Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
This past Sunday, I attended the second set of Arnie Perez‘s “Sunday Serenade – TWOFER TRIBUTE (Walter Bishop Jr. & Pepper Adams)” at the Five Spot Jazz in the East Village. I went to support Arnie, check out the new venue, and listen to the baritone saxophone.
Arnie did a fantastic job producing this monthly event. Curating live jazz in New York City is challenging, especially when it comes to building a consistent local audience. The Five Spot Jazz recently opened—paying homage to the historic original—and offers an intimate 70-person capacity with live music, Japanese food, and drinks every night.
The lineup featured Rick Germanson (piano), Jason Marshall (baritone sax), Lonnie Plaxico (bass), and Charles Goold (drums). The performance was excellent throughout. Rick’s piano playing was flawless and inventive; the rhythm section was locked in, and Jason’s rich tone and dynamic baritone sax playing were truly inspiring.
