Write a commentA small but appreciative crowd was treated to a great night of blues-influenced jazz on Saturday evening at the Oswego Music Hall.
The performance by Taj was the second of guest curator David Kaspar's Jazz By The Lake series this fall. Led by guitarist and vocal virtuoso Mikal Serafin, the group featured keyboardist Dan Pugh, drummer Gary Iacovelli, and Sean Perry on both upright and electric basses.
The band opened with a Duke Ellington tune, "Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues," which set the tone for the bluesy evening ahead. First set highlights included a pair of Stevie Wonder songs, "Boogie On Reggae Woman" and "My Cherì Amour." "Landslide," a Fleetwood Mac tune, was up next, then a Serafin original song, "Drive," took Taj to intermission.
The second set opened with an instrumental version of the classic, "Misty" which morphed into another gem, "The Way You Look Tonight," with Serafin adding vocals. A reimagining of the Paul Simon hit, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," left Jack, Gus, Lee and Roy hanging in the breeze. Another classic blend of "Sunny" and Santana's "Oyè Como Va" hit just the right notes, followed by a beautifully melodic version of George Benson's "This Masquerade." A Latin-inflected tune closed out the set, and brought the audience to their feet for a standing ovation. The band played a rollicking encore called "Fuji, Mama" to close out the night, and received another standing ovation as the house lights came on.
Perry and Iacovelli were a tight rhythm section, keeping just the right tempo for each selection. Pugh, who also played at the Music Hall in April with the Count Blastula Trio, played several solos on his Hammond SHX organ, and played rhythm to Serafin's lead on most tunes. The audience recognized the band members' abilities with frequent applause.
Leader Mikal Serafin, who founded Taj in 2019 and is the longest-tenured member of the group, truly shined on guitar and vocals. His playing was right at home on driving blues flavored numbers as well as the more melodic jazz tunes. His vocal phrasings were spot-on as well, particularly shining on the two Stevie Wonder classics and the Simon tune.
Saturday's show was the final Jazz By The Lake presentation of the Fall season, but Kaspar said that the series will return twice during the Spring 2025 Music Hall season with dates scheduled in March and May.
Next up at the Oswego Music Hall will be an all-ages Open Mic Night hosted by Marc Warner on Friday, December 6, while Music Hall favorites,The McKrells, bring their Celtic bluegrass mix to the National Stage on Saturday, December 7.
The Oswego Music Hall is located in the historic McCrobie Civic Center at 41 Lake Street in Oswego. The all-volunteer Music Hall is handicapped accessible. Advanced sale tickets for The McKrells can be purchased in downtown Oswego at The River's End Bookstore, or online at OswegoMusicHall.org.
