A Cool Summer Night

It was supposed to be a hot night at Brady Park, but it turned into a cool night at the Bar Harbour Library.

After escaping some threatening weather that moved a planned concert indoors, Massapequa Park residents were soothed by the sweet tunes of the Union Jazz Coalition last week.

About 25 die hards gathered in the auditorium to listen to the quartet of Chris Weckerle, Mike Almo, Milton Hernandez, and Charlie Tramanto.

The audience relaxed under the dimmed lights to the sounds  of Dizzy Gillespie's sultry "Night in Tunisia," and Freddie Hubbard's dulcet "Little Sunflower," among others.

"'Little Sunflower' always reminds me of my daughter," said Weckerle. "She's my big sunflower now," he laughed.

Though the band focused mainly on jazz from the 1960's, including music from Benny Golson and Horace Silver, they also paid tribute to classic jazz icons such as '30s musicians Gene Krupa and George Gershwin.

When Weckerle began crooning the lyrics to Gershwin's sentimental "Embraceable You," claps and whistles of recognition stirred the crowd.

"Are we playing too loud?" he asked them.

"No, beautiful," replied one front-row listener.

The musicians also adapted less traditional music to a jazz tune, such as rock band Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill." The two-hour concert ended with an adaption of Jimi Hendrix's 1967 hit, "Purple Haze."

Weckerle, a musician for 40 years, not only showcased his skill on the guitar, but also with a pair of curved Royal Poinciana seed pods from the Caribbean, which he used to tap a drum standing by his side.

"I always bring some back with me when I vacation down there," he said. "They make great instruments." 

Local resident Fred Stein was impressed.

"I've been a jazz fan for years, and I've gone to many of these shows before," he said.  "And I thought it was very, very good."

Beside him, Ellen Teitelbaum, added, "[Weckerle's] scatting was especially wonderful."

Almo, who has played instruments since the 4^th grade, switched between the tenor and soprano saxophones, as well as the oboe. Tramanto played on the bass guitar, and Hernandez on the drums. As a group, the band has been playing for a few months, although some of the members have worked together for two to three years.

According to Weckerle, the group's biggest challenge is staying in sync, on and off the stage.

"It's difficult to keep the rhythm together. Moving together from place to place is hard, too," he said.

The late jazz hours are also a struggle.

"I'm surprised I'm even awake now," he said.

For more information about the Union Jazz Coalition, email unionjazz2@yahoo.com or call Weckerle at 917-971-7333.