Jazz Tuber Trio At Massachusetts College of Art reception for Sol Schwartz’s Connection in Line

Book Drawing Music:  The Tanglewood Sketchbooks

“Live musical performance is ephemeral. It often feels as ephemeral as life itself….In his drawings of musicians, Sol Schwartz has achieved something amazing and marvelous of his own: he has over and over again described the moments of intense concentration, of communication, of effort, and of unselfconsciousness that we, as performers, experience.”              -Joel Smirnoff, Juilliard String Quartet

Eli Newberger and the Jazz Tuber Trio provided the music for the opening reception forConnections in Line: The Art of Sol Schwartz  at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 621 Huntington Ave. Boston MA.

From August 27-October 5th the College is  presenting Sol Schwartz’s original drawings and sketchbooks, along with the creatively designed large scale prints that reflect his  enthusiastic love of color, graphic art, and digital technology.

Sol Schwartz must draw – any piece of blank paper challenges him. He uses whatever paper is handy, as well as any medium: coffee, tea, soy sauce.

Sol tells about Tanglewood in his own words.

Music Portfolio

In the 80’s he discovered computers, and has since been experimenting with computer art.

The Tuber Trio played in front of the portrait that Sol did of them at Lilac Park on July 28th. It is also featured in the centerfold of his book, Connections in Line, The Art of Sol Schwartz.

Actually this vibrant and lively trio has become a quintet, with Eli Newberger tuba, Jimmy Mazzy banjo, Ted Casher tenor, soprano sax and clarinet, Carolyn Newberger washboard, Carrie Mazzy vocals.

We hear Jimmy and Ted often, but it was real pleasure to have Eli back! They kicked off with a hard-driving Chinatown, Be Sure It’s True When You Say I Love You.  Ted let himself go on tenor sax for Melancholy Baby, Hello Dolly.

Carolyn Newberger joined them for Coney Island Washboard Roundelay, and Irish Black Bottom using spoons instead of thimbles.  She obviously enjoys being part of the group.

Carolyn was playing washboard back in the mid-1960’s when she and Eli were Resident Directors at Yale’s International House for foreign students. They started a Friday Night Café, where musicians could Jam. You might recognize some of the musicians, Sammy Rimmington and Barry Martyn. Peter Ecklund, Mark Finks, Tommy Sancton. Eli and Carolyn left for the Peace Corps in 1967 and the washboard was packed away. Eli retrieved it near their 50th wedding anniversary, and here she is, playing enthusiastically again – “It was just like riding a bike!”

 

YouTube: Carolyn playing Coney Island Washboard Roundelay” with the Tuber Trio at Lilac Park:

Carrie Mazzy joined the group for a couple of fine vocals, a nice ballad Nobody But My Baby, with  Jimmy joining in scatting, and a Dixieland tune, Beale St. Poppa.

The Tuber Trio continued with Wabash Blues, and Carolyn joined them on washboard for the finale, a bit of Klezmer with Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.

The Design Media Center is the largest Private contemporary art center in New England accessible to the Community, providing 75% financial aid.

New residence hall designed by a diverse group of entities with a ‘can do’ optimism, built for 1st and 2nd year Students on Huntington Avenue.

They call it “The Tree House”.

The reception was attended by many supporters of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, including contributors of the Bakalar and Paine Galleries.  It was held in The Tower – on the 11th floor.

Sunset on Boston – from the 11th floor of the College.

It was a fantastic evening!  But there was more Jazz for us the next night, when we joined the Jazz Tuber Trio at Tuesday night Jazz at the Sherborn Inn.  Never get enough of this exhilarating Trio!

Jazz Tuber Trio At the Sherborn Inn September 11, 2012

The Jazz Tuber Trio came about ten years ago when Eli Newberger, tuba extraordinaire, Jimmy Mazzy  banjo/vocalist, and Ted Casher, saxophone virtuoso, explored ‘the roots of jazz’ at Boston’s Flower Show.

Tonight they were joined by Carolyn Newberger washboard, and Carrie Mazzy vocals.

Jimmy started on solo banjo and vocal with Irving Berlin’s The Song Is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On).  Jimmy sings great ballads!

Eli and Ted joined him with a smoking Tiger Rag, with Jim scatting.  They are fabulous together.

Carrie conveyed heartfelt emotion on Our Love is Here to Stay, she and Jimmy have been married over 26 years.  Eli backed her on Piano.

Seeing Eli on piano revived pleasant memories of him playing piano with the original Black Eagle Jazz Band at the Passim Coffee House in Harvard Square back in the late 60’s. He was so wound up that he hopped up and down on the piano bench!  Can’t do that playing tuba.

Ted introduced This Is My Lucky Day on clarinet, followed by  Nobody’s Sweetheart Now, and

1928 Blues (Put It Right Here, or Else You’re Gonna Keep It Out There). 

Carolyn Newberger joined them on Coney Island Washboard Roundelay.  (They played this at Lilac Park just a few weeks ago.)  She plays washboard with just as much enthusiasm as Eli on piano!

Rosh Hashanah was coming up the following week, the Jewish New Year. They celebrated with Bi Mir Bist Du Schoen, with Carolyn on washboard, Eli hitting every single note on tuba!

Carolyn was playing washboard back in the mid-1960’s when she and Eli were Resident Directors at Yale’s International House for foreign students in New Haven, Connecticut. They started a Friday Night Café, where musicians could Jam. You might recognize some of them, Sammy Rimmington and Barry Martyn, Peter Ecklund, Mark Finks, Tommy Sancton. Eli played piano and Carolyn played washboard.

Bill Bissonett had a band playing there, with Noel Kaletsky on reeds, Freddy Vigorito cornet, Bill Sinclair piano, Jim Bentley drummer, Howie Vidal trombone. Art Hovey sometimes joined them on tuba.

Eli and Carolyn left for the Peace Corps in 1967 and the washboard was packed away. (The musicians still at the café eventually became the Galvanized Jazz Band.)

Sometime around their 50th wedding anniversary, Eli retrieved the washboard from the cellar, and Carolyn started playing again. “It was just like riding a bike!”

Carrie Mazzy had another fine vocal on Beale Street Poppa, a great Dixieland tune. Eli was back on piano with Up A Lazy River , with everyone jumping in. From Louis’s Hot 5, they resurrected a 1920’s dance, Irish Black Bottom, with Jimmy and Eli in a hot jazzy duet.

Ted joined Jimmy for their rare vocal duet on Louis’s I’ll Be Glad When Your Dead, You Rascal You! a tune Louis dedicated to a Southern cop who had arrested him and put him in jail.  They had to let him out so he could perform at the local theater.  Ted and Jimmy did ALL the verses!

Carrie joined Jimmy for a down-home, moving duet, Dedicated To You and Come on Over To My House Baby 

Muscat Ramble was done in a superb Spanish/ Calypso beat.

Birth of The Blues was fantastic, with Eli back on piano.

His facial expressions reveal his love for this music.  This is a contented man!

Jimmy did another beautiful ballad, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.  He should sing more ballads! They closed with All Too Busy, with Jimmy featured on banjo and Carolyn comping on washboard.

There are many sides to Carolyn Newberger in addition to washboard. She is a clinical and research psychologist, flutist, essayist, Grandma, and artist.  We watched her draw these sketches of Jimmy and Ted when she wasn’t playing washboard!

She captures their expressions/feelings perfectly.

We were fortunate to hear this great group two days in a row. Couldn’t pass that up!  They were at a reception for another fabulous artist, Sol Schwartz, at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, the previous night.

Eli and Carolyn are spending more time near the Berkshires these days.  He’s put together another Dixieland Band that is getting great reviews, Eli Newberger’s Gershwin Constellation, featuring Ted Casher, clarinet and tenor sax, Herb Gardner, trombone, Jimmy Mazzy, banjo and vocals, Randy Reinhart, trumpet, and Bob Winter, piano.

Stay tuned.  They’ll be on our Calendar.