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Written by Martha Alguera Thursday, 29 October 2009 06:45
Show Reviews
"Music is one of the best ways to enjoy the present. Its not much fun to look forward to hearing music or to remember what a song sounded like last week, but music right now absorbs you and places you in the present moment" -Sonnett Branche
NEW ORLEANS | It was a very cool, relaxing Tuesday nite as I walked from Dauphine Street to Bourbon St towards Fritzel’s Jazz Club. I knew I would be absorbed by music tonight. Bourbon Street was relatively calm and quiet and did not reflect the vibrant atmosphere inside of Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub.
I was immediately greeted and attended to by Kate, the club's most gracious host. The place was packed with jazz aficionados of all ages and there was a joyful spirit in the air. In order to head upstairs, I had to pass in front of the band and I must say they sounded amazing. I felt like I stepped into a 1920’s jazz parlor with the ragtime beats behind me. The club boasted 2 bands tonite, the Loose Marbles at 7 p.m. followed by Tom Fischer & Friends at 9 p.m.
As I made my way up the grand spiral wooden staircase, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful, ornately painted ceiling in the main room. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and imagined the room full of people dancing the night away to a live jazz ensemble in that exact room in year passed. Another grand feature of the upstairs section was the very wide balcony overlooking Bourbon Street. I took a moment to enjoy the cool nite air while “people-watching” the individuals on that block. The wind whispered to me the need to head downstairs and truly enjoy the main ingredient to this experience, the music.
The 40th anniversary celebration at Fritzel’s included two jazz acts that normally play there during the week. Fritzel's is open with live jazz seven nights a week. The club boasts being the “Oldest Operating Jazz Club in New Orleans ” with its debut in October 1969. Fritzel’s also boasts an impressive history during its 40 years and has had many legendary jazz musicians grace its tiny stage in the historic 1831 building. The bar at Fritzel's offers many different schnapps (usually served cold) and a variety of German beers to enjoy. Fritzel's has become a sort of mecca for jazz lovers in the local and international community amidst all the noise and rock bands playing nearby in other establishments on Bourbon.
The first band I had the pleasure to enjoy was Loose Marbles, comprised of 5 very talented musicians. The band is most commonly known for playing on various French Quarter streets (such as Royal Street and Frenchman) and usually is made up of a rotating band with many members. The members tonight included Ben Polcer on trumpet, Todd Yannacone on acoustic guitar, brothers Bruce Brackman on clarinet and Chuck Brackman on sousaphone and a magnificent female piano player named Shaye Cohn.
Loose Marbles is best known for playing 1920's and 30's ragtime jazz. I walked into the last set of the band and into the well-known tune “Canal Street Blues,” a very upbeat, lively song that had audience members clapping and tapping their feet. The young female piano player was a treat to the eyes and ears as she rapidly bounced her fingers on that piano scale as if her wrists were held by marionette strings. She was “stride” playing, a style very popular in jazz numbers. The name "stride" comes from the left-hand movement, striding up and down the keyboard. Stride players often leap a greater distance with the left hand, play faster and have more room for improvisation.The style was popularized by our own "Professor" Jelly Roll Morton as well as Fats Waller and stride master James P. Johnson.
The second song I caught called for a sousaphone solo and Chuck Brackman’s performance was heavily applauded. The feel in Fritzel’s was one of shared joy as everyone listened attentively to the performance. The last song, “Donna,” concluded the Loose Marbles set on an upbeat, literally. The cool jazzy voice of Ben Pulcer drifted through the club like wispy little jazz notes. The Loose Marbles are an amazing younger addition to the older, more established jazz acts that play at Fritzel's. I'm sure we will hear alot more out of this band for years to come.
As the Marbles cleared the stage, the members of Tom Fischer and Friends began walking in, dressed to impress in very nice suits. They carried the air of Fritzel's all-stars. This band was comprised of Tom Fischer on clarinet, Gerald French on drums, John Royen on piano and Jesse Boyd on upright bass. If you these names are not familiar, be rest assured that these gentleman are without a doubt some of the best traditional jazz players in our city.
The band leader, Tom Fischer, was born in Chicago and moved to New Orleans in 1989. He received formal training at Indiana University and his informal training in the jazz clubs of Chicago and New Orleans. Fischer’s playing reflects his love for the great New Orleans clarinet tradition. He has been called by Jazz Times magazine "one of the best." Drummer Gerald French began playing drums at the tender age of 5 and is part of an illustrious New Orleans music family. He has appeared on various recordings,movie soundtracks and television scores. French is a fourth generation musician and also member of the Wild Magnolia's Mardi Gras Indian Tribe. John Royen is well known for his stride playing and has been called "New Orleans most important living stride piano player." He is also one of the busiest piano players in the city and appears on numerous recordings. Bass player Jesse Boyd is one of the city's most sought after stand-up players and is known for his versatile style. He is currently a professor of jazz and music industry at Loyola University.
The band's numbers included the popular "Beale Street Blues," performed flawlessly. Its original composer, American lyricist W.C. Handy, would have been proud. The song is a well known jazz number which romanticizes the popular Memphis Street. The sweet clarinet sounds of Fischer and sweeps of piano player extraordinaire Royen were the key components to this song. Another highlight of the band's set was drummer Gerald French's silky smooth vocals on "Why Don't You Go Down to New Orleans" as he sang:
Why don't you go to New Orleans,
Ride in Ole Street Cars,
Celebrate Mardi Gras!
Midsong, Ben Pulcer of Loose Marbles joined in on trumpet.
The audience's excitement seemed to grow with each song as they boisterously clapped their hands and danced in their seats.
A real new Orleans character, Uncle Lionel Batiste, enchanted the audience with a surprise rendition of the Patsy Cline chestnut "Crazy," as he is known for his maple-sweet take on sentimental standards. Originally a bass drummer by trade for the Treme Brass band, this gracious, debonair man with his big sunglasses and walking cane has become a staple on Frenchman Street and New Orleans events in general. The band had to lower the volume on their playing to accomodate the low gentle voice of "Unc" (known to many by these three letters). Halfway through the song, Batiste began flirting and singing to the ladies in the audience and they loved it! It was such a sweet sight to be a witness to. He graciously ended his song with the words "Crazy for loving you all" as he motioned to the crowded audience at Fritzel's.
Its always been custom at Fritzel's to bring up jazz vocalists to sing on their stage and this nite it was Jayne Morgan's turn. She was introduced by band leader Fischer and sang an upbeat version of "Puttin' on the Ritz" and clearly enjoyed every minute of her performance, as evident through her facial expressions and snapping fingers.
Although I could've stayed at Fritzel's until closing time enjoying the lovely jazz numbers or the general ambiance of the club, I decided my 7 a.m. alarm would not be so forgiving and left the still-packed house. As I walked with jazz still ringing in my ears, I stopped to enjoy an old fire-escape on the side of a grand old French Quarter building, prompted by my boyfriend's love of those structures. I was full of admiration for our magical little city where the allure of old time jazz is as timeless as our brick streets and as enduring as the architecture of French Quarter homes and businesses. Fritzel's 40th Anniversary celebration will continue throughout the rest of the week and include many other of Fritzel's all-star bands. If you love traditional jazz and a highly musical atmosphere Fritzel's European Jazz Pub on 733 Bourbon Street is a must.
"New Orleans is the only place I know of where you ask a little kid what he wants to be and instead of saying 'I want to be a policeman' or 'I want to be a fireman,' he says, 'I want to be a musician.'" —Alan Jaffe
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