Ari Hoenig Trio
Ari Hoenig
Bar LunÀtico486 Halsey Street, New York 11233
Ari Hoenig brings his trio to Bar LunÀtico, with pianist Gadi Lehavi and bassist Ben Tiberio joining him for a jazz set built around the group’s close, responsive interplay. Hoenig leads from the drums, but the trio format puts rhythm and melody in constant conversation: Lehavi’s lyrical, inventive piano and Tiberio’s bass meet Hoenig’s shifting meters and melodic approach to percussion. The evening is part of LunÀtico’s nightly live-music program.
Originally from Philadelphia, Hoenig is a drummer, composer and educator known for treating the drum kit as a melodic force rather than simply a timekeeping role. He began on violin and piano before taking up drums at 12, later developing techniques that alter drum pitch with sticks, hands and elbows to play melodies and improvise harmonically. His collaborators have included Shirley Scott, Mike Stern, Kenny Werner, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper, Chris Potter, Toots Thielemans and Pat Martino. Reviewers have praised his virtuosity, creativity and musicality, while describing the trio as having a “fluid, unified vibe” that moves into dynamic interplay without losing its swing feel.
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.