I saw the great Ed Cherry at the Mezzrow Jazz Club in the West Village on July 15th. It was actually the third time I’d seen him perform.
The first time was a special performance for the Guitar Masters Festival with some young “Rising Stars” in the jazz guitar world at Zinc Bar. This included super talented international hot shots Pasquale Grasso who was recently voted Downbeat Magazine’s #1 Rising Jazz Guitar Star in 2024—and Yotam Silberstein who came in not very far behind.
But that performance was like an All-Star game. Amazing, spellbinding, extremely entertaining yet lacking the true authenticity of “the real thing.” Thankfully a true barometer came with two shows I attended at Mezzrow featuring his own Ed Cherry Trio consisting of two unique lineups. The show on June 3rd featured the young emerging talent of Anwar Marshall on drums, and Eric Wheeler on double bass.
On July 15th, Cherry brought in the great seasoned veteran Mike Boone on double bass, and Chris Beck on drums. Boone alternated playing stand up with his fingers and touting a bow. Beck masterfully used his brushes to add enhancement to the music.
Sound is Unmistakable and Instantly Recognizable
I’ve now seen Cherry play with a wide variety of great players, ranging from those Downbeat Magazine All-Stars, to emerging exuberant youthful talent to what some might call seasoned “jazz old-timers.” No matter the unit, Cherry’s style and sound cuts through as an unmistakable, immutable, and instantly recognizable force. He is truly a one-of-a-kind player on the jazz scene today.
That’s why Cherry has earned so much respect from his younger “peers” – especially from those Downbeat All-Stars. During the Zinc Bar performance on April 29th, Silberstein was absolutely beaming, admitting to the audience repeatedly that he was honored to have the opportunity to play with Cherry.
I believe what makes Cherry’s performances equally popular among contemporary players and non-players is that in an often obtuse and esoteric world of jazz, his playing is so accessible. Judging from commentary on my YouTube channel, the Ed Cherry Trio has been by far everyone’s favorite. The prevailing sentiment among my listeners (mostly jazz musicians) is that Cherry is the tastiest player on the jazz scene today.
Paradoxically, this is a jazz truism in a modern world that rings true upon deeper inspection as we realize where Cherry has come from to become what he is today.
One of the Last Bebop Guitarists of a Bygone Era
There’s something special in the air when you are at an Ed Cherry performance. You know the moment you hear him play that you are in the presence of a living, breathing encyclopedia of jazz history. He is one of the last Bebop guitarists from a bygone era. I cannot think of another current player who embodies all of these traits.
Perhaps it’s rooted in the fact that Cherry became a formidable jazz guitar force by cutting his teeth with legendary Dizzy Gillespie from 1978 to 1993. Within a few months Cherry would take over guitar duties in Dizzy’s band. He quickly had to learn to adapt “staying out of the way” by playing small two, three and four note chords to not step on Dizzy’s busier playing.
Aspects of his playing are also deeply rooted in the blues and influenced by listening to early funk records like Kool and the Gang. By combining syncopated rhythms, melodic skips, and fragmented chords, Cherry has successfully comped his way into a new jazz modernism while simultaneously honoring classic bebop traits of the 40s.
Cherry was heavily influenced by the playing of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. These were great players from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Most obvious is Cherry’s heavy use of octaves. However, he has borrowed the best from these greats and has morphed it into his own unique voice.
Cherry once told an interviewer that many of the original greats (i.e., Miles, Dizzy, Thelonious Monk, etc.) would hold informal seminars after gigs with emerging young jazz talent. Imagine the invaluable “insider knowledge” and experience that would “rub off” from these Greats while simply finding your playing stride in your prime!
No doubt, of an equal contribution have been his own recordings and projects as a band leader since that time. Cherry has since become widely known for his melodicism, exuding a deep expressiveness on the guitar attributed to great singers such as Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and Frank Sinatra.
Final Remarks
During both of his Trio shows, Cherry performed classic jazz and blues standards from the 1930s thru late 1970s such as “In a Sentimental Mood,” “All Blues,” “Peace,” “Mellow Mood,” “Solid,” “Soft Winds,” “Road Song,” “Green Jeans,’ and “Body and Soul.”
Cherry has a monthly Monday night gig where he performs two shows (10:30 pm and midnight) at Mezzrow Jazz Club. Go see Ed Cherry perform. Witness a piece of disappearing music history while you still can. It’s simply a MUST SEE SHOW for any true jazz fan.
KAJU ROBERTO is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet on Spotify.