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David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong
Centennial Band
David Ostwald: Music Director, Tuba
Vince Gardner: Trombone
Rob Garcia: Drums
Eric Reed: Piano
Ed Polcer: Cornet
Anat Cohen: Clarinet
At Birdland
315 West 44th Street, NYC
212.581.3080
www.birdlandjazz.com
Gianni Valenti, Owner
Andy Kaufman, Business Manager
Tarik Osman, Manager
Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
October 5, 2004 In a traditional Louis Armstrong tradition, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Centennial Band started with I Can’t Give You Anything but Love. Ed Polcer was on vocals, when not on cornet, and had that raspy, seasoned style so special for a gig like this. Polcer’s use of nuance was essential to the song. Vince Gardner on tantalizing trombone, well known as a member of Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, passed the theme to Eric Reed on piano, who added a soulful solo, before passing the theme to Rob Garcia on drums and David Ostwald on tuba.
Struttin’ with Some Barbecue, by Louis Armstrong, was a rousing, red-hot swing. Polcer, Reed, and Garcia presented rambunctious solos, in this order, and for a moment I thought I was in New Orleans. Duke Ellington’s Solitude was played with a romantic cornet, muted and melancholy, and there was authenticity in this performance. Chinatown, My Chinatown, by Duke Ellington, included some of the best ragtime piano I’ve ever heard. Reed was driven and dynamic in this showcased piece, and Mardi Gras was summoned to Birdland.
When Anat Cohen joined the band onstage, she seemed to dance as she played her charming and very clear clarinet. At one point, Cohen followed Gardner’s vocals and trombone theme, in an amazing display of collective talent. Jelly Roll Morton’s Panama featured Ostwald on tuba, in the role of buoyant brass, before Garcia took over and seized the moment. Reed’s keyboard figured prominently, along with Garcia’s extended drum blaze, and I was suddenly in the mood to order a red Hurricane in a glass (signature New Orleans drink). David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Centennial Band can be seen at Birdland every Tuesday, in the early sets (Pre-Theatre, Dinner and/or drinks), 5:00 – 7:30 PM.
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band
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