Meet The Little Jazz Trio

We all know that the traditional lineup for New Orleans-style classic jazz entails a trumpet, reed, trombone and tuba. Piano and drums may even seem extraneous.

The aptly named Little Jazz Trio features a steady bassist, Bob Lyna; a hot rhythm guitarist, Harvey Nusbaum; and a golden-toned brassman, Ray Sturge.

All three players vocalize. But no ’bone, no clarinet, no sousaphone…no matter.

First formed in 2004 with different personnel, the Syracuse-based trio has released its debut disc, Meet The Little Jazz Trio, recorded at Hobin Studios in Baldwinsville, a suburb northwest of the city of Syracuse in Central New York state.

The current lineup has been together for five years.

So okay, there’s no tailgate trombone nor trebly clarinet, but the trio’s sound feels plenty full as is with sincere and sometimes soaring performances.

Ten tuneful tracks

The CD’s ten tracks include seven trad-jazz standards, a South American carnival tune, a popular TV-theme and an original instrumental by Harv Nusbaum.

Ray Sturge, a multi-instrumentalist and educator who also serves as director of the Lyncourt, N.Y. Community Band, kicks off the disc singing “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” one of the earliest jazz tunes ever. The trio’s arrangement focuses on Ray’s marvelously muted cornet and his bold vocal punctuated by shouts and snorts. We gotta figure Buddy would absolutely approve!

That familiar blues is followed by Nusbaum vocalizing “The Frim-Fram Sauce,” Nat Cole’s 1945 novelty hit. Sturge spices the sauce with a clean cornet lead while Harvey swings the tune on guitar as he sings the culinary satire.

That fun cut is complemented by a heart-felt rendition of the 1954 cabaret ballad “Fly Me to the Moon” ably sung by Bob Lyna and embellished by Nusbaum’s six-string licks.

Both Lyna and Nusbaum have honed their crafts as part of the regional folk music scene. Harvey was a longtime member of the Cranberry Lake Jug Band which made memorable appearance on National Public Radio’s Prairie Home Companion some four decades ago.

So the musical backgrounds of the guitarist and bassist are more informal than Sturge’s academy training including graduation from the Syracuse University School of Music. But rather than clash, these disparate musicians actually complement each other and combine to create a more-than-pleasing sound.

Original instrumental

Nubaum’s original, “Back of the Envelope,” named for the paper on which it was written, starts out with a frisky flute intro by Ray Sturge and features an inviting guitar interlude alternating chords and single-note finger-picking.

With that instrumental behind them, Harv returns to the microphone again for “Those

Were the Days,” a tune that originated in the 1920s as a Russian art song. Harvey’s naturalistic vocal emphasizes the song’s humanity, while guest fiddler Joe Davoli sparkles.

Ray Sturge takes over the singing on Sy Oliver’s composition “Opus One” which became a hit for Tommy Dorsey in 1945. Ray switches from cornet to flugelhorn for the “Theme from Frasier” which he sings as wittily as the scrambled eggs lyrics. Along the way, Bob Lyna turns in a tasty bass solo.

Sturge sticks with flugelhorn for “Manhã de Carnaval,” the Brazilian number also known as “Black Orpheus.” And Harv handles the Latin polyrhythms like an old Brazilian pro on the guitar!

One of the most entertaining tunes on the CD is “I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll,” the 1919 chestnut by Clarence and Spencer Williams, vocalized with verve by Nusbaum.

Ray Sturge concludes the recording with “It Might as Well Be Spring” featuring a resounding flugelhorn. His reverently vocalized version of the Academy Award-winning tune by Rodgers & Hammerstein brings the session to a cool close.

‘Come as you are’

Overall, listeners will find the Little Jazz Trio’s uncomplicated arrangements easy to enjoy.

“We keep the melody clear and the harmony simple,” says guitarist Harvey Nusbaum, “We want to be accessible.”

They have crafted set lists of adventurous variety. “We’re looking at all eras and sub-genres,” Nusbaum said. “Everything is fair game. The variety keeps the audience engaged.”

When performing live, the threesome often play a Beatles song, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Swingin’ On a Star” and Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood.” They interpret jazz standards such as “Indiana” and “Autumn Leaves” plus novelties like “Beer Barrel Polka.”

Nusbaum considers the band’s repertoire “come-as-you-are jazz.”

Both Nusbaum and Sturge have appeared at recent Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse Jam Sessions. A versatile brassman, Sturge plays tuba as well as trumpet, flute and flugelhorn.

“After two years we’ve become regulars at Anyela’s Winery in Skaneateles, Shaughnessy’s Irish Pub in Syracuse, Next Chapter Brewpub in Auburn, and the Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia,” Nusbaum reported. The trio also entertains at several senior living facilities.

“This allows us to stay current with our material and keeps us growing,” Nusbaum said. “It’s really a win-win. The residents love us and our chops get better.”

Find the Little Jazz Trio on Facebook at facebook.com/Little.Jazz.Trio.