Two sweeeet nights playing jazz inflected jazz with the incomparable Matt Basile on the upright bass in the Tree Bistro. If the music was even close to being as good as the food then we were in with the greats. Matt and I managed to bring our musical styling to places we’d never been before. We’re not sure if the music made it back safely but we certainly enjoyed bringing it to strange parties dressed in unusual clothing, it’s New York so shit happens, even to songs, get over it.
Go and visit out Matt’s website imBasile and check out all the great music he’s involved in. Matt has a deep sonorous mellifluous speaking voice that is impeccably suited to a man who makes his living from the lower register and he will tend to stretch out his vowels like warm buttery toffee over a kitten’s back. For instance he’ll pronounce my name Greg Kavenawwww which is why I will forgive his mispelling of my name and handily allows me to proffer one of the reasons for the current spelling of my name, Kavna, which if spoken in the clipped nasal accent of a Dubliner sounds like that same toffee, placed in the fridge for a few hours and then snapped in two by a pair of hower’ya’s (Dublin vernacular for young girls of dubious intention and even more dubious history (two of the New York variety actually invaded the bistro last night dressed as extras from a Tim Burton movie and forcibly hit on our own celebrity sous-chef, ( yes it’s true he is a reality TV star ) (can you use brackets like this?) (No!) leaving him stunned, next they were spotted prancing into Coyote Ugly ) on an October night (still with me?) at a bus stop (look, just read it again ok). Kav-na, say the Kav faster than the Na and you’ve got it, so the spelling should leave no doubt as to how it’s pronounced – America.
So if you’re in the East Village on Wednesday nights come out and check in with us, it’s always a good time there. Your host Colm (the Irish guy who owns a French bistro, as he was referred to last night by one of his patrons, ha!) while he does treat his musicians like the dogs we are, is without doubt one of the great bon vivants of the village. I think that may be the reason the place is always full of the most beautiful women, although I think our Southern Belle, Ms. Chopin, who’s really in charge, may be responsible.
I’ll be playing Thursday night next week also, covering for the musical tornado that is Andy Fitzpatrick. He has a great new album out. Seriously lads, I don’t think any Irish artist is producing anything like the work Andy’s doing at the moment, it has its mind in Tin Pan Alley and its heart in Memphis and aside from all that he has impeccable taste in website design (I swear it was a coincidence, no really). He’s back in the homeland eating buttery toast and the occasional croissant for a few weeks.
But asides aside (I’ll stop now) if you like great music, great food, great people, great times, great atmosphere and great surroundings come along and join the parade, and if you don’t there’s always this.