Jun 21

Jun 21 Berman

Chicago trumpeter and cornet player Josh Berman brought his trio to Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art for Tuesday's on the Terrace. He was promoting their new album on Delmark entitled A Dance and A Hop. With Berman were Jason Roebke on bass and Mikel Patrick Avery on drums. Avery was substituting for Frank Rosaly,

The trio played a number of tunes from the new album and supplemented them with a number of Thelonious Monk's composition. Berman is one of the more animated horn players, rocking up and down on his tip toes to hit notes, and contorting his body to push equally contorted notes out of his horn. He is in constant motion. Avery is one subtle drummer and percussionist. At times it hardly seems like he is moving, but he supports the group, adding bits of percussion here and there, but always in the right places. It was particularly nice to hear the interaction between Avery and Roebke, who both plucked and bowed his bass.

Meanwhile, the crowd was enjoying a delicious dinner from the catering department, as well as the barbecue on the lower terrace. The figs, Italian meats, and cheese looked particularly tempting. And this was the first evening where the skies were that rich blue color that everyone associates with summer.