Stan

Mereki plays cool, correct, crisp, nicely inventive with beautiful and consistent tones, gorgeous not boisterous.  I once saw Stan Getz and I mentioned him to Mereki and she noted that he's an influence.  I wasn't at all surprised.  Such a lovely tone and such understated but expressive playing!  She was playing at Molly for a Tuesday evening jazz night gig with Michael and Greg.  Greg is probably one of her teachers; Michael is a fellow student and I often see them playing together.  I first thought he was on guitar and he did have 6 strings, but it was a Fender Bass 6.  It's actually a bass guitar, tuned EADGBE one octave below a guitar, although its short scale makes it a different beast.  I feel they sound like guitarists playing low rather than bassists, but it's thuddy and it does the trick and they get the gig, so so be it.  He played some quick solos down low or up the neck that few bassists could manage.  And Greg was playing guitar in his lithe but quick, crisp, fluent style.  Just standards, carefully and precisely done, expressive and relaxed and sometimes up, neat and clear, or maybe a ballad.  The Nearness of you had me melting.  It's so beautiful and they did such a lovely job on it.  I just caught one set but it was a lovely thing.

Mereki Leten (tenor) led a trio with Greg Stott (guitar) and Michael Larsen-Collins (guitar) at Molly.