Moods and Melodies
Jazz pianist Bob Mamet plays a Mother’s Day show at Saint Rocke
Bob Mamet just can’t stay away, and that’s a good thing. The jazz pianist, who grew up in Chicago, where he’s again been living for about six years now, spent three decades in L.A. and about a third of that time right here in the South Bay. Despite a return to his roots, he continues to make frequent trips to Los Angeles where he performs, and in recent years has made his way to Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, where he’ll be appearing on Sunday.
Mamet has worked with a variety of musicians, and if you happened to attend last year’s show at Saint Rocke you’ll notice a few changes right off the bat.
“We have a brand-new trio this year,” he says, by way of email, “with Mike Flick on bass and Jack LeCompt on drums. And I’m excited to have Doug McDonald as our special guest on guitar. Doug and I did a bunch of shows back east a few months ago, and we worked up some new arrangements that we’ll be playing on Sunday.”
Mamet’s discography isn’t huge, but the output over the years has included “Signs of Life,” “Impromptu,” “Adventures in Jazz” (with David Benoit), and “”London House Blues.” The latter is his most recent album, and it begins and ends with originals while featuring tunes by Billy Strayhorn and Miles Davis and others. Several of these tracks were penned a long time ago, but does that really matter? No, not really.
“One of the recent discoveries I’ve made from a musical perspective,” Mamet says, “is the realization that classic jazz standards written almost a century ago can peacefully coexist in the same concert with a tune I might’ve written, say, last Thursday!
“I think that the conventions and the rules that once governed jazz are slowly and surely being lifted. That’s one positive aspect of music in the digital age. Fans and music listeners are now in charge of what they listen to, and are guided by what they like rather than being told ‘what to like.’”
I wrote previously that Mamet has a light touch, his fingers seeming to dance over the keys. And, yes, dance is the right word. There’s the rhythm underneath, fueled by the bass and drums, but overlaying it are those nimble digits that keep the tunes gracefully humming along.
Recognized as the talented musician that he is, Mamet is booked in clubs throughout the country, but better yet he keeps himself and his bandmates on their toes.
Memories and inspirations
“The tour dates Doug McDonald and I did recently were a lot of fun,” he explains, “and a bit of a departure from some of the previous touring I had done in recent years. We played New York City, Philly, Chicago, and Houston, among other places. In each of the cities we would start out as a piano/guitar duo, and then add local players to give the shows their own unique sound.
“I also performed in Paris for the first time, and discovered for myself what I had long heard about the Parisians, which is that they are so passionate about life, culture, and especially music. They have a true love of Jazz there.”
When we were last in touch, Mamet was preparing for a record to be called “Bob Mamet Trio Live in Paris.” The disc hasn’t yet been completed, but it’s clearly percolating.
“We have some more touring planned,” he says, “and I also hope to return to Paris at some point later in the year. Our previous concerts there yielded about a half of a live album, so this time hopefully we’ll return with a full one!”
Those who’ve followed or studied Mamet’s career may be able to sense how living in the Midwest and the Far West have influenced his music, his style, and even his performances, so it will be interesting to see if recording in the City of Light will yield a noticeably different result.
Which may thus have us wondering what is the most inspirational place for him with regard to creating new music.
Mamet seems to give equal consideration to both Chicago and Los Angeles. Both cities have an established jazz scene, and there’s no doubt that Mamet is at home in either one. But living on the West Coast for so long has surely sunk into his bones:
“In fact,” he points out, “the setlist on Sunday will include a brand-new arrangement of a tune I wrote when I lived just down the street in Manhattan Beach. The composition is called ‘Nautical Mile,’ and it invokes the vibe I was feeling at the time. I think anyone who has spent any significant amount of time here is drawn to this special enclave of the ocean. It’s really unlike any other place.”
Absolutely. But Chicago has its lake and Paris its river, and presumably these influence artists of all stripes in subtly different ways. We’ll have to ask Mamet about that when we see him!
And, speaking of artists of all stripes, one should know that Bob Mamet comes from a very talented family. Brother Tony is a rock musician and songwriter, sister Lynn is a screenwriter, and another brother, David, has had some success as a playwright.
That’s an understatement, of course. David Mamet is among the most acclaimed playwrights of our time. One might then wonder, hasn’t the guy playing the notes collaborated with the guy conjuring up stories for the stage? After all, Bob Mamet has written a fair amount of music for film and for television.
The short answer is yes.
“I composed the musical score for both the theatrical and film adaptation of a play David wrote called ‘Lakeboat,’” Mamet replies. “Dave wrote it as a semi-autobiographical piece depicting his early days as a writer. Our younger brother Tony played the part of the writer in both the play and the movie, and the film version had some great acting luminaries in it as well. The music I composed for the film version was a mixture of jazz quintet and a 70-piece orchestra, which was a great experience, something I had always wanted to do.”
Since they’re all still in their prime, perhaps they’ll join forces again one day.
Now, there’s another reason why we see Bob Mamet in town from time to time, and that has to do with his childhood pal PJ Pauly, who’s been a rock drummer for over 40 years and has lived in Redondo Beach for nearly 30 of them. You see, way, way back, PJ and Bob met when PJ was 12 and Bob was 13, the occasion being that their dads set them up to play at a Christmas party in the Mamet family home. Although their paths have diverged in so many ways, they remain very good friends, and have had countless musical reunions throughout the years. They’ll have yet one more this weekend.
A Mother’s Day Jazz Dinner with The Bob Mamet Trio and Special Guests takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Saint Rocke, 142 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach. Doors open at 6 p.m.; 21 and over. General admission, $10 (call for seating upgrades). (310) 372-0035 or go to saintrocke.com. ER
