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Jazz for Justice 2025

Jazz for Justice NYC is the annual fundraiser of Legal Services NYC. Legal Services NYC's mission is to provide legal representation, if not justice, for all New Yorkers - mostly they do tenant and consumer law. The J4J clientele is the very definition of white shoe law firm. The big firms were all there, paying their dues.

For the second year in a row, I had the honor of recommending a jazz band.

I recommended Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings. Here's Alphonso on trumpet, with Gordon Webster on piano.

Danny Lipsitz was on reeds and vocals. Russell Hall played bass.

Ahmad Johnson played drums. The band was amazing, but the music was almost lost in the cavernous event hall.

I came a day early so I could go to Tuesday at Mona's. It was a special night, featuring the great jazz women of NYC. That's Jen Hodge on bass, Bria Skonberg on trumpet, Emily Asher on trombone, and Cynthia Sayer on banjo. Brennen Ernst was exceptional, as usual, on piano.

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Mardi Gras 2025 at Mona's

Mardi is French for Tuesday, and Tuesday means Mona's.

Mona's bartender and chief instigator Aidan poses for a pre-music selfie with Tama. The decorations were by Aidan, the food was by Aidan, the music scene is curated and egged on by Aidan. He's also a world-class photographer who doesn't need to crap up his work with cartooning software.

The second line came in, and the party started.

The house band was Jared Engel on bass, Dennis on reeds, Ben Polcer, in from New Orleans, on trumpet, and the impressive Sam Chess on trombone. Not shown, but appreciatively heard, Bill Malchow on piano and Ahmed Johnson on percussion.

Another reason why I like Mona's.

Kayla Lewis' singing and brother Kerry's bass were the highlight of the second set for me.

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Perry Lederman

My friend Perry Lederman, who died in 1995 of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, was one of the greatest guitar players you never heard of. In the early 1960s he'd play the guitar in Washington Square Park as the heroes of the original folk music boom listened. Perry never went in for fame, he just loved to play the guitar. I tell much more of Perry's story here. Joan Lederman dug up this poster from about 1961 - notice not only who the headliner was, but also they didn't know how to spell Bob Dylan yet.

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Wintergrass 2025

Flying to Wintergrass felt like a reprise of my February 2020 trip to the Ground Up festival in Miami. Flying into an unknown, vaguely fearful and dark future. Once there, future be damned, Wintergrass was its own delightful little world in a hotel lobby. Below are a few highlights, but certainly not all of them!

I witnessed a two-hour vintage instrument showcase, with Mike Marshall, Michael Daves, Jacob Jolliff and Avril Smith playing ensemble. For their opening song, they played four guitars that were made in the 1800s. They switched instruments for each song, getting newer ones each time. The last song featured guitars and mandolins from the 1950s.

Per Wintergrass tradition, there was jamming in the lobbies and stairway landings and elevator vestibules. There were also several events for kids, culminating in a youth orchestra concert on the last day.

I found myself sitting on the floor at the "What she wrote," women songwriter workshop, and got this perspective.

I had not seen my long-time friend Joe Weed since before the pandemic. Here he is with his daughter Katie. Both of them are amazing musicians. They played a Joe Weed original twin-fiddle composition in the hallway that could have been on stage. (Afterwards I had to walk down the hall looking for my socks.) Joe's musical passions are expressed in lower-key ways - music history documentaries, audio engineering, etc. but he still practices violin often enough to keep sharp.

Twin fiddles again. The great Darol Anger and the great Bruce Molsky. Genius set to music.

I don't think I'll ever again consider attending a bluegrass festival that doesn't have a choro band. In fact, choro has been a regular feature of Wintergrass for well over a decade. Here's the most recent incarnation of Mike Marshall's band Choro Famoso. That's Brian Rice on pandeiro, the most amazingly incredible Douglas Lora on 7-string guitar, special guest (and long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest) Jovino Santos Neto on melodica, Mike on mando, and Andy Connell on clarinet.

There's an active choro scene in the Seattle area with a monthly roda. About 50 gringo choroẽs came out to play with the Choro Famoso band members. Everybody knew everybody. It was generous and high-spirited. The music hit all the right notes.

On Saturday night there was a "secret concert," but the word got out, and the room was packed for THE DUO, Mike Marshall and Darol Anger. They've been playing as The Duo - off and on - for maybe 40 years. The set was built around folk and bluegrass standards, for example, a version of Elizabeth Cotten's Freight Train, played uniquely, with evocative technique I could not begin to describe, but so wonderful it brought tears to my eyes. One more thing I realized in this set - my ears have spent twenty years listening to Darol's fiddle magic and I feel only now that I am learning enough to begin to appreciate his musical mind.

The last Wintergrass set I saw was Trey Hensley and Rob Ickes.

Amazing players both!

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Dom Flemmons at The Narrows

On Valentines Day, my sweetie and I went to our favorite restaurant and then caught Dom Flemmons at The Narrows in Fall River. He's a master of instruments and a scholar of songs.

He's a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the great band, following in the footsteps of Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong, to remind us where country music, hillbilly music, string band music, jug band music, came from. One Chocolate Drop, Rhiannon Giddens, became a MacArthur "genius" fellow. Another, Hubby Jenkins, recently graced a Woods Hole living room with his playing and singing. It was a treat to spend an evening with Dom!

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A mad dash to a great show

I made a mad dash from Woods Hole to NYC on February 11 to catch Catherine Russell's gig at Birdland. She sings the greatest songs in a style that perfectly captures the history and tradition of jazz. She's not flashy, but rather perfectly grounded, rounded and phrased. She makes me say "yeah" more than "wow." Additionally, for this gig, - and this is what got me into the car - she had put together one amazing band. Yeah.

That's Ben Paterson on piano, John Allred on bone, Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, Evan Arntzen on clarinet, Domo Branch on drums, and Matt Munisteri, Catherine's music director, on guitar. Yeah, what a band. Totally worth it. Drove home happy the next morning.

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The rest of my January NYC Safari

On Saturday morning (January 11), Neal texted that Evan Christopher was on Sarah King's jazz brunch gig about 20 blocks away. I got there for the last set.

That's David Langlois, one of my favorite percussionists. Then Sarah, Felix Lemerle on guitar, Aidan O'Donnell on bass and Evan Christopher on clarinet. Lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.

Of course i stayed Sunday to catch the Ear Regulars at the Ear Inn. Neal Miner on bass, Jay Rattman on sax, Felix on guitar and Jon Erik Kellso leading the band on trumpet. That's Phillup deBucket with that 20 hanging out of its mouth.

I could tell that The Ear was the best gig in town because Michael Steinman and Matt Rivera were there. Michael is the curator of one absolutely amazing blog, called Jazz Lives. He says you can pronounce "lives" as a noun (long i) or a verb (short i). Matt Rivera is a jazz scholar with a lovely four-part lecture series on the history of jazz. Here's a link to episode one.

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The rest of the Unity Jazz Festival

Aside from the amazing Domo Branch combo, there was too much going on at the Unity Jazz Festival, and too many tickets sold to get in everywhere I wanted to be.

So, for example, I got to hear festival headliners Rachel and Vilray (above) on Friday night, but on Saturday, I could not get into their set with a full band - the line was out the door and halfway down the hallway.

I did get to hear Georgia Heers. A deep vocalist singing deep material. One song was about a girl becoming a woman, and how to deal with new-found maturity, not just physical, but also mental, psychological maturity. It moved me.

Georgoa was backed by a dream team - Russell Hall on bass and Mathis Picard on piano.

Russell and Mathis spotted me just as i spotted them.

Here's Tatiana Eva Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band, with the amazing Gabe Terracciano on violin, Max O'Rourke on guitar and Wallace Stelzer on bass. No surprises. (I know the band well.) But a lovely set.

The above was a tribute to Sun Ra, and a reincarnation of his music. Some very distinguished musicians, and some far-out sounds. But I don't get it. Maybe I'm not a real jazz fan. Maybe my mind melted down when I heard bebop, and I never got to post-bop. I tried. But I gotta say, I still don't get it.

I heard even more great stuff, stimulating stuff, skillfully executed stuff, at the Unity Jazz Festival. But I didn't adequately document it, and you got my headlines. So I'll stop here.

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Domo Branch combo at Unity Festival

I attended the Unity Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center on January 10 and 11, 2025. Its headlines for me were Rachel and Vilray, and Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band. But there were a bunch of folks I didn't know, and I was ready for surprises. Wow, Domo Branch and his quintet was beyond surprising. They were the single best thing I saw all weekend!

Domo Branch himself was awesome on the drums. And then he got even better. (I am delighted to see him on the gig with Catherine Russell at Birdland next week with a band of heavy hitters!)

Vocalist Imani Rousselle had it all. And gave it 100%.

Abdias Armenteros played the sax like an old soul. They said he was the youngest-ever regular member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Dabin Ryu, Domo's piano player, was like she'd been hanging out in jazz clubs since she was three. The perfect fill, the right solo, all there at exactly the right time.

Felix Molsehome, the bass player in Domo's band, was also as good as they come. Great timing, nice solo, essential and present.

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TWO EXCELLENT MUSICIANS. THEY MADE PARIS VIBRATE.

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New Years Eve 2024 at Mona's

The House Band was Greg Ruby, Max O'Rourke, Eduarto Belo and Dennis Lichtman. Aurora Nealand (not in this pic) was in from New Orleans too!

Aye, there she is.

Max O'Rourke guitar, Greg Ruby guitar, David Ostwald tuba (I think), unknown on trombone, Dennis Lichtman clarinet, Aurora Nealand soprano sax, and Raphael Castillo-Halvorsen on trumpet.

Raphael.

It's gonna be a helluva year. Just ask me.

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Music Safari Brasilia

Every December, Hamilton de Holanda organizes a benefit concert, ABRACE, at the Escola de Musica de Brasilia. It features his most promising students, his family, and his long-time collaborators. In December 2024, I was there.

Here's percussionist Larissa Umayta, mandolin monster Ian Coury, and 7-string guitarist Igor Souza. I first met Ian Coury at ABRACE in 2015. He was 13. I've watched Ian develop from a talented kid with stage presence into a very strong and innovative musician. He's played in my Woods Hole concert series several times. He's playing again in March.

The back stage jamming was my highlight. The guy in the middle is Tiago Tunes, who I first met at the International Mandolin Festival in Lunel France in 2013. He's also developed into a major mandolin force.

This was the ABRACE concert itself. The audience was much bigger than I remember it in 2015.

The next evening, while I was still in Brasilia, Ian and Igor played an outdoor gig at a local restaurant.

Johanna, the restaurant owner, was pleased and proud!

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Choro das 3 plays Mona's

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Choro das 3 - and house-band leader Dennis Lichtman - played a mini-set of chorinho. The bar grew quiet for the music, then burst into applause. Clockwise, that's Lia Meyer on 7-string guitar, Elisa Meyer on mandolin, Corina Meyer on flute and Dennis on clarinet.

Corina sat one out.

Jazz banjo player Cynthia Sayer was in the house band that night. Here she is with Elisa.

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Music safari New Orleans, November 2024

I went to New Orleans on music safari last November. Obviously, Tuba Skinny at DBA would be my first stop.

That's Craig on reeds, a great sub on trumpet (name?), Barnabus on 'bone, Max on banjo, Todd the skinny on tuba and Greg on guitar. (Help please on the NOLA musicians I don't know. Write to me at isen@isen.com and tell me. Please.)

Aurora Nealand, of course, at The Maison. With her band, The Royal Roses or The Reed Minders, or whatever she's calling it this week. Russell Welch (guitar) and the trumpet player (help, please)

The next night we caught Charlie Halloran's band. Notice the same guitar player (Russell Welch) and the same trumpet player (help please).

Every week day at 2:00 PM the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park has a concert usually featuring one (or more) or the great musicians of New Orleans. On Thursday, November 14, we had the great good fortune to hear the amazing piano player David Torkanowsky and Ranger Saskia Walker.

Tork is most definitely one of the Great Ones. He's been to Woods Hole with Cyrille Aimée, and I've heard him several times in his home town. He didn't disappoint.

But Saskia Walker was the surprise. This woman can sing. A word about the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. They select their rangers based on their interests. So - contrary to so many army efficiency jokes - the National Park Service matched Saskia's love of jazz to her assignment in New Orleans. In fact, the park supports a whole jazz band of park rangers. PLEEEEASE don't tell Musk or Trump about this most delicious use of our tax dollars.

A visit to New Orleans would not be complete without a set by the great trumpet player and vocalist Marla Dixon. She's not hard to find. Just mosey down Frenchman Street with your ears open. Here' she is at The Spotted Cat.

We caught Herlin Riley and his combo at Snug Harbor. His joyful drumming was a revelation.

On our last day in New Orleans, we had the good fortune to discover Marie-Isabelle Pautz and her band 't Marie and Bayou Juju. She brings a genuine Cajun heritage and a love of her old-time tradition. We found her and her band undeservedly stuck in a corner at the Bombay Club. The world needs to find her.

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Special gig at Dizzy's

In October 2024, the Hamilton de Holanda trio, with Chris Potter, played a two-night stand at Dizzy's, at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

In celebration of Dizzy's 20th anniversary, the club had installed twenty giant photos of twenty musical giants that have played there. See the fifth one?

Here's a close-up . . .

The gigs were hot.

The quartet was Salamão Soares (keys), Big Rabello (percussão), Hamilton, and Chris Potter (reeds, mostly tenor sax).

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A few more memorable moments

In July, the Mamou Playboys Trio played at the Steeple Street Listening Room in Mashpee. That's David Greely on fiddle, Steve Riley on accordion and Burke Riley on the guitar.

In August, musical monsters Alphonso Horne (trumpet), Russell Hall (bass) and Mathis Picard (piano) dropped by to play in Woods Hole. They also picked up a gig at the Oak Bluffs Tabernacle . . .

Then, in September, Kittel and Company, with Josh Pinkham on mando, Jeremy on fiddle and Quinn Bachand on guitar, played an absolutely masterful concert at The Listening Room in Mashpee.

Jeremy.

Josh.

Quinn.

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Choro das 3 wraps its 18-month USA tour

In Woods Hole last December, the amazing three sisters of choro, "Choro das 3," did its last Thursday night live stream of its USA tour.

The awesome Elisa Meyer.

Not to miss - the Thursday night podcast.