Pandemic or no pandemic, nothing stops Small's. The Greenwich Village jazz club presents jazz seven nights a week and, what's more, each and every set is streamed live - it's been that way for many years! This evening, club regular Emmet Cohen played the early set. As usual, Kyle Poole occupied the drum stool. On bass Philip Norris - as of last week a graduate of Julliard! - joined Cohen to play a set of standards to a real, live audience at 183 W 10th St.
The trio's set would prove to be anything but 'standard fayre'. Emmet Cohen is one hell of a piano player, then some. Future Stride from the album of the same title opened the show. Gerry Mulligan's Venus de Milo followed. What we heard was quite breathtaking, Cohen's audacious approach, seemingly without a safety net, is spellbinding. Remarkably - or perhaps less so, was it down to many hours rehearsing the set? - Norris and Poole seemed to know precisely where Cohen was heading. Given that Cohen, within a matter of a few bars, was able to switch from classical motif, to swing to stride to modal and back again, beggared belief, especially as Norris and Poole were right there with him every step of the way! Li'l Darlin' to Satin Doll, the Emmet Cohen Trio played a blinder!
Emmet Cohen, with tonight's bass and drums pairing, is due to play Ronnie Scott's on Tuesday 20 July. If the concert goes ahead, it'll be a corker! Russell
1 comment :
I endorse everything you have said about the brilliant Emmet Cohen Russell.
Ironically if it had not been for lockdown etc I may not have seen his Emmets Place Jam Sessions broadcast/streamed every Monday with top NY musicians (Each session for2hours) which he has done for 60 odd mondays and still is doing his weekly streams.
I hope one day I may get the opportunity to see see him live. Not to mention his brilliant bass player Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole
An amazing musician, obviously one of first call NY pianists and in my list of favourite jazz pianists of all time.
Ron Ainsborough
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