Photos © Ray Drueke, Austin Lane Studios
Videos by Marce

This was the last Jazz Concert of 2015 at Primavera, and a very worthwhile one.  The Hot Six reached deep down playing their hearts out creating beautiful music.  They just love playing Jazz!

 

This was Herb Gardner’s evening, bringing old school musicality to vocals and on trombone with Ain’t She Sweet, and The Sheik of Araby – with the band members responding: ‘Without No Pants On’.

He started another vocal on Basin St. Blues, then turned it over to Jimmy with a trombone intro, the band playing in stop time behind him.  Herb ended with a rambunctious trombone flourish.

 

 

 

 

 

Eli Newberger, celebrated tuba virtuoso and keyboardist, leads the band, pointing at whoever gets to play next.  This is Jazz, no charts.

He plays tuba with a deep, sonorous tone, maintaining that contemporary classic beat and managing difficult straight four/four notes by circular breathing.

 

 

They paid tribute to the French with Ted’s sweet arrangement of Petite Fleur on clarinet.   Lovely!  This was also the hundredth anniversary of Sidney Bechet.

 

Jimmy sings with sensitivity, Someone To Watch Over Me, changing the words from: “Although he may not be the man some girls think of as handsome, to my heart he carries the key.” to  “Although she may not be the Squaw some boys think of as awesome, to my heart she carries the key.”

We’re thrilled  to have Jimmy back with the Hot Six; he’s been travelling.  He changed moods with Our Love is Here to Stay. He is also in The Tuber Trio with Eli and Ted Casher.  We hope he’s here to stay.

 

 

 

Bob Winter finesses amazing sounds out of that keyboard, starting with soft melodic single-note piano lines on Some Of These Days, gradually rising to an astounding variety of piano styles.

He is the pianist for the Boston Pops, but also loves this music and plays skillful, soft commentary behind the soloists and vocals.

 

 

In Memoriam: We lost Jimmy Enright  28 years ago today.  The Hot Six played Everybody Loves My Baby, with Jimmy Mazzy’s passionate voice rising to the infamous Jimmy “Holler’.

 

 

 

Jimmy continued with C’Est Si Bon, backed by Ted’s clarinet, with Bo on flugelhorn.  Bo’s rhythmic annotations on trumpet and flugelhorn lift the whole band.

 

 

 

Sizzling 12th Street Rag

 

 

Carolyn Newberger arrived and dug out the washboard. The band played a tune that her Mother used to play for her growing up, fairly soft and subtle, Tico Tico. 

Bob and Carolyn always connect and inspire each other; their duets are sparkling and exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ted plays gut-wrenching saxophone on Blue and Sentimental.  There were no lights on the band so my videos were really dark.  Ray Drueke came to the rescue and lightened them somewhat.  Just close your eyes and listen to Ted play a dreamy Coleman Hawkins tenor sax.

 

 

 

 

Eli had everyone clapping in time to a fiery Limehouse Blues. Jeff Guthery let loose on drums. He is the youngest member of the band, and recently had his recital at Berklee College of Music.

This was one of those never ending tunes, with Eli giving each musician a turn on the final verse.

 

 

 

 

 

Herb Gardner’s daughter, Sarah Nova was in the audience – a fine songstress in her own right.  Sarah teaches jazz to young children with her CD, Jazz For Lil’ Jumpers.  She gave us a lively version of Them There Eyes.

 

 

 

Eli and The Hot Six closed this evening of great jazz with Bo on flugel horn and Jimmy singing Louis’s Sleepy Time Down South.  This was the Primavera Finale for the year 2015. Jazz will return to Primavera Ristorante on January 7th, 2016.

Eli and The Hot Six with Rebecca Sullivan will be at Sculler’s Jazz Club on December 17th – celebrating Eli’s 75th birthday!

 

Photos Copyrighted by Ray Drueke,  Austin Lane Studios (401) 635-0163.

30 High-resolution photos available for sale.