Jazz Brunches Make Sunday Shine

Brunch is one of the most celebrated meals in this city, and the brunches that include jazz are particularly revered. This reporter decided it was time to revisit three of them: one that had recently restarted, one that was a limited-run event, and one that had been ongoing for the past year.

My first stop was Elm City Market, whose Jazz Brunch series had enjoyed a successful run for three years up until the Covid-related shutdown. It made its return last Sunday with a couple of changes to note. It is now only on Sunday instead of the previous Saturday and Sunday schedule, and patrons are now asked to make a reservation for a table through the store’s website, with seating available in one-hour increments between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Today’s entertainment was provided by Jeff Fuller and Friends, the friends being Darren Litzie on piano and Ben Bilello on drums. The show began promptly at 10:30 with Fuller welcoming everyone back with much joy. The trio launched right into the aptly titled ​“We Friends” — from their first album, The Call From Within — as many friends made their way to their reserved tables with steaming cups of coffee and tea after ordering their food.

The sky may have been gray, but the atmosphere was anything but as the three musicians both melded their instruments into silky sweet waves of sound and gave each other ample room to showcase their individual talents. Songs ranged from interpretations of classics like ​“Cry Me a River” by Arthur Hamilton, which saw the trio get funky, to originals including ​“Round and Round,” the title track from the band’s latest CD, and ​“Breathing on a Bike,” a new song from a record that Fuller said would be forthcoming in 2022. The audience greeted each number with loud cheers and appreciation.

Brunch choices were plentiful — waffles, acai bowls, omelets and more, including gluten free and vegetarian options. This reporter chose avocado toast with smoked salmon, red onions, and capers. One of the staff was also handing out individual cheesecakes to the audience during the show. As the set ended and I made my way out in a state of bliss, I couldn’t help but echo the sentiments of the sign over Fuller’s head beneath the one that advertised cold beverages: ​“it’s an easy way to feel refreshed.”

The second stop was Chapel Street’s Atelier Florian, where the Sunday Jazz Brunch, curated by Nick DiMaria,has been going strong again since August 2020. A few patrons braved the breezy threat of a storm on the restaurant’s covered patio, but the majority of diners sat inside where Max Caserta and his guitar could be found near the bar area offering up a steady stream of music, including a jazzy version of ​“Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Atelier’s famed pots of mussels sailed by and the smell of frites permeated the air as patrons laughed and chatted, all backed by Caserta’s intricate and enticing string work.

This reporter was too full to eat anything else, but I did partake in a mimosa. The drink, not unlike the music, was symphonic and satisfying. Caserta more than earned the crowd’s appreciation, the atmosphere as near partylike as one might find at such an early hour with friends meeting friends and hugs being shared. Everyone there looked thrilled to be out and together.

The third and final stop was Orchid Café at ConnCAT, to take in the third session of their three-part series July of Jazz, a celebration of New Haven’s legacy as a regional jazz hub (subject of a 2001 documentary, Unsung Heroes). Today’s performers included Morris Trent on bass, Barry Reese on drums and trumpet, and Roger Knubb on keyboards for the first tune. They were joined for the rest of the set by Hank Bolden on saxophone.

Bolden, who had played at the famed Monterey Club on Dixwell Avenue for years, was featured in conversation with musician Paul Bryant Hudson during the first session of the series. Trent introduced the ​“the one and only” Bolden to the audience and noted that he was ​“one of the great educators and innovators in New Haven.” He also introduced Reese and Knubb as two ​“great musicians” he had the ​“honor of playing with” and said they would be playing a ​“combo of jazz and whatever else we do.”

The foursome delighted the audience with a groovy version of ​“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that saw Reese with his trumpet in one hand and a drumstick in another, offering both instruments as needed. After the song was over, Trent looked up at the sky and asked, ​“where the rainbow at?” which garnered laughs, thought the sky looked as if it could open up and pour at any moment. That did not deter these four master musicians, who kept the groove going through such classic songs as ​“Sugar” and ​“All Blues.” The sounds they produced seemed almost effortless, yet were also intricate, bold, and bursting with as much flavor as the brunch dishes offered on the day’s menu, which included a few varieties of fried chicken as well as strawberry cream cheese pancakes and a crab cake Benedict. This reporter did not partake at this event except for a cup of tea, but the scents coming out of the café, not unlike the sounds coming from the band, were quite satisfying.

Trent announced the band would take a brief pause before its next set, and the musicians made their way to connect with audience members and exchange greetings and gratitude. As if on cue, the gray clouds broke and let the sun shine down upon us.

Reservations for Sunday Jazz Brunch at Elm City Market can be made through the market’s website. More information about Atelier Florian’s Sunday Jazz Brunch can be found on its website.