at half past midnight (BST). Two octogenarians joined forces with two of New York's younger generation to play some familiar and not so familiar numbers. The principals, Lew Tabackin, 81 years young, blew tenor sax and flute, and John Eckert, at 82, blew trumpet and flugel. 

A Tabackin chart, a blues titled Chasing the Carrot laid down a marker, our bandleader hopping around like a spring chicken. Coleman Hawkins' Hanid (Tabackin said Hank Jones claimed to have written the number) featured Tabackin on tenor with an opportunity for bassist Yasushi Nakamura to show what he could do. Yet another great bass player is Mr Nakamura. Body and Soul made the cut, as did Trinkle Tinkle (Kinda wants to make me go to the bathroom quipped Tabackin), indeed, Monk's composition just about came out tops with Jason Tiemann contributing a marvellous drum solo. Jimmy Knepper's Leaves of Absinthe based on the changes to Lullaby of the Leaves closed the set with Nakamura once again impressing.     

(Screenshot by Russell)

Clovis Nicolas Quintet live streaming from Small's, NYC - April 14 

John Boutellier (tenor sax); Jeremy Pelt (trumpet); Miki Yamanaka (piano); Clovis Nicolas (double bass); Jimmy Macbride (drums)

Small's French Jazz series benefits from financial input from the French government and this evening's set presented bassist Clovis Nicolas with his quintet featuring fellow countryman John Boutellier who blew some tremendous tenor sax, upholding the Greenwich Village venue's reputation as a NYC bebop hotspot. Boutellier's frontline partner just happened to be Jeremy Pelt. The post bop/post Blakey trumpeter matched the Frenchman every step of the way. 

Miki Yamanaka seemingly picks up lots of Big Apple gigs and it's no surprise, the NYC resident Japanese pianist is a fine player. Drummer Kimmy Macbride is another making a name for himself in the hothouse environment of the city that never sleeps. A fine quintet, its leader Monsieur Nicolas content to let the music and the musicians speak. Set highlights? Hutch (written in honour of drummer Gregory Hutchinson) and a swift take on Fine and Dandy.  

Russell