Eric Mintel Quartet plays classic TV scores at Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe on Feb. 6
From a press release:
If you’re a jazz fan who visits or lives anywhere in eastern Pennsylvania, you’ve probably heard of pianist Eric Mintel. A naturally gifted musician who learned to play Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” during his earliest piano lessons, he formed his quartet in 1993 and has accumulated a host of accolades since then – everything from performing at the White House to being a featured guest in 2005 on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” on NPR.
He will perform at the Mauch Chunk Opera House (14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe) on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016.
Tickets are $18 and available on the Opera House website, by visiting SoundCheck Records (23 Broadway, Jim Thorpe) from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., or by calling them at 570-325-4009. Tickets are also available by calling 570-325-0249. The facility is open from noon-5 p.m. on show days, and tickets are available for most shows at the door at showtime.
His Opera House concert will feature classic television scores, such as “Mission: Impossible,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “Hawaii Five-0.” Mintel avoids overt Brubeck licks to play loose but structured contemporary compositions that would be right at home on pianist David Benoit’s mainstream jazz recordings.
The Eric Mintel Quartet’s 10th CD, “Just Around the Corner,” is perhaps this accomplished artist’s most fully realized effort. Apart from the percolating “That Happy Feeling,” the spirited title track kicks things off, but deeper in, you’ll dig the catchy “Just Happened,” a 7+ minute workout flavored with a satisfying bass and drum groove. Other highlights include “Heart of the Holidays,” sweetened for a December playlist, but standing on its own fresh originality.
His talented band includes Nelson Hill on alto and soprano saxophone, electric bassist Jack Hegyi, and drummer Dave Mohn. The interplay between Mintel and his band flows freely, and each of the tunes exude palpable musical and melodic charm.
