The sound of smooth jazz circulated through thick smoke and warm, dim lights on Tuesday night at Bobby McGee's on Main Street. Hidden in a small, mirrored corner, Dan Hull brushed swinging rhythms on the drum set while Dick Fadale's trained fingers tickled the keyboard. Joining the duo on bass guitar was Fadale's son, Rick, whose remarkable precision and signature tone counted among the highlights of the evening.
The trio's set began with a laid back piece titled "Snow Angel," which showcased Fadale's impeccable talent for composing. It was refreshing to see that a jazz combo of this caliber not only performs standards well, but also challenges each other with new material.
The trio was so relaxed that they began their opening piece without any kind of formal introduction. As soon as the melody started to circulate, the audience's feet tapped and heads swayed.
The group's opener, "Autumn Leaves," was performed in a flirtatious style, instead of the more somber renditions that a majority of jazz groups utilize. Over the course of the night, the trio took more liberty with standard arrangements, and skillfully succeeded in making the songs their own.
It was almost as if chosen standards were used as outlines, and each musician moved further and further away from the usual in each song until they were intentionally unrecognizable. Then, suddenly, with the shock of a broken rubber band, the unrecognizable snapped back to the original form.
The beginning of the second set harbored a real treat for Bobby McGee's patrons. The famous Al Tinney, a guest musician, performed "Centerpiece" on the keyboards with Peggy Farrell, another guest, sitting in on vocals. The crowd's mood really lit up after audience members cheered Tinney and Farrell on.
Hull describes Tuesday nights as an "invitation jam," meaning that players who prove themselves to be "professional" jazz musicians will be invited to sit in. The lineup changes from week to week, except that Hull is the designated drummer. This could prove to be one of the best elements of the weekly shows on Tuesday nights at Bobby Mc Gee's, as different, melodic instruments and sounds are introduced during each performance.
"The band is good, but I feel like it's kind of like a melodical merry-go-round," whined Vinny Nicoletti, a resident of Grand Island who was present at the concert. "It's really interesting for about two minutes, but then you end up right back where you started."
Nicoletti commented that the first song of the evening was his favorite. "That 's when everything was fresh and new."
Certainly some of the monotonousness could have been broken up with the introduction of another instrument like a guitar or a trumpet.
Dan Hull was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and began his musical career on the accordion at the age of 7. By age 12, Hull was performing gigs and eventually was accepted to the UB percussion and music education programs. He admits that he was not "self taught," but benefited from attending different drum clinics by renowned artists, like Louie Marino. Hull currently plays six gigs per week, and is a schoolteacher for the Buffalo City schools.
Hull appears on a 1998 Sal Andolina recording titled "Like Benny To Me," which is proudly sold at Bobby McGee's. His jazz stylings can be enjoyed every Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. Joining Hull next week is Phil Sims on trombone, Mike Moser on guitar, and Bill Staebell on bass. Hull also predicts that more guest musicians are sure to stop by and turn this ordinary bar into a swinging joint.
