Kevin Sun - The Fate of the Tenor (Live) (2024) Hi Res

Some venues are intentional while others are happenstance, and Lowlands wasn't always a place for jazz or its players.

The first time I met Walter, he was on a date with a regular from the bar. He was wearing a red headband, a basketball jersey, and Nike Air Force 1s. It looked like he was vying for the affection of the Chicago Bulls, much less a woman. I soon learned that he used his towering height not to block shots, but to handle a standup bass.

A few months later he introduced me to Kevin and asked if they could do a happy hour gig at the bar. I figured, why not? I love jazz. Mom loves jazz. And if the bar patrons don't like jazz, they can go somewhere else. This is Brooklyn, after all.

Fast forward a few years to the night this album was recorded. Kevin is wearing a green jersey and playing like an ascendant Jason Tatum. Walter is dribbling apace and improvising agile moves not typical of a player of that size and clout. And Matt is tying it all together, since a team relies on a steady rhythm as much as it relies on a fast break.

Kevin, Walter, and Matt infused a new identity into Lowlands, and anyone there that night saw the bar discover a new part of itself.