BY SAM SPOKONY | The nonet has long been an enticing format for jazz composers, filling that space that exists somewhere between a nimble trio and a hulking big band. Tenor saxophonist Lucas Pino is one young musician who already understands the nonet’s unique energy, having formed his first nine-piece group five years ago as a student at the New School.
Lucas Pino’s nine-piece group carries the torch, and moves it forward
Now Pino, 26, is drawing attention with his No Net Nonet. The band has played monthly at Smalls in the West Village, since last summer (with a couple of breaks here and there). And aside from leading a group that showcases some of the city’s rising instrumental talent, he’s given it a very personal voice — by writing most of the material.
“I want the tunes to draw people in, not push them out,” said Pino, who was emailing from his recent engagement at Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha, in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar. “I feel like it’s popular in jazz right now to keep the audience at arms length, and I’m trying to do the opposite — to bring everyone in, because we’re all part of this music.”
The nonet’s March 11 gig at Smalls will feature most of the group’s working members, with two notable subs: trumpeter John Raymond, and bassist Rick Rosato. On his own time, Rosato also plays in a fantastic trio with pianist Glenn Zaleski and drummer Colin Stranahan — two regular members of the nonet who will also be present that night, which should lead to some especially dynamic interplay from the rhythm section.
Zaleski and Stranahan already play key roles in the No Net Nonet, Pino noted, with the pianist contributing an arrangement of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s tribute to Mitch Borden (the founder of Smalls) to the group’s repertoire, and the drummer acting as a “huge facilitator,” as Pino puts it, for the band’s tightly woven sound.
“When our rhythm section is playing together, sometimes the measures just shift and glide,” the leader explained, “but essentially, everyone in the band really trusts each other. Like improv comedy, we want to always say ‘yes’ to one another — let’s go there!”
Pino added that he’ll be bringing a new tune to the March 11 gig, entitled “The World Ahead,” which draws influence from one of the most iconic groups in jazz history — namely, the Miles Davis Quintet of the ’60s.
“It’s a picture of an imagined future,” the saxophonist said of his new music. “It’s pretty wild, and takes some unexpected turns, and it’s full of the things that just make me smile and want to shout joyfully at the band.”
That feeling of navigating the unexpected is probably the most exciting part of watching a group like this perform live. And it’s not just about the budding virtuosity of these young players, as they grow and discover their powers. In this case, it’s also about the sheer tensile strength of the nonet format, with all of its members sonically bouncing around, building and expanding upon each other’s ideas until a greater sum bursts forth out of those many parts.
“Everyone is bringing their distinct personality to the ensemble and creating an entirely new sound within the band,” said Pino, who’s quick to add that, like Stranahan, Zaleski and Rosato, each member brings the sounds of their own personal projects into the mix.
“Coming together, we can create something unique, compelling and new,” he stressed. “I always keep coming back to that word, ‘new.’ It’s become somewhat of a cliché holy grail idea within the jazz idiom. But for what it’s worth, I believe in it. And I just love this band.”
It shouldn’t be too hard for New York’s jazz fans — both experts and new listeners alike — to start believing in the No Net Nonet, as the group will continue its run at Smalls with another appearance on April 8. The fact is, Pino’s band is only going up from here, and now’s as good a time as any to start getting acquainted with nine of the young cats who are carrying the torch, and moving the tradition forward.
MUSIC | LUCAS PINO: NO NET NONET
March 11 & April 8, at 10:30pm
At Smalls Jazz Club
183 W. 10th St., at Seventh Ave.
Admission: $20
Venue info: smallsjazzclub.com
Artist info: lucaspino.com
