New Tricks Jazz

New Tricks is a band that started in the basement of co-leader and saxophonist Mike Lee. What started as casual weekly jam sessions quickly became a tightly knit ensemble with an identifiable sound and singularity of purpose. Featuring original compositions by Lee and co-leader, Ted Chubb, the band is firmly steeped in the jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries rhythmically and harmonically. The instrumentation of trumpet, tenor saxophone, bass and drums allows much room for experimentation unhindered by a chordal voice such as piano or guitar.

In addition to Lee on tenor and Chubb on trumpet, New Tricks features the stellar rhythm section of Kellen Harrison on bass and Shawn Baltazor on drums. These young musicians are known for their compelling groove as individuals and when working together.

The name “New Tricks” was first used by Lee to describe the band for a booking at Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, NJ in 2006. It’s original meaning was more about the rhythmic and harmonic devices the band employed, but soon the banter on the gig was about Lee’s somewhat more (ahem…) “veteran” status. So, the “New Tricks” had their “Old Dog” and the name stuck.

This summer (2009) New Tricks has released their first, self-titled CD. It features four Ted Chubb Originals, six tunes by Mike Lee and Charlie Parker’s Ah-Leu-Cha. Their CD release tour was a great success musically and created a bit of “buzz” about the band with feature stories, interviews and reviews from many sources. Many of these articles are available under the “reviews” and “news” categories in the right hand column of this page.  Reviews for the CD itself are already “in the pipeline” and should be published soon.