Turns Out 50 Years Is Not Enough for ‘Highlights in Jazz’

Because I’ve been attending New York State’s “Highlights in Jazz” concerts only since 1980, I was a relative newbie on Thursday night at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Some of the regulars there even had been present at the first concert, in 1973.At that time, Jack Kleinsinger was one of the state’s assistant attorneys general and a jazz fan strictly on the side. He was originally encouraged to launch what eventually became New York’s longest-running jazz concert series by two musician friends, the late clarinetist Phil Bodner and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Now, 348 concerts later, he had announced that this 50th anniversary show would be the final one of the series.At 87, Mr. Kleinsinger has slowed down somewhat. For several decades it was a running joke that he tended to be overly verbose. In fact, he would usually begin each night by promising the crowd that, in deference to the reviewers who consistently called him out on it, he would try not to talk so much; inevitably, he would then do precisely that. After all these years, his announcements on Thursday were finally as terse and pithy as some feel they should be.What has never changed is that Mr. Kleinsinger gives crowds a great value for their ticket price. Thursday’s show consisted of what would have been roughly four sets at any jazz club in town. In deference to the two-guitar team of Pizzarelli and Gene Bertoncini — who played on the first “Highlights” show on February 5, 1973 — Thursday’s program opened with Roni Ben-Hur and Jake Hertzog playing four selections on guitar. They started with “Out of Nowhere,” but along the way detoured through “Nostalgia,” Fats Navarro’s famous bebop variation on that Johnny Green ballad. Then it was Hank Mobley’s “This I Dig Of You,” interpreted in such a way that the source material, “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm,” was allowed to shine through. The legendary jazz singer Sheila Jordan, 94, capped the first half with Mr. Ben-Hur and longtime bass partner Harvie S., with a combination of familiar and fresh material. I still love to hear what she does with Abbey Lincoln’s “Bird Alone,” as well as her own homage to her friend and mentor Charlie Parker, “The Bird” — even if it she continues, after all these years, to zing it to Clint Eastwood for omissions in his 1988 “Bird” biopic. One surprise was an R&B song transformed into a rubato ballad, Billy Preston’s “Song of Joy.” She recorded it in 1977, but I haven’t heard her sing it lately.The only horn player of the evening, the storied trombonist Steve Turre, opened the second half with Harvie S., pianist Michael Wolff, and drummer Danny Gottlieb. Through judicious use of different mutes, Mr. Turre makes it sound like he’s playing at least four different instruments.First there was “Green Dolphin Street,” with a tight metal mute that made the Bronislau Kaper song sound more exotic than the hard-swinger it usually is, which gave the rhythm section a chance to jell. Next up, “All the Things You Are,” inspired as much by the late pianist-composer Cedar Walton as Jerome Kern. He ended it with a nod to Charlie Parker’s adaptation, “Bird of Paradise.” Mr. Turre followed with a warm and moving rendition of “In a Sentimental Mood,” using a rubber plunger mute this time. Then, for his finale, he delivered a funky blues, “Ray’s Collard Greens,” which he originally recorded with a one-time employer, Ray Charles. It gave him a chance to showcase his array of precisely-tuned musical conch shells — trust me, this is something to see and hear.By now it was past 10:30, but Mr. Kleinsinger wasn’t yet out of bands and musicians. Out came bassist-songwriter-singer Jay Leonhart with pianist Tomoko Ohno and drummer Vito Lesczak. They only had time for two of Mr. Leonhart’s witty originals, a humorously self-pitying blues and a snappy number about his hometown of Baltimore, reminiscent of Randy Newman or Mose Allison. Guitar great Russell Malone then joined the rhythm section for a virtuoso version of “My Foolish Heart” with a coda of Nat Cole’s “Pretend.” Now, at close to 11 p.m., the long and full evening wound up with Messrs. Ben-Hur and Malone duetting on a brief but lively blues.We had all come expecting Jack Kleinsinger’s swan song and his last hurrah, but, as he’s done before, he promised to return for at least one show a year going forward. “I’m just having too much fun,” he told us. Come to think of it, so were we.Correction: Harvie S. is the name of the bassist. The spelling was incorrect in an earlier version. Vito Lesczak is the name of the drummer. The spelling and the instrument were incorrect in an earlier version. Wolff is the spelling of the last name of the pianist. The name was misspelled in an earlier version.

Turns Out 50 Years Is Not Enough for ‘Highlights in Jazz’

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