The New Year is off to a cold and snowy start on the Seacoast, but fortunately, there has been some good jazz to heat things up during these cold times, including a stellar show from vocalist Chris Humphrey at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Jan. 30.

Billed as a “Tribute to Eddie Jefferson,” Humphrey led a top flight group composed of Marc LaForce on tenor sax, Ryan Parker on piano, Bruno Raeberg on bass and Les Harris Jr. on drums. The first set burned from the get-go as Humphrey and crew wailed their way through several tunes that featured Jefferson’s lyrics. Jefferson, an underappreciated vocalist, wrote lyrics to instrumental jazz tunes and solos à la Jon Hendricks, the father of vocalese.

Humphrey is one of the most remarkable vocalists in jazz today. This is no light compliment, as there are only a few vocalists in modern jazz who are as adept at interpreting a tune in the instrumental way that Humphrey uses to great advantage. His phrasing, the way he displaces rhythm and the instrumental quality to his scat singing combine to give his interpretations great depth and meaning. This was most notable on the opening tune, “Beautiful Friendship,” and also on “Psychedelic Sally,” a Horace Silver funk tune with lyrics by Jefferson. After a mesmerizing solo by Parker on piano, Humphrey engaged LaForce in a series of exchanges beginning with full choruses, going to 16-bar phrases, then eights, fours, twos, etc. until the two were  conversing energetically. LaForce, by the way, was a constant fountain of creative and explosive playing throughout the set.

Other tunes of note included Jefferson’s arrangement of “I’m In the Mood for Love,” featuring his lyrics to a saxophone solo by the late James Moody dubbed “Moody’s Mood for Love” and featuring a wonderfully understated cameo appearance by Humphrey’s wife Jennifer. A version of Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time” featuring lyrics by both Jefferson and Hendricks, ended the set with terrific solos from all.

Raeberg and Harris laid down a rock-solid, swinging foundation that allowed the others to pursue their musical proclivities with ease and assurance. It was one of the best performances I’ve heard to date from these remarkable musicians.

In these days of superficial entertainment shows such as “American Idol,” it’s good to hear a genuine and deeply talented vocalist like Chris Humphrey continue to be the real deal. That is, a musician who knows how to get the most out of the music he pursues.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, the Seacoast Jazz Society will host another installment of its ongoing Jazz Appreciation Project lecture series at The Press Room beginning at 4:30 p.m. The featured guest will be guitarist Peter Bernstein, a New York-based performer who has worked with such jazz greats as saxophonists Lou Donaldson and Eric Alexander, and pianist/organist Mike LeDonne. Famed jazz guitarist Jim Hall says of Bernstein, “He plays the best of them all for swing, logic, feel and taste.” Bernstein will be joined in Portsmouth by his accompanists Ryan Parker on piano, Will Slater on bass and Brooke Sofferman on drums. As with previous programs, the emphasis will be on artist and audience Q&A interaction, with the musicians discussing how they create their craft. Bernstein will be a good fit for this event. In addition to being a remarkable musician, he is an articulate speaker who has a good way with an audience. The pre-concert workshop is free and open to the public, while the show is $10.

UNH Trad Jazz returns with Bill Mays

On Monday, Feb. 28, the UNH Traditional Jazz Series will welcome the return of pianist Bill Mays to the Johnson Theatre stage. Mays, one of the more adventurous and creative musicians in the jazz world, will lead an interesting group called the Inventions Trio that also features Marvin Stamm on trumpet and flugelhorn and Alisa Horn on cello. The group will perform selections from their recent CD “Delaware River Suite” on the No Blooze Music label. It’s an incisive blend of jazz, folk and classical influences, showcasing the creative abilities of all three musicians in an interactively organic and natural group sound. The music is refreshingly open and acoustic and has endless possibilities. The concert begins at 8 p.m. For more info on the show, contact David Seiler at 603-659-2010. For ticket information, call 603-862-2290.

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