Musing on Jazz

Jazz is the foundation on which American music exists. It gave birth to genres like the blues, rock 'n' roll, and even hip-hop ... and while these art forms dominate today's musical landscape, too many people remain ignorant about the music that started it all. Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola is one place where such tunes can be discovered -- and enjoyed -- for $20.



The Lincoln Center venue is hosting its annual Women in Jazz Festival through October 5, and one of the acts I went to see on September 15 was the Helen Sung Trio. Showing up early for the $10 after-hours set, which was supposed to start at 11 p.m., paid dividends in the form of catching Marian McPartland's encore performance. I was fortunate enough to see the legendary pianist entertain the audience with classics like "Straight, No Chaser" and "There'll Be Other Times," despite being seated near the entrance.



Dizzy's Club is designed so there isn't a bad seat in the house, and mellow acoustics and prompt service are its calling cards. Too bad that doesn't apply to the menu, for its cheapest items were salt peanuts and honey roasted nuts at $5 each. I ordered a dish of rosemary fries for $6 and used my Duane Reade Dollar Rewards Club Card to get a free glass of Cruzan vanilla rum and Coke (saving $10 in the process). The drink was sweeter than I thought it would be, going down easier than a swig of water on a hot summer day. As for the food, it tasted good ... but once the fries turned cold, they weren't edible. None of that mattered, though, once Sung and bandmates Richard Goods (bass) and Donald Edwards (drums) took the stage.



The trio kicked off their one-hour set around midnight with Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are." Sung played the piano with such aplomb until I wondered if she was an old man trapped in a young woman's body, and her intensity could be heard in standards like Duke Ellington's "Everything But You" and Thelonious Monk's "Teo." Goods and Edwards made for a powerful rhythm section, seamlessly blending their instruments with Sung's fluid style of playing.



One month ago, I'd never heard of the Helen Sung Trio. Shame on me, for they deserve to be heard by as many people as possible (just like Charlie Hunter, another musician whose work I enjoy listening to). Being exposed to jazz on a regular basis -- and at an affordable price -- is one of the perks of living in New York. There's no excuse not to take advantage of that.