There is a question in Judaism that’s asked once a year: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” It refers to the festival of Passover, which occurs in the spring and commemorates the Jews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. No need to explain it further here, but that’s the question that occurred to me on the night of Wednesday, September 4, when I attended the release party at Birdland of the CD Cat and the Hounds. I refer you to Joe Bebco’s review in the September issue, wherein he described better than I could the innate value and importance of this album.
I had received my copy about ten days earlier and had a chance to listen to it twice, but that was in the car coming home from Wisconsin. I knew that was not a fair audition but I was anxious to hear what the fuss was all about. Colin Hancock, the brains behind this project, had posted news of the release party on Facebook only a couple days before. I already had a pretty full dance card for that week but I knew I wanted to attend this event if at all possible.
I have been an ardent admirer of Colin since I met him in 2017 when, as a junior at Cornell, he organized a five-piece band to recreate the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s historic recording session of February 26, 1917. And so I made the four-hour drive to Ithaca to witness it, which, not coincidentally, occurred on the 100th anniversary of that recording. Colin has since gone on to still greater accomplishments, many of which have been recounted in this paper. His research on obscure black bands of the ’20s is groundbreaking and has drawn plaudits from the most respected jazz historians and writers.
And so, thanks to convenient train schedules, off I trekked to Manhattan. And this being a Wednesday, I made the most of the trip by also taking in the Louis Armstrong Eternity Band’s set at 5:30. When I called to reserve tickets for both events, I was assured that I would not miss a note at either one. The LAEB plays in the basement theater, while the release was upstairs in the cabaret. The release had two sets, at 7 and 10, and by attending the early one I was able to get home by 1AM. The LAEB sounded as good as ever, with most of the regulars on hand: leader David Ostwald on tuba, Will Anderson on reeds, Bria Skonberg on trumpet and vocals, Josh Dunn on strings (he may be the replacement for Arnt Arntzen, who recently moved to Tacoma) and Alex Raderman on drums. Josh Holcomb filled in ably for Jim Fryer on trombone. The small crowd was the only disappointment.
As for the Hounds’ set, everyone who’s on the CD was there except for Jerron Paxton, who played banjo, guitar, harmonica and sang on the record. Vince Giordano, a guest on the CD, also guested during the “live” show.
In what could be an unusual occurrence, Cat Russell, Colin’s co-star on the CD, was her own opening act. She had a rhythm quartet of Ben Paterson on piano, Tal Ronen on bass, Matt Munisteri (who often accompanies her) on guitar, and drummer Dominick (Domo) Branch, whom I had not seen before. They played four or five numbers that featured Cat singing tunes made famous by the likes of Mamie Smith, Victoria Spivey, and Billie Holiday. Nobody can portray those singers better than Cat. Since the CD under discussion here has only twelve tracks, perhaps the program was arranged this way to round out the roughly 75 minutes allotted, which is the typical time frame for most or all sets at Birdland.
Catherine Russell, Jerron Paxton, Ahmad Johnson, and Jon Thomas. (photo by Aidan Grant)
At no release party I’ve ever attended was everything played that was on the CD being celebrated. I did not attend the 10 pm show but I learned from friends who did that it followed the same format as the earlier show. I was just glad I was able to get there at all. The house was packed, so I don’t know how many people might have been turned away. If this event was not historic, it was at least memorable and well worth the trip. I was happy to get a few minutes with Colin before rushing off to Penn Station.
If you’ve never been to Birdland, there are two rooms. The cabaret, or club as Birdland calls it, is on the ground floor and has tiered table seating in a crescent shape, so, barring a few support pillars, almost everyone has a good view of the stage. There is also bar seating on the side of the room closest to the entrance. Downstairs is the theater where all tables are on a single level ringing the stage, although there is a raised row of bar-type seats toward the rear, plus the bar itself. Because the theater is not large, you can still get a good view of the stage from the row of bar seats. All the bands that I come specifically to see, like Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks on Monday or Tuesday, the Louis Armstrong band on Wednesday, and now recently the High Society New Orleans Jazz Band on Thursday, are in the theater. Since I like to sit close to the stage so I can observe the interplay among the musicians, I prefer the cabaret, which is where the Nighthawks and Armstrong were before Covid.
Music prices vary depending upon who’s playing. I always like to get there early so I’m finished eating before the music starts. Let me warn you that once the show starts the audience is in the dark, with only very dim candles on the tables. It might be risky trying to cut your steak under such conditions.
There is a $20 food and drink minimum per person per set, which is very reasonable for midtown Manhattan. You could easily spend that much at McDonald’s. As one out-of-town attendee at this year’s New York Hot Jazz Camp put it, “I don’t come to New York to save money.” That should be your attitude as well. But here’s one way to save a little: make your reservations by phone at (212) 581-3080 instead of using TicketWeb, which adds a fee for online orders. Birdland’s phone operators are very friendly and efficient. I have never been less than pleased with the service I’ve received there, or with the music. Birdland is well worth your patronage.
Bill Hoffman is a travel writer, an avid jazz fan and a supporter of musicians keeping traditional jazz alive in performance. He is the concert booker for the Tri-State Jazz Society in greater Philadelphia. Bill lives in Lancaster, PA. He is the author of Going Dutch: A Visitors Guide to the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Unique and Unusual Places in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and The New York Bicycle Touring Guide. Bill lives in Lancaster, PA.
