THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Each of the 10 tracks on jazz trumpeter and singer Augie Haas’s album, Augie Haas +8 Live At The Speakeasy, was recorded in one take before a live audience on a single night in May 2024. The record realizes Haas’s desire to create an album where listeners can close their eyes and feel transported to a basement speakeasy in N.Y.C., hearing great jazz and basking in the environment of what jazz is all about — the players, the listeners and the moment.
“What you hear is what actually happened that night, in real time,” says Haas. “We did one take and recorded it live in front of an audience at The Speakeasy on the Upper West Side. Our goal with this album is to immerse the listener in the highest quality music, set within an ambience of authentic sounds of people enjoying themselves. We wanted this record to be fun, real, and raw, and I think we’ve achieved that.
“I honestly describe my music as diet jazz,” adds Haas. “Some people seem to take this as an insult to the music, but I say it’s jazz without all the calories! I love playing music, but if no one is having fun, what’s the point? I’m not a fan of the 20-minutes solos, chorus after chorus. I think people, now more than ever, just want to hear good music and have a good time, and that’s what we’re all about.”
Live At The Speakeasy showcases Haas’s strength as a powerhouse lead trumpet player fronting a supremely talented band, including Rick Germanson on piano, Gary Kerkezou on drums, Dick Sarpola on bass, Todd Groves on alto sax, Troy Roberts on tenor sax, Alden Banta on baritone sax, Andrew Neesley on trumpet, and trombonist/vocalist Hailey Brinnel, with special guests Major Attaway and Kacie Sky on vocals, and Mike Gorham and Andrew Carson on trumpet.
The album hits the ground running with Jamo Rocks, a high-octane blues original by Haas. Sarpola, who gives us “four to the bar” with elegant, ear-popping acoustic bass clarity and Swiss watch rhythm, is soon joined by Kerkezou’s drum set and Count Basie-style comments from Germanson on piano. As the band come in, it boils over with saxes and brass tossing off bits of hot dialogue — a perfect setup for Roberts’ powerful tenor sax solo that evokes memories of the “Texas tenors,” Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet — punctuated by a wild stop-time episode and a joyous profusion of unstoppable trumpet shakes. Kerkezou launches a virtuosic solo passage followed by an ending that can only be described as the epitome of “hot jazz.”
Brinnel’s rapid-fire vocal dexterity shines on The Sound, setting the stage for an epic sax battle between Groves (alto) and Roberts (tenor). Songbird Brinnel again delights with her plaintively sweet shadings on Candy, made doubly unforgettable by Sarpola’s splendid bass virtuosity and a scene-stealing sax solo from Groves. Fly Me To The Moon offers a tip of the hat to the classic Frank Sinatra version while conjuring a totally different groove. A jazz singer of formidable talent and creativity, Attaway polishes each lyric with a shimmering clarity reminiscent of Joe Williams. A Haas original, Keep On Keeping On is a groove-based tune featuring Groves on alto sax. This track is a true joyride that reflects the spirit of the jazz ensembles of the great Cannonball Adderley in the late 1960s.
Haas demonstrates his intensely creative spirit and intelligent way of improvising on You Can Fly! The tune’s wrap-up features Haas’s trumpet improv sailing over the top of the band, just like Peter Pan himself. This is big band jazz at a stratospheric height that keeps listeners engaged and delighted.
“Simply put, this album is a real document of live music and jazz,” explains Haas. “The live aspect is important because technology permeates today’s music to the extent that it can be hard to be sure what is actually performed and what is produced. I truly can’t think of another recording like this in recent years, not just live, but really living.”
Haas lives in New York City, where he is a professional trumpeter, composer, and teacher. As one of the most in-demand freelance trumpet players in New York, Haas has worked with artists including Harry Connick Jr., The Maria Schneider Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Gil Evans Project, Birdland Big Band, various Broadway shows, and The Radio City Orchestra. Haas is currently a regular member of the orchestra for Aladdin on Broadway.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Haas has previously released five albums for adults: The Llama (2007), Doing It Augie Style (2009), Endless (2012), Have We Met? (2018), Dream A Little Dream (2019), and A 2020 Christmas (2020). He has also released three children’s albums: Baby Jazz (2008), The Dreamer, Vol. 1: Sleepy Time (2022), and The Dreamer, Vol. 2: Playtime (2023). His book, Build Your Range, with editions for both trumpet and trombone, is sold worldwide.”
