Brian Charette Trio with Houston Person
Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz
Bushnell Park
Hartford
July 7, 2025
Hartford’s summer of jazz kicked off this year with Brian Charette and his trio, consisting of Charette himself on the piano, Saudi Zain on the bass and Darrell Smith on the drums. The performance included two special guests, Eddie Allen on the trumpet and Houston Person on saxophone. It was a night of legends on display, and they didn’t disappoint.
This is the third year I’ve covered the Paul J. Brown Monday Night Jazz series, the oldest continually run (and free!) jazz festival in the nation, now in its 58th year. Monday Night Jazz (MNJ) fills Bushnell Park with the music of renowned jazz artists from all over the country, serving as an appetizer in the run up to the Hartford Jazz Festival which takes place every summer.
Person is a marvel for many reasons, not the least of which is that he’s still blowing at the young age of 90 years old. He also has roots in Connecticut, having studied at the Hartt School of Music. Person’s saxophone almost sounded like a human voice, with the gentle inflections of a love song present in every note. And Person’s fingers were at the ready, gliding across the body of the instrument with each run that he hit.
Of course, Charette is no slouch either. Another jazz legend with Connecticut roots, Charette was born in Meriden and studied music at the University of Connecticut before making his home in the East Village in NYC. His piano play in “Only Trust Your Heart” made each note sound crisp and distinctive, not just a messy technical run of mashing on the keys. While such displays can be impressive, I much preferred Charette’s methodical approach to the music, with every sound being deliberate.
Eddie Allen showcased the full range of the trumpet in a duet with Person. His play was bright and spirited, with Allen performing the sharp, snappy blare of the trumpet with the same ease that he played accompaniment to Person’s saxophone. As the song moved towards its finale, his trumpet became almost imperceptible, like a hallway of brassy sound for the saxophone to move through. It was a display of how two masters could make their sounds work together as one.
I love writing about MNJ, because it’s such a distinctly Hartford event. Every year, rain or shine, hundreds of people turn out to hear some of the absolute best musicians perform here, in this place. As renowned jazz trumpeter Haneef Nelson put it, Hartford is a jazz city- as much as New Orleans or New York or Nashville. The idiosyncrasies and improvisations of jazz fit the capital city like a glove, a place where people of all walks of life march to the beat of their own drum.
MNJ is back, and not a moment too soon. I’m ready for another summer of magical music.
NEXT
MNJ is back on July 14 with JeddaLaRue & the Groove Ambassadorst, and the Sarah Hanahan Quartet.
Jamil returns to Real Art Ways to hear some poetry.
