SmallsLIVE/Mezzrow Newsletter - "30 Years This Week (Thank You Arnie Lawrence)

Smalls/Mezzrow Newsletter - September 5th, 2016

Dear Friends:

This week I need to give homage to a great man who doesn't get enough recognition for his contribution to our music - saxophonist Arnie Lawrence. It will be exactly 30 years ago this week that I was a freshman at the very first class of the brand-new Jazz and Contemporary Music program at The New School. This program was created and single-handedly run by Arnie, who hand picked the first 30 or so students for what was an amazing educational experiment. Arnie felt that conventional classes where not the correct way to teach jazz. Instead he felt that the only way for a young musician to learn to play was to be inundated with the music in the company of living masters. I don't remember exactly how or why I chose this program but I do recall being auditioned by Tommy Flanagan (at the time I had no idea who he was) and for whatever reason I got accepted. My classmates where the likes of Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Brad Mehldau (a year later), Sam Yahel, Joe Strasser, Jesse Davis, John Popper (who started The Blues Travelers at that school), Eric Schenkman and Aaron Comess (who started The Spin Doctors at that school), Roy Hargrove, Jay Rodriguez, Chris Potter - just to name a few (and forgive me cats if I left your name off this list, it's by no means complete). Arnie sheparded his flock of jazz initiates in workshop-like master classes led by all the great names of jazz that were in New York at that time. This was 1986 so the great ones where still there. We met and hung out with Jaki Byard, Jimmy Cobb, Jim Hall, Donald Byrd, Ram Rimerez, Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan to name just a few. Art Blakey gave a masterclass and so did Milt Jackson. It was, for the first few years at least, one of the most creative and wild environments for a young musician to be in.

Arnie gave tirelessly. Whenever he had a new piano put in a practice room it got "boptized" by some great pianist before we could have at it. He created a masterclass called "peep your hole card" (a poker reference) where great musicians simply came in to talk about music and their lives and hang out with the kids. We got to play with these great ones. Jimmy Cobb's "rhythm class" was simply to play with Jimmy Cobb - talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool! It was a great and vibrant environment but after a few years proved to be just too loose for a conventional school, even an innovative one like the New School. Soon structure was enforced and the vibe changed radically. Arnie was ousted eventually from his own creation and ended up teaching in Israel and having a great impact there as testament from the enormous amount of great Israeli jazz musicians that ended up in New York. Arnie died in 2005 in Jerusalem but his legacy lives on in my generation of cats. I know that my musical philosophy and the viewpoint that I bring to Smalls and Mezzrow is directly influenced by Arnie, who was like my musical father and my mentor. It's funny but there's nothing happening at The New School to commemorate this program or Arnie or his legacy. He simply never got his due and still doesn't except that he lives in my heart and the hearts of some of the musicians who names I mentioned above. If there was a ever a need for a statue of a great jazz musician who's had an impact that's resounded for years to come it's Arnie Lawrence. 30 years! Man, I don't feel that old! Funny thing is that my life hasn't changed that much since that first week of September 1986 - still shedding, still hanging out in clubs, still smoking that joint and listening to Bird. Thank you Arnie for all you've done for this music and for me.

Sincere Regards,

Spike

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Monday - 9/5
Willerm Delisfort with
Dezron Douglas & Bryan Carter

Pianist Willerm Delisfort is a modernist with a deep groove and sparkling touch. He'll be joined by the rock-solid rhythm section of Dezron Douglas on bass and Bryan Carter on drums.

Doors @ 7:30 PM
Willerm Delisfort sets @ 8 PM & 9:30 PM
John Merrill & Friends "After-hours" @ 11 PM

To advance purchase a reserved seat click:
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Tuesday - 9/6
Vocalist Xavier Casellas & Emilio Solla

Vocalist Xavier Casellas returns to New York for a rare appearance. He will be accompanied by the wonderful Emilio Solla on piano.

Doors @ 7:30 PM
Xavier Casellas sets @ 8 PM & 9:30 PM
Mezzrow "Polite Jam Session" @ 11 PM

To advance purchase a reserved seat click:
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Wednesday - 9/7
The Johnny O'Neal Trio

Johnny O'Neal - Piano, Luke Sellick - Bass, Charles Goold - Drums

Doors @ 7:30 PM
Johnny O'Neal sets @ 8 PM & 9:30 PM
Tony Hewitt "After-hours" @ 11 PM

To advance purchase a reserved seat click:
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Thursday - 9/8
George Garzone with
Rober Marullo & Peter Slavov

Tenor saxophonist George Garzone is a jazz legend - a robust and modern thinking improvisor. He makes this rare appearance with Robert Marullo on piano and Peter Slavov on bass.

Doors @ 7:30 PM
George Garzone sets @ 8 PM & 9:30 PM
Spike Wilner After-hours set @ 11 PM

To advance purchase a reserved seat click:
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Friday, Saturday - 9/9-10
Harry Allen with
Steve Ash (9/9), Tadataka Unno (9/10) & Joel Forbes

Saxophonist Harry Allen is a class act - a beautiful sound and swing feel, nobody plays the standards better than Harry. Join him for an evening of music in our intimate listening room with pianists Steve Ash ( 9/9 ), Tadataka Unno ( 9/10) and bassist Joel Forbes.

Doors @ 7:30 PM
Harry Allen sets @ 8 PM & 9:30 PM

To advance purchase a reserved seat click:
9/9 - CLICK HERE TO RESERVE
9/10 - CLICK HERE TO RESERVE

9/9 - Johnny O'Neal After-hours @ 11 PM
9/10 - Jon Davis After-hours @ 11 PM

Sunday - 9/11
Shai Maestro & Gretchen Parlato

Pianist Shai Maestro invites the wonderful vocalist Gretchen Parlato to join him for a reflective evening of jazz duets.

Pasquale Grasso Solo Guitar set @ 7:30 PM
Shai Maestro sets @ 9:30 PM & 11 PM

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Mezzrow proudly endorses Steinway pianos

THIS WEEK AT SMALLS
(a selection of featured shows)

For our full schedule please go to www.smallslive.com

Monday - 9/5
The Marko Churnchetz Quartet
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
with Marko Churnchetz - Piano, Mark Shim - Tenor Sax, Chris Tordini - Bass, Ludwig Afonso - Drums

Monday - 9/5
The Ari Hoenig Trio
Sets at 10:30 PM & 12 AM
with Ari Hoenig - Drums, Shai Maestro - Piano, Johannes Weidenmuller - Bass

Tuesday - 9/6
The Jeremy Manasia Trio
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
with Jeremy Manasia - Piano, David Wong - Bass, Charles Ruggiero - Drums

Tuesday - 9/6
The Frank Lacy Group
Sets at 10:30 PM & 12 AM
with Frank Lacy - Trombone, Tenor Sax-Stacy Dillard, Bass-Yosushi Nakamura, Piano-Theo Hill , Drums-Mark Whitfield, Jr, feat. Freddie Hendrix - Trumpet

Wednesday - 9/7
The Ed Cherry Trio
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
with Ed Cherry - Guitar, Kyle Koehler - Organ, Anwar Marshall - Drums

Wednesday - 9/7
The Jimmy O'Connell Group
Sets at 10:30 PM & 12 AM
with Jimmy O'Connell - Trombone, Andrew Gould - Alto Sax, Tim Basom - Guitar, Tuomo Uusitalo - Piano, Peter Slavov - Bass, Jimmy MacBride - Drums

Thursday - 9/8
The Roberta Piket Sextet
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
with Roberta Piket - Piano, Bill Mobley - Trumpet, Steve Wilson - Alto Sax, Virginia Mayhew - Tenor Sax, Harvie S - Bass, Billy Mintz - Drums

Thursday - 9/8
The Ken Fowser Quintet
Sets at 10:30 PM & 12 AM
with Ken Fowser - Tenor Sax, Josh Burneau - Trompet, Steve Einerson - Piano, Paul Gill - Bass, Jason Tiemann - Drums

Friday - 9/9
The Pete Malinverni Trio
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
$20 for this show

with Pete Malinverni - Piano, Ben Allison - Bass, Akira Tana - Drums

Saturday - 9/10
The Chuck Redd Quartet
Sets at 7:30 PM & 9 PM
$20 for this show

with Chuck Redd - Vibraphone, Larry Fuller - Piano

Friday & Saturday - 9/9-10
The Abraham Burton Quartet
Sets at 10:30 PM & 12 AM
$20 for this show
with Abraham Burton - Tenor Sax, David Bryant - Piano, Dezron Douglas - Bass, Eric McPherson - Drums