Karen Ponzio Photo
Konrad Dziemian and Eric Porcheddu.
“We’re trying something new here,” said Konrad Dziemian from the Cafe Nine stage Monday night. He and Eric Porcheddu played the inaugural show for Blue Note Mondays, a new series presented by the New Haven Jazz Underground.
“The whole point of the New Haven Jazz Underground is to help make jazz more prominent,” said Nick Di Maria, musician and founder of the organization.
“We’re trying to get rid of that dog-eat-dog vibe,” he said. “The older musicians were not giving the younger musicians chances when I was growing up. We’re trying to keep an open pathway for music to expand, grow and evolve.” Without that, added Di Maria, there’s “nothing to nurture.” This type of show “provides an opportunity to play in a healthy and safe environment for musicians.”
To that end, the New Haven Jazz Underground — which celebrates its first anniversary on Feb. 2 — has added this weekly show at Cafe Nine, making it the group’s fifth regularly recurring series in the city. The others are the weekly Sundays brunches at Atelier Florian, the recently added second and fourth Fridays at Mr. Crab, the weekly Thursday night series at Atelier Florian (currently on break until February), and the jam session at Three Sheets on the first and third Tuesday (which is also on hiatus and will restart in March).
“There’s always an army of musicians at the jam session,” said Di Maria. “There’s a mix there: older, younger, some new. I’m always being introduced to new musicians.” These types of gigs are “on the job training,” he said, “and give younger musicians a chance.”
On this night two musicians — Dziemian on alto saxophone and Procheddu on drums — had their chance to show Cafe Nine what they could do. The duo played two sets between the hours of 7 to 10 p.m. that included standards such as “Tune-Up,” “What’s New,” and “All the Things You Are,” each having a chance to riff on their respective instruments. Together they filled the cold dark night with their warm and playful sounds, going from loose and light to dark and sultry and exploring everything in between.
The audience may have been sparse on this inaugural evening, but patrons were receptive — a couple of small groups talking and laughing in between songs and sets, people with food brought in from elsewhere (something you can do at Cafe Nine, which makes it a very attractive place to hang out if you happen to be there around your dinnertime). Cafe Nine’s inherently intimate nature invited you to feel at home with wandering in and, not unlike jazz itself, taking what was going on and making it your own.
“Musicians have to be able to play music in a healthy and vibrant way,” Di Maria said. “There are enough hurdles. Self-destruction is something every musician needs to help fight.”
“I’m all about paying it forward,” he continued, “passing it on and keeping it alive.” Di Maria is passionate about this subject and encourages others who are passionate about it as well to come forth and come to shows.
“If you are a fan of the music, reach out to us and get involved,” he said. There is even another festival — the NHJU’s second — being planned for this summer. But until then, on Mondays, there’s Cafe Nine, a warm place to chase the winter blues away.
Blue Note Mondays continue weekly at Cafe Nine, 250 State St., from 7 to 10 p.m. and are free. To get involved with The New Haven Jazz Underground please visit the group’s Facebook page or Patreon page.