The Western Mass Debut of the Jerome Sabbagh Quartet

It’s always nice to expand one’s circle. Despite years in “the business” of producing jazz concerts, there are many musicians whose path I’ve yet to cross, and many worthy constituents who have never played in western Massachusetts. Such was the case on May 14, when saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh brought his quartet to Easthampton’s CitySpace. I was meeting Sabbagh, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and bassist Joe Martin for the first time. I had met drummer Nasheet Waits in 2005 when he performed a duo with Peter Brötzmann at UMass. Sharing the Valley’s rich jazz history with significant newcomers is also important to my project, and having the band eat and sleep at our home gave us more time to connect.

Sabbagh released Stand Up! seven months ago on his Analog Tone Factory imprint. The quartet album features Martin, Waits and Sabbagh’s long-time associate, guitarist Ben Monder. Because of his commitment to the Bad Plus, Monder couldn’t make our gig and the hit the following evening at New Haven’s Firehouse 12, so the saxophonist enlisted Hekselman to take his place. The 80-minute set thrilled the 95 of us shoe-horned into CitySpace’s Blue Room.

As on the recording, the concert began with “Lone Jack”, but while Sabbagh recorded it on tenor saxophone, live he played soprano, which he is using more and more these days. Inspired by Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, the piece’s simple, direct theme allowed the band to ease into the evening and take measure of the contours of the room’s acoustics. Playing without amplification, the group’s warm sound and the audience’s concentrated attention created a vibe that enveloped us all, pleasing the assembled.

Hekselman had received the written music in advance and had listened to the recording, but wasn’t afforded a rehearsal; he was playing these compositions for the first time. The only indication he was new to the material was his music stand, the only one on stage. It helped that Hekselman had extensive performing experience with all of the bandmembers. The fact he has considerable chops and a fertile imagination also helped. The 43-year old guitarist just headlined four nights at the Village Vanguard (Brad Mehldau was in his band), and since he moved from Israel in 2004, he has performed and recorded with Mark Turner, Esperanza Spaulding, Chris Potter and Anat Cohen, among others. Throughout the evening, his quicksilver single notes emerged from the pleasing atmospheric resonances he created. Some in the crowd came specifically to see him, and more than one listener thought he stole the show.

Bassist Joe Martin arrived in New York from Iowa in 1994 and has been a mainstay on the scene ever since. Providing reliable, rock-solid support for others means there are lots of favors to call in when it’s your turn to make a record. Martin’s previous three recordings as a leader include Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Kevin Hays and Nasheet Waits. “When I have a gig, Joe is pretty much the first person I call, regardless of the project,” Sabbagh said in 2019, when Martin released Étoilée. “He can do anything.” Without resorting to pyrotechnics or attention grabbing gambits, Martin provided harmonic stability and rhythmic backbone throughout. A big sports fan, Martin was impressed that former NBA guard (and Springfield Central standout) Travis Best was in the audience, and honored when Best complimented him and the rest of the ensemble for their work.

Nasheet Waits, who turns 55 next month, is simply one of the most in-demand drummers in jazz. His father, Freddie Waits, who passed when Nasheet was 18, was a Motown house drummer, can be found on seminal recordings by McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Andrew Hill and Sonny Rollins, and with Max Roach, formed the percussion group M’Boom. Nasheet is part of two high profile trios: Jason Moran & The Bandwagon, and Tarbaby (with Eric Revis and Orrin Evans), and has recorded with Marty Ehrlich, Tim Berne, and Dave Douglas. Waits’ flexibility and command was on conspicuous display all evening. Because he was so familiar with the material, he was free to accent dynamically and fill intelligently. His two solos focused awareness on his subtle beat subdivisions, while referencing the shape of the composition.

I was glad to help broker Sabbagh’s concert at Firehouse 12, New Haven’s legendary performance/recording space. Having even one additional gig can make a real difference in getting a band of professional musicians to make the three hour drive from New York. Throughout his career, the 52-year old Parisian-born saxophonist has put himself in the right situations, with the right people. Since moving to New York in 1995, Sabbagh has released records with legends like Al Foster, Daniel Humair and Kenny Barron, along with peers like Ben Street, Ben Monder, Johnathan Blake and the folks we heard on Thursday. For years, Sabbagh has curated a Wednesday series at Brooklyn’s Bar Bayeux, and before our show we compared notes about the joys and frustrations of producing live music. Perhaps seeing so many shows from a producer’s standpoint has helped Sabbagh construct well-rounded sets of music, like the one we heard Thursday in Easthampton.