By Rich Monetti **** If you’re not so familiar with classic jazz, you’re still very likely to get a listen in films or on TV shows like “Boardwalk Empire” or “The Untouchables.” And then there’s that cliche about the jazz band powering up to let us know that it’s the roaring twenties and the speakeasy is about to be raided—so much so you almost want the music to stop. But the Jazz Jam at Mona’s Bar N.Y.C. (224 Avenue B) is real and does brings you back. The only drawback has nothing to do with the music; it’s that the sun comes up and the good time ends. Yes, the revelry starts to unwind as the rest of the world is slumbering away up for the next day.
For 12 years running, Tuesday’s jam at Mona’s, which actually began on a Monday in 2007, has been thrilling a dedicated audience of fans. Back then, a traditional Irish music jam ran for many years. One night, they finished up early. “I was there with some friends,” relates clarinetist Dennis Lichtman, “and the Irish musicians asked us if we wanted to play some jazz tunes.
The bartender liked what he heard and Lichtman has led ever since with his group, the Hot Four. “We start at a loose 11 pm,” he relates. The music starts slow. There’s no big flashy light or formalities that give the evening a kickoff. Dennis pulls out his clarinet, his cohorts follow and the room begins to sway. Eventually and the party really starts to pop sometime after midnight.
The tight corner that the musicians occupy next to the bar is also absent any pretension and almost makes the audience an extension of the performance. But the jammed in feeling doesn’t detract, according to one long-time instrumentalist, John Bailey. “The corner is very important to me,” he said. “There’s just something about it that I cannot explain.”
It may have something to do with the fluid nature of the rotation. “Musicians all of a sudden come in and just join in,” said long-time patron Silvia Bovientura. Silvia’s estimation is no exaggeration either. Several songs into the set, a middle-aged bass player, Brian Nalepka —who looked like he has been around the block—unzipped his oversized bag and twanged right in. He seemed a little off key to start, but the abrupt introduction sounded more like an inside joke.
The late start and the whole vibe serves to double down for the mainstays in attendance. They’re happy to roll until daylight and don’t miss a beat. “If this jam started at 9 o’clock, it would be so much different,” said patron, H. Berman. “Instead, it’s like we have our own private little club.” Berman always takes Wednesday off and loves how this exclusive membership leaves his wallet intact. “At more mainstream jazz events, you drop $40 or $50 before the event even begins,” he emphasizes. The musical upside rises too, as the festivities turn the corner around one. “It feels like the roof is going to blow off,” Berman adds.
For blues singer, Mara Kaye, the lid comes off as area musicians come from their gigs and make it a gathering. “The horns, guitar, keyboard and drummers all crowd around the bandstand,” Kaye said. Tuesday is her favorite night of the week. “We are all working musicians,” she said. “We get to see each other and honor the music we love.” Lichtman relishes the roll call. “It’s just one player after another and over time, as I look up, there might be three monster players walking in,” he said.
The real amoré kicks in with the uptempo and the elevated pitch of Lichtman’s clarinet, which is unmistakable. “The clarinet plays backup really well, but it can also wail the higher notes and lead the charge,” said Lichtman. No kind of synergy is overlooked. The keyboards no longer get a massage, yielding to a more powerful attack— and the strings keep pace with the precision banging. Throw in a fiddle or two, a perfect indulgence of brass, and vocals strong enough to stay in the mix, and the cats go into full swing.
So far, the jam hasn’t scared off its dedicated patrons. For Silvia Bovientura and the music she loves, the jam has become a way of life. “Tuesday nights is one of the reasons I live in this neighborhood,” she said with finality.
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