|
|
|
The Blue Note Performance November 3, 2003
Chelsea Bridge - Grandpa's Ramble - Groovin' on Mt. Everest - My Favorite Things
November 3rd, 2003 will forever remain a special date to us. It was the
date on which Matt and The Matt Savage Trio first performed at The Blue Note in
New York. Yes, I am speaking about the Manhattan-based top Jazz Venue!
When you walk into the club, you see photographs of many of
the great musicians and singers who have performed at that very location over
the years and each of the tables at the club has a star on it with a name of a
jazz guru who has been there. When we first went into the club, Matt made
a beeline for the stage to check out the Bösendorfer piano. (Yes, The Blue
Note has a Bösendorfer). John and Steve, Matt’s sidemen, were already
there, so the guys immediately started jamming. All of them seemed kind of
dazed about being where they were. Actually, so was I. They finished the
sound check, and Matt started checking out the club. We "Wowed!" at each
of the photographs, and then Matt discovered the musicians’ names commemorated
on the tables in the building. He ran around calling out who was listed
where, "Hey Mom, here is Oscar Peterson’s table! Here’s Dizzy Gillespie’s!".
I was sitting at Baden Powell’s table. It was cool, and very humbling to
know that these jazz greats once sat around the same tables as we.
We ate a quick meal before the first set,
although I’m not sure either of us really noticed the eating of the food.
I just remember that the fresh fruit and cheese plate I got was tasty.
Matt wolfed down some chicken and french fries and was off running around,
talking to people, telling jokes, discussing roller coaster designs. He
made friends with some of the youngsters in the audience. Then suddenly it
was time for him to perform. Matt was in a silly mood, having just been
rollicking with laughter at some silly jokes shared with his drummer’s nephew.
I was worried he would stay silly, and he did, for most of the first set.
But he eventually settled down. And his music was still great.
The venue looked to me like it was filled, and
the audience was enthusiastic and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I kept
sneaking glances behind me and saw smiles and amazed expressions from people.
It was pretty wonderful. Nonstop Bebop - Matt Savage Matt was really tired by the time the second
set came around. We had acclimated him to staying up late in anticipation
of The Blue Note gig, but he had expended a lot of energy giving interviews,
playing the first set, and running around talking to people. Even though
he had gotten used to the late hour, he was beat. Amazingly, he played
even more beautifully and creatively the second set than he had for the first
set. I think he was just more relaxed, in addition to being tired.
His announcing was more subdued, and he needed to make a quick run to the
restroom during the bass player’s solo in the fourth song. But, the rest
of the set was magical. A gentleman from The Afro American Syndicate named
Gatsby Melodi wrote a review of this set. You can read about it here on
our web site.
Before we left, the manager at the club brought over two posters that had been
in the front of the club advertising Matt’s performance that evening. He
asked Matt to sign one of the posters for the club to keep and gave us the other
one. I am getting it framed so we will always remember our special first
evening at The Blue Note. But we don’t really need the poster to remind us
about the evening. And we were invited back to The Blue Note for another
engagement…so I know there will be another night and another special memory to
come. We extend all of our thanks to the entire staff at The Blue Note.
Everyone was kind, supportive, helpful, professional, and just downright
NICE!!!! Next time we are in NY we plan to go back to the club just to
hear whoever is performing that evening.
|
Hear some MP3 clips
from this performance!
