Ari Hoenig Trio
Bar LunÀtico486 Halsey Street, New York 11233
Ari Hoenig brings his trio to Bar LunÀtico for a two-set performance with Gadi Lehavi on saxophone, Ben Tiberio on bass, and Hoenig on drums. The billing presents the three musicians as virtuosos joining forces for a night of musical adventure, with Hoenig’s rhythm work meeting Lehavi’s saxophone lines and Tiberio’s bass in a compact trio setting.
Raised in Philadelphia in a family of classically trained musicians, Hoenig is a drummer, composer, and bandleader whose approach puts complex rhythm in direct dialogue with the rest of the group. Rather than treating drums as simple timekeeping, he is known for making them an indispensable, melodic and interactive part of the music. He has recorded, written and produced fourteen albums as a leader, while his groups have toured internationally and performed regularly at Smalls in New York. His quartet with tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott won the BMW Welt competition in 2013. Hoenig has performed or recorded with Shirley Scott, Jean Michel Pilc, Mike Stern, Kenny Werner, Joshua Redman, Wayne Krantz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper, Richard Bona, Chris Potter, Toots Thielemans, Pat Martino and Billy Childs. Reviewers have praised his “jaw-dropping intensity” and musical invention.
A basement club in Bedford-Stuyvesant, LunÀtico is a musician-owned space where live music starts at 9pm nightly, following dinner service. The stage is modest, with a single chair for the band, and the audience sits on wooden booths or the floor, close enough to feel the energy. The room is lit by dim bulbs, with walls lined with vintage posters and a few well-worn speakers. There's a bar with original cocktails, craft beer, and wine, and a dinner menu available from 6pm to 11pm. Shows are donation-based, with a $10 recommendation in cash. It's a place where people listen to music and talk afterward, in a familiar, unpolished setting.