Nick Di Maria, New Haven Jazz Underground
The Cannon
New Haven
Jan. 29, 2026
Just when it seemed we were going for a leisurely stroll in New Haven Jazz Underground’s soft-lit world of sound at The Cannon Thursday evening, the trumpet sharply interrupted. Notes dropped in a staccato rhythm. Glissandos rolled over one another in ever rising waves. The piano and bass anchored the effervescent trumpet with grounding chords. The drums whispered in response.
In this world, improvisation was architecture. The Jazz Underground’s interpretation of Freddie Hubbard’s “Prophet Jennings” felt like inhabiting a strange, yet familiar place.
“Songs have a form – a beginning, middle and end. We’re following that roadmap, but after we play the melody of the song we’re improvising,” said Nick Di Maria, trumpeter and leader of the musical collective.
“Prophet Jennings” proved to be a challenge for the Underground because of its 11/8-time signature (eleven beats to the bar with the eighth note as the beat). Most songs are grouped in eights and fours. “Not having that one measure really throws you off,” said Di Maria.
To prepare for their performance of the little-known tune, Di Maria wrote it out first. Then he presented the chart to the band and simply said, “Learn it.” The arrangement came together successfully Thursday night at The Cannon.
The ensemble treated the difficulty as an opportunity for a musical dialogue, with each player responding to the evolving logic of the piece in real time. Di Maria was impressed that the band listened to and relied on each other. “Because the song is a little weird, it forced everyone to pay attention and be present.”
Di Maria lives joyfully in the moment whenever he plays the trumpet. The instrument captured his heart at the age of 3; his parents steeped him in brassy records by Tower of Power, James Brown and Steely Dan. Thirty years of daily practice taught him how to balance his breath, lips and mind to bend the difficult instrument to his will. “You can’t rely on anything. It’s just a piece of metal. You’re making the sound of the note.”
Emanating contentment, Di Maria closed his eyes in meditative concentration as he led the band through jazz standards and songs by some of jazz greats like John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.
Their set felt elastic, conversational, and alive.
Listening to them was transportive. The ensemble didn’t just play together – they built a shared world in real time, shaped by listening as much as sound. Each song subtly reconfigured the space, altering the emotional geography of the set. While Coltrane’s dusk-washed “Blue Train” placed the audience in a cold cosmopolitan New York City, Thelonious Monk’s lively “Eronel” threw us into the syncopated streets of New Orleans. Di Maria was our erudite tour guide for the journey.
Every New Haven Jazz Underground show is a mixed bag of performers. This particular Thursday, his longtime musical partners Andrew Kosiba and Jimmy Gavagan were on the piano and drums, respectively. Bassist Zack Bates was an exciting new addition. Di Maria’s in-your-face, intricate style of trumpet playing spoke eloquently to Kosiba’s light-fingered piano playing, Bates’ deft counter-melodic bass line and Gavagan’s supple drumming. During every song, Di Maria would step away for a beat to let his bandmates shine.
The chops were undeniable.
“The people here have experienced something,” said Di Maria. The audience’s exuberance affirmed his mission of leaving everybody with a smile.
As the final notes dissolved back into conversation and clinking glasses, the world the Underground built quietly receded. But its imprint lingered – a reminder that jazz doesn’t demand attention so much as invites it, and rewards those willing to stay present long enough to listen.
To find out where the immensely talented New Haven Jazz Underground will be next, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.
