Hot Jazz For A Cold Night

Solé Scott Photos.

Jazz music rose through Best Video Film and Cultural Center as Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” made its way around the snugly packed shelves of VHS tapes and DVDs, and out into the audience. On a makeshift stage, seasoned trombonist and singer Naomi Wharry evoked nostalgia, showcasing her depth and technical skill as she laid down a soulful, growling sound. Around her, the musicians of the Jeff Fuller & Friends quintet seemed to light up as their emotions seeped into their art.

“When I showed up, the day I had you wouldn't believe it,” Wharry later said, and the excitement was palpable. “Was such an exhausting day and then after playing the first song with this group I feel energized.”

Friday evening, Fuller and his bandmates—who happen to be former students—captivated Best Video Film & Cultural Center (BVFCC), with a set that brought piping hot jazz to a freezing cold night just off Whitney Avenue. Throughout, Fuller let his band shine as he stayed in the background and played the bass. Occasionally, he chimed in at the end of each song to engage with the audience and introduce the next piece.

Those students, now masters of their own crafts, did not disappoint. Ryan Sands drummed ferociously with a smile on his face and no sweat visible. Nigel Regan played the alto sax as if he were competing for an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. Darren Litzie’s fingers danced like Fred Astaire across the piano. And Wharry held it down on vocals and trombone, sometimes doing double duty in what seemed like spans of only seconds.

Around them, a packed house exuded gratitude. Best Video, which turned 40 last year, is many things: a concert venue, coffee klatch, and nostalgia-soaked film hub with movies from Harry Beaumont’s 1928 Our Dancing Daughters to Luca Guadagnino’s recent Challengers starring Zendaya. Friday evening, it was completely full of patrons sitting and standing, some clutching their wine glasses from the edge of their seats. The cafe, machines whirring to life before the show, turned out cups of coffee, tea, and alcohol, as well as pastries and snacks.

“Thanks for coming on out on such a freezing cold night,” Fuller said. Around him, stage lights and a full house set the mood. It seemed that the only thing missing from the set was a curtain of dramatic smoke, as if it were 1956, and Charles Mingus’s Pithecanthropus Erectus or Duke Ellington’s Newport recordings had just dropped for the first time. Fuller introduced the first song, none other than Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square.”

As the night went on, the band's transitions remained flawless and sophisticated as music and conversation made its way through the venue. As bass thumped and hummed, the cry of Regan’s saxophone evoked a sense of heartbreak, despair, and longing, with a touch of euphoria.

Wharry’s trombone, as sleek as it was soulful, filled the whole space with its presence. On the drums, Sands turned percussion into a meditation and a flow state. Each song lasted between eight and 12 minutes, yet felt short as the room was captured in the essence of music.

‘’We got one more for you, you can't do a jazz concert without a Charlie Parker tune," Fuller said before wrapping up the set.

Once the set was over, the crowd erupted in glorious applause, which prompted a standing ovation. The set ended around 8:30 p.m., but lingering fans stayed behind to speak one on one with the musicians.

One audience member, Sandy Kaplan, who works at James Hillhouse High School, knows the band quite well.

“Well, I knew these were all spectacular players, I’ve known Naomi, my husband plays with Jeff and they are just amazing,” she said.

“Just come out and support live music, come out to these venues, come out to Best Videos and other venues that support live music,” she added.

Last Sunday the band also performed at the Afro-American Cultural Center as part of Yale’s jazz festival.

The band’s most recent album is called “Keep Hope Alive,” and was released in 2022 is out on platforms such as Spotify, Apple music, and YouTube.