Re-Stream: Emmet Cohen & Friends WNYC Holiday Show

And we are live.

We are live from the Jerome L. Green Space in downtown New York City.

I'm Paul Cavalcante.

Welcome to our first ever New Standards Holiday Concert featuring the Emmett-Cohen Trio.

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Bye.

Welcome to the green space.

It's wonderful to be here.

Thank you for coming out on the live radio, on the internet, and also here in person.

There's nothing like celebrating the holidays in New York City.

And to help us do that, we have on the drums from Los Angeles, California, that's Mr. Kyle Poole.

Please help me welcome on the bass from Tokyo, Japan, that's Mr. Yasushi Nakamura.

And we have a beautiful program with some different spirits of our music.

You'll hear some different sides of Christmas, of holidays, maybe even of Hanukkah.

You never know.

Maybe Kwanzaa.

You never know.

We're improvisers.

And I put together this show with Paul Cavalcante.

And one of the things that we were trying to figure out was who to get.

And I said, you know,

There's someone who I play Christmas music with every year, dating back to when we went to school together at the University of Miami.

And he plays tenor saxophone.

He's one of the greatest saxophonists out there.

He's on tour, usually with Gregory Porter, but does his own thing and is extremely flexible.

And we just would play every year, go through all the Christmas tunes and all the keys and all the tempos and all the styles.

And he's got some serious funk, especially when it comes to the holidays.

And we're going to welcome him out right now.

Please put your hands together for Tivon Pennicott.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

Thank you.

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Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

That is the most civilized Jingle Bell Rock ever.

Somewhere Brenda Lee's beehive is twirling.

Wow.

Once again, the Emmett Cohen Trio.

Amazing.

Tavon, great to have you.

Live from the Jerome L. Green space, live on the radio, or at WNYC on Saturday nights, New Standards.

Newstandards.org is the 24-7 stream where this music plays all the time.

I'll remind you of these small details shortly, but first we need to bring some voices into the mix, and I'm framing our...

vocalists, two of them anyway, as local heroes.

They do hail from the immediate area.

And I'd like you to meet someone who has spent a good deal of her young life in Manhattan growing up as a student at college in Westchester County.

Somewhere along the line,

She has been influenced by music that is just of another time and place, and she seems to be deeply connected to that, even though she is a young person of our time.

So please welcome warmly Anais Reynaud.

Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside.

Painted candy canes on the tree.

Santa's on his way.

He's filled his sleigh with things.

things for you and for me.

It's the time of year when the world falls in love.

Every song you hear seems to say, Merry Christmas.

May your New Year dreams

come true.

And this song of mine in three quarter time wishes you and yours the same thing too.

Thank you.

Pretty mama's in the kitchen this glorious day.

Smell the gravy simmering nearly half a mile away.

Lady morning glory, I say good morning to you.

Chirpy little chickadee told me that my baby was true.

Well, she really ran to get the frying pan when she saw me coming.

I'm gonna get a taste before it goes to waste.

This honeybee's humming, Mr. Weeping Willow.

I'm through with all of my faults.

Cause my baby's ready to do the ever new gravy waltz.

Thank you.

Pretty mama's in the kitchen on this glorious day.

Smell the gravy simmering nearly half a mile.

lady morning lady morning glory i say good morning to you

Chirpy little chickadee told me that my baby was true.

Well, she really ran to get the fry pan.

But when she saw me coming, I'm gonna get a taste before it goes to waste.

This honeybee's humming the Mr. Weeping Willow.

I'm through with all of my faults.

Cause my baby's ready to do the ever-new gravy.

And this song of mine, in three-quarter time, wishes you and yours the same thing too.

You see?

You can just waltz in here.

The Jerome L. Greenspace, the first ever New Standards holiday show.

Anais Reno, amazing.

You and Emmett Cohen share a deep respect and connection to and for Duke Ellington, so much so that you made a record album that had quite a few Ellington selections.

And Emmett, you live in Ellington country, as it were, right?

Very much in that corner of Harlem where so much of that music coalesced.

You grew up in Manhattan, and as I was, I guess, kind of sussing out before, had a lot of interesting things on your iPod.

Do I have the right generational reference there, or did you positively miss the iPod?

I miss the iPod generation.

All right.

So you had an interesting Spotify list for a student at whatever high school you went to.

Some of the music that inspired you when you were growing up.

How did you learn this stuff?

Oh, I mean, I came into it pretty naturally.

I was taking voice lessons with a teacher at the 92nd Street Y. I was eight-ish, and she suggested that I start singing some standards because she had a hunch that it would work for my voice.

And from there on, it's just been what I've been singing and what I've been inspired by.

Let's hear it for the 92nd Street Y.

You can get yourself clean.

You can have a good meal.

Wrong why.

Wrong why.

Wrong reference.

But at this holiday time of the year, and being that we mentioned Duke Ellington, let's not lose sight of the fact that the Christmas story kind of takes place in the desert.

So do you think we could vamp our way over to I'll Leave It Up to You?

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Night and stars above that shine so bright.

The mystery of their fading light that shines upon our caravan.

upon my shoulder as we creep across the sands so I may keep this memory of our caravan.

This is so exciting.

You are so inviting.

Resting in my arms as I thrill to the magic charms of you.

We said we'd be here beneath the blue.

My dream of love is coming true within our desert caravan.

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and stars above that shine so bright, the mystery of their fading light that shines upon our caravan.

Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep across the sands so I may keep this memory of our caravan.

This is so exciting.

You are so inviting, resting in my arms as I thrill to the magic charms of you.

Beset me here beneath the blue.

My dream of love is coming true within our desert caravan.

Within our desert caravan.

Within our desert caravan.

Once again, Anais Reno.

Anais Reno, Shall We Dance?

Devon Petticoat, sax.

The Emmett Cohen Trio on stage the whole time, just backing up these amazing vocalists.

I cannot thank you enough, sir.

This has been...

and adventure to get this show together because my feeling was I want to showcase growing talent, people who are taking this music with us to the future.

It's what New Standards is all about.

It's about this being a real thing in the 20th century.

You can't have a nostalgia trip about something that happened before you were born.

I think that covers most of us.

I think we're safe.

but I want you to meet another outstanding vocalist who is gonna blow you away with her beautiful voice.

Please welcome Samara Joy.

Thank you very much.

Another New Yorker, and representing the county I've called home, Bronx County,

Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

We representing the Bronx.

I think you told me Parkchester was the place where you grew up.

Parkchester, Castle Hill, all of the surroundings.

The Six Train, that's how I define it.

The Six Train.

You must take the Six Train.

Does it work?

No, not quite.

You have had such a crazy year because you've recorded, you've collaborated with Emmett Cohen.

You have released a wonderful album called Linger Awhile.

It got on certain people's radar.

Yes!

And Now Linger Awhile has been nominated in, or you've been nominated in the category of Jazz Vocal Performance for the album.

In the Grammys, the 2023 Grammy Awards, and Samara has been nominated as Artist of the Year.

Not just jazz artist of the year, not just our little group here in the green space, like the mainstream artist of the year.

So good luck.

Congratulations.

Thank you for being here tonight and for warming up this December evening.

Oh, yes.

Thank you very much.

This heart that glows like an ember

longs to be loved just by you.

If it could be so, then you'd keep me so warm.

I'll keep you warm in December Warm when the cold breezes blow

and a kind of oven to melt the sleet and snow.

This heart that glows just like an ember, it longs to be loved just by you.

If it could be so, then you'd keep me so warm in December too.

I'll keep you warm in December.

Warm when the cold breezes blow.

My, my, my soul loving a kind of woman.

To melt the sleet

Just like an ember It dawns to be loved just by you If it could be so Then you'd keep me so warm In December

Emma Cohen on the piano!

Wow.

It is really, really a pleasure to be here in this space.

You know, being from the Bronx, you discover new parts of New York every single day, because I had no idea that this place existed.

But I'm glad now to be here in this beautiful space with all of you celebrating the holidays.

And it is now my pleasure to bring on the dynamic, wonderful singer.

This is our first time singing together.

And I'm so glad that he's here.

His name is Jay Hoard.

I mean, can we get a hand for the outfit?

Please.

Young Queen, Samara Joy.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Make the yuletide gay.

From now on, our travels will be miles away.

We are as in olden days Happy golden days of yore Faithful friends Who are dear to us Will be near to us

Through the years we all weep together in the face

Until then we have to battle through somehow.

Somehow.

So have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Thank you.

They fall free to walk into us.

Samara, they gather near to us once more.

yourself a merry little Christmas night.

Jay Hart, everybody.

Emmett Cohen, Yasushi Nakamura, Kyle Poole.

Thank you very much.

Samara Joy.

santa baby to slip a sable under the tree for me been an awful good girl santa baby hurry down the chimney

Amen.

I've got a better story.

I think it's a better story.

Just a better one.

Is that okay?

Can I tell the better story?

This Santa comes through all year round, not just once a year.

What is that?

That's a secret Santa.

You ready?

Once I had a secret

that lived within the heart of me.

Oh, too soon my secret love became impatient to be

And then I told a friendly star The way that love was often due I told him just how wonderful

And why I'm so in love with you.

Now I've shouted from the heights.

even till the golden dawn for all days now my heart is an open door cause my secret love is no secret

Now that was the way for Doris Day.

I learned this version from Carmen de Cray.

One, I had a secret love.

within the heart of me.

All due to my secret lover.

He came impatient to be free.

He wanted to be free and then I told

The way that lovers often knew I told them just how wonderful you are And why I'm so in love

I've shouted from the highest hill.

Oh, I've even told the golden liars.

And now my heart is an open door.

Because my secret love is no secret anymore.

Now I'm shouted from the heights yet still.

Love is a tower of gold and I fought tears.

And now my heart is an open door.

Yeah, my secret, love is no secret.

He told me love is no secret.

My love is no secret.

He shouted from the rooftop, it's no secret.

My secret love is no secret anymore.

Devon, Emmett, guys, Kyle, everybody, just fantastic.

Loving this show.

It's New Standards.

It is a 24-7 stream.

You hear it on WNYC-FM Saturday night starting at 8 p.m. You can click on it and stream this music anywhere in the whole wide world anytime at newstandards.org.

The live stream happening as well.

Can I squeeze another one out of you, sir?

All right.

And all the mistletoe, I want to get to know you better.

This Christmas, and as I trim the tree, how much fun it's going to be together.

This Christmas, by a side

through the night.

And this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me.

Presents and cards like yours, I fear but cheer they are dear.

And as I look around, your eyes are shining down.

They do, dear.

This Christmas, my sight is blazing bright.

And we are counting through the night.

And this Christmas, it will be a very special Christmas.

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Thank you.

Your presence in God I hear, your eyes I feel which here they are dear.

It's Christmas and as I look around your eyes I shout the sound they do dear.

It's Christmas by your side it's blazing bright.

Today it will be a merry

Happy winter solstice, happy Kwanzaa, happy Hanukkah to you.

Devon Pennicott-Sacks.

Yasushi Nakamura, bass.

Kyle Poole, drums.

Emmett Cohen.

Killin' it, Emmett Cohen.

Grab that mic.

You are everywhere.

You've been everywhere.

This has been a busy year for you.

You have a busy schedule ahead.

I'm going to give you a chance to plug your things, but first and foremost, they can see Emmett's Place on the web every Monday.

Well, we're here.

We're here, so you don't have to worry about missing it.

Yeah, we're so fortunate to have been able to connect with so many folks around the world these past two and a half years now.

It's almost three years in March.

It'll be three years in March.

And you mentioned Duke Ellington before.

We live on Edgecombe Avenue, which is the same avenue that Duke lived on with his whole band almost.

And back in the roaring 20s,

100 years ago.

We're in the roaring 20s again now.

If you're not getting the picture.

They're roaring.

They're roaring.

We're getting there.

They had prohibition.

They weren't allowed to go out and gather.

We had the pandemic.

We weren't allowed to go out and gather.

And so we're in this neighborhood in Harlem with so many great musicians around.

It's almost a bit of a renaissance in Harlem now.

Musicians like Kyle Poole, Yasushi Nakamura, Jay Horde lives down the street.

Tavon, we all live actually walking distance.

More people like Bruce Harris, Patrick Bartley, Benny Benack III, Samara lives up there.

there's such a high concentration of musicians and I feel like that's the way it was 100 years ago.

People would have rent parties and everyone from the police officers to the janitors would come in and just enjoy music and pass the hat for whoever could and we've done that virtually.

and created a scene online.

Who knew?

The coolest thing about this is because you're coming to be inspired, to be in the footsteps of these giants.

And at the same time, you're connecting with this one who connects with that one, and you're making your own scene.

And so the two things are working in concert.

You have created harmony.

You're making music.

We invited you up to the house.

What did you think?

I loved it.

It was a hike.

I mean, there were a few stairs to climb.

And it was a tight space.

I love that convex lens thing that you've got going on.

You walk into Emmett's place and it's like, oh my goodness, if you're a Marx Brothers fan, it's like we're in the state room.

But the sound is big.

And the talent is immense.

I don't know how it squeezes into that little space, but it was quite a session.

And right then and there, when I visited Emmett in his home and I saw an Emmett's Place Live, I thought, you know what?

This would make a dandy holiday show in the green space.

Brother, we did it.

Thanks for having us, Paul.

All right.

So...

I see a bunch of musicians standing around looking for something to do.

Let's do one more.

Are you going to sing one, Paul?

I have difficulty staying in tune, quite honestly.

So, I mean, if you can play in my skeleton key, I'll give it the college try.

There's technology for that.

There's technology for that.

I don't think it exists in that console back there.

So we'll leave the auto-tune to Billie Eilish and Emmett Cohen and company.

Oh, did I say that?

We'll leave the auto-tune to Milli Vanilli.

Did I say that?

Anyway, the Emmett Cohen Trio once again.

Please welcome back Anais Reno.

Once again, Jay Hoard.

From Marietta, Georgia, that's Tavon Pinnacott.

One more time for Kyle Poole at the drums.

Yasushi Nakamura at the bass.

And whenever there's a beautiful collection of human beings like this that have almost never met each other.

There's some people on stage that haven't met each other.

And people singing together for the first time.

There's some magic that happens there.

And we celebrate that.

And we celebrate new friends.

We celebrate a wonderful 2023.

We look ahead to happy holidays to all of you.

And what this music is meant to do, I think, is ultimately to put a little joy in the world, to make it a better place.

And we're reminded of that amongst friends, new and old, family, loved ones.

And that's what we're here for.

That's what these holidays are meant to represent.

So pass it forward.

Do something nice for somebody.

Celebrate in that way.

The world needs it right now.

We travel all over, and we see that.

Pay it forward.

Use these vibes.

Pass them forward.

We're going to leave you with the Christmas song.

As nuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost knitting at your nose.

Tied carols being sung by a choir And folks dressed up like Eskimos Everybody knows A turkey and some mistletoe Will help to make the sea

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

They know that Santa has gone his way.

He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.

And every mother's child is going to spy to see if reindeer really know

how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase to kids from one to ninety-two.

Although it's been said many times, many

so so

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They know that Shanty's on his way.

They've loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.

I love him more than Shanty knows the sky to see if rain

come upper in this simple phrase.

From kids two, one to ninety-two.

Although it's been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas, Merry Kwanzaa,

Once again,

Jay Horde, thank you so much.

NIS Reno, thank you so much.

Timon Petticott, Yasushi Kyle, Emmett.

Is there a better house band on planet Earth?

The New Standards Holiday Show, thank you for being here in the Jerome L. Greenspace.

Paul Cavalcante, it's been a pleasure.

Special thanks to Steinway and Sons for the gorgeous Piana.

Thank you to producer Eileen Delahunty, this program expertly engineered by a brand name in jazz, Irene Trudell, and the crew.

Thank you.

Safe home.

See you next Christmas.

Thank you.

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