Elew Trio
Zinc Bar82 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
ELEW brings his trio to Zinc Bar for an evening of two sets. The billed group is led by Eric Robert Lewis, who performs as ELEW; no additional musicians are named in the listing. Expect his Rockjazz approach, where jazz improvisation is threaded through rock, alongside the crossover rock and pop repertoire for which he is known. The format leaves room for a close look at his physical, unconventional relationship with the piano.
ELEW is the stage name of American concert pianist Eric Robert Lewis. He has found crossover success playing rock and pop music, while developing the style he calls Rockjazz. His playing departs from conventional concert-piano presentation: he performs without a piano bench and may reach inside the open instrument to pull directly at its strings. The result is a pianist-led approach that treats the piano as both a source of melody and a surface for direct, percussive exploration, joining jazz improvisation to the force of rock.
Zinc Bar offers a richly textured experience where the past and present of jazz converge in a single, dimly lit room adorned with Art Deco details like velvet upholstery, polished brass, and a Parisian zinc bar. The venue’s layout centers around a close-up stage and a vintage bar, creating a setting where the music is both the focus and a shared journey. Patrons can expect expertly crafted cocktails alongside performances that range from world-class jazz to vibrant Brazilian and African rhythms, often featuring multiple sets and occasional late-night jams. The seating is lounge-style, encouraging attentive listening rather than casual chatter, making it a place to immerse fully in the sound. This is a space where history lingers, once hosting legends like Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk, now continuing their legacy with a sophisticated yet welcoming vibe.