Eric Baldwin, Pete Tillotson, Jeff Hughes, Bill Duffy
Jeff Hughes flugelhorn/trumpet, Eric Baldwin guitar, Bill Duffy piano, Pete Tillotson string bass.
Jeff has an instinct for what people need – Jeff’s Jazz Four were a welcome relief from the hectic days of Easter, Passover, The Boston Marathon and Patriots’ Day all falling on the same weekend. They played what “Ray Smith would call Chamber Jazz”, calming everyone’s nerves with soothing melodies.
It was a committed ensemble – they didn’t need any other instrument. Jeff played from the heart, and they followed wherever he led. His main instrument of choice was a smooth, smokey Flugelhorn, alternating between classic Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole.
The opened with Duke’s In a Mellow Tone, Jeff on flugelhorn, then I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart on trumpet. Perdido was a hot one, with Jeff’s finger-snapping adding another instrument. Great 1930’s ballad, Sweet Lorraine, the piano gave it the beat, trumpet, guitar and bass in sync, accenting the rhythm; it ended with Jeff’s graceful, melodic flugelhorn.
Bill Duffy does Nat King Cole
Pianist Bill Duffy was new to us, but not to the Greater Boston Community. He had a seven-year residency at the Four Seasons in Boston, and played the Nat King Cole Songbook at Scullers Jazz Club. He has a warm and supportive style.
Duffy was featured on Nat’s Walking My Baby Back Home and on a Johnny Mandel tune, Emily, using notes sparingly, making every note count. The fans completely quiet, listening.
Nat King Cole was an extraordinary pianist of the 1950’s, then the world discovered he could sing. Just You Just Me, Bill’s fingers floated over the keyboard, string bass playing fine melody behind him.
Early 50’s Straighten Up and Fly Right, piano intro, Jeff on open bell trumpet, trio in unison behind him.
Pete Tillotson string bass
Back to Duke to take out the first set with the Hot Club Days, Caravan. No drums – not necessary, Pete’s string bass took over the drum beat.
It ended with a thundering piano, and Jeff’s lively muted trumpet. Feet were tapping, heads were bobbing, even the band couldn’t stay still, guys moving from side to side, Duffy bouncing on the piano bench.
Flugelhorn opened Set 2 with It Might As Well Be Spring, piano picking up riff and running with it. Lovely! Chet Baker also played trumpet and flugelhorn, he liked Let’s Get Lost.
Music pours out of Jeff Hughes.
This music was just what the Doctor ordered! Jeff kept the musicians on their toes with all kinds of extraordinary endings.
Another Duke, Prelude To a Kiss, Sweet muted trumpet. Bill on piano watching Jeff every minute. Crowd enthralled, perfectly quiet, listening to masters at work. Soft low register ending on trumpet.
Eric Baldwin on Eastman arch-top guitar
Eric Baldwin was featured with Nat’s tune about Love,
Eric Baldwin plays with various groups in the area and is now teaching at Haverhill Public School.
He was both front line and rhythm; took an explosive solo on Dick McDonough’s 1930’s depression song, Chasin’ A Buck.
Next tune was a different kind of love, definitely not the sweet kind, Cole Porter’s Love For Sale. Jeff picked up the beat, loud open bell trumpet and piano, Jeff interjecting a quick, loud blast into all the solos. He threw a blaring note at bass and the bass took off.
Flugelhorn feature, Quiet Nights and Quiet Stars, sweet. Musicians watched Jeff intently and followed him. They stayed in that mood with Antonio Carlo Jobin’s One Note Samba – Jeff demonstrating Samba, dancing around the mic. Piano arpeggio, fingers flying up and down the piano. Jeff stopped on a dime, surprising everyone. They also stopped abruptly. Not one extra note.
There was something for everyone. Fats Waller’s Jitterbug Waltz, trumpet playing beautiful waltz, piano tinkering behind him.
Count Basie’s Topsy, hot ensemble intro, open bell trumpet, miraculous sounds coming out of Eric’s guitar. String bass took the chords, trumpet interacting with each instrument. Stunning!
Piano feature on Slow Boat to China, sterling piano, guitar and bass in sync behind him.
Bill Duffy rapt at the piano playing Slow Boat to China
Hoagie Carmichael and Bix Beiderbecke were great friends. Hoagie ‘appropriated’ some of Bix’s sounds in his tunes – you could hear it in Sky Lark.
Bronislau Kaper wrote Invitation. It became the theme music for 1952 film “Invitation” from which it derived its popularity and became a jazz standard. “Bad things happen in the city”. Latin beat background, open bell trumpet, rapid string bass. “Cops & Robbers to the max.” It’s a great tune to play at any tempo, latin, straight-eighth, or swing and it lends itself to many interpretations.
A little bit different finale, Horace Silver’s Song For My Father. Great open bell trumpet, Duffy coaxing all kinds of music out of the piano.
Jeff wished us all a great Spring and Summer. He’ll return with the Wolverine Jazz Band April 29th, and Swing Times Five on May 27th, and probably as a side man with many others in between. You never know what he’ll come up with next. Watch our calendars.
