After a lull in activity of several years, Tiny’s owner Joanne Gerace is now looking to help revitalize the scene in Utica by bringing live jazz back to Tiny’s on a regular basis with a rallying cry of “Jazz is back!” I and many others are thrilled by this decision and are looking forward to being able to enjoy the intimate atmosphere and welcoming venue that Tiny’s always was and now is again.

Tiny’s could not have chosen a better group to bring back jazz than the John Piazza Jr. Trio. John is a trumpet player who himself has recently returned to the Utica scene after a six month stint (which turned into eleven years) with Carnival Cruise lines. John’s chosen comrades included native New Orleansian bass player Mitchell Player and local guitar first-call Joe Ferlow. The trio quickly became a quartet when saxist Devin Garramone stopped in and was enthusiastically invited to pull up a chair, and later became a quintet when joined by trombone player Tommy, a “really nice guy”, and monster player to boot. The choice to play without a drummer is testament to the musicianship and versatility of Player and Ferlow especially, who laid it down as solidly as if Max Roach or Art Blakey had been sitting in the corner keeping time (and maybe they were). The setup was reminiscent of Oscar Peterson’s drummerless trio of the early 1950’s with the bass and especially guitar taking a more percussive role than usual.

The choice of music for the evening was delightfully eclectic, ranging from the smooth sounds of Brazilian bossa nova, played skillfully and tastefully on the flugelhorn, to straight New Orleans jazz (a passion of Piazza and Player), to almost Dixieland, to Juan Tizol’s fiery tune “Caravan”, to straight swing standards. The group was eager to play requests and the crowd (which started small but grew significantly) was eager to make them, asking for Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong, and a Latin-feel version of Autumn Leaves, all delivered by the group with grace and skill. We’ll expect to hear Afro Blue at their next gig with a drummer.

Let’s start with Piazza. John loves to talk. But he is not the type of talker who just loves the sound of his own voice; he loves to tell stories, get to know people and, share a bit of himself with the people around him. His storytelling skill and passion comes through his horn as clearly and accurately as through his voice. He has a smooth, sometimes breathy tone that reminded me of the sound that Stan Getz immortalized on the Getz/Gilberto/Jobim album (you do have a copy, don’t you?), and of Miles’ sound on “Freddie Freeloader”. Smooth, focused, simultaneously calm and intense. On every lick, John lets us know and also makes us wonder what will come next. Let’s not take his voice for granted though. John surprised and delighted us with a vocal rendition of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” sung in the most pure, unpretentious, unproduced tenor voice I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

I have been hearing of Mitchell Player for a few months and had the opportunity to hear him play for the first time last night. Mitchell hails from New Orleans and moved to Rome last December after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He is currently in the position of Principal at the YMCA Center for the Creative Arts in Rome. Utica is blessed to have Mitchell in our midst. From his rock solid timekeeping to his tasty barline crossing solo licks, to his telepathic communication with the other members of the group, Mitchell is a member of the jazz upper class.

Joe Ferlow has been collaborating with Player recently and you can tell from watching and listening to the two play together that they are starting to read each other’s minds. Adjusting well to a group with no drummer, Ferlow was very cognizant of the role he needed to play in maintaining the forward motion that a ride cymbal and hi-hat usually provide. He was quick to break from that role to that of a soloist, choosing his notes carefully and not just trying to cram in as many notes as possible, the way that many players do.

It is always a pleasure to hear Devin Garramone play tenor sax. Devin’s usual gig is in a trio with Jeff Palmer on organ and Bob Hubbard on drums (they play at the Devereux on Fridays). Devin added tasty counterlines and harmonies to John’s melodies and played a few fiery solos himself.

Joining the group later in the evening on trombone, Tommy a veteran of the scene, added some class and humor that it seems only those jazz pioneers of the “early” days can offer. Not only did Tommy add to the group musically, but he shared with us some wisdom and anectodal insight into the world of jazz (for instance calling a musician a “really nice guy” as code for “he can’t play worth beans”).

John will be back at Tiny’s again on November 25th from 9-12pm, this time in quartet form (which you can be sure will grow before the night is over). Tiny’s asks for a $2 donation at the door, which goes back into making sure that jazz is able to stick around at this wonderful venue. If you are looking for world class jazz right here in town, come out and support the scene. Tell your friends that “Jazz is back!”