Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tucker Brothers: Live at Chatterbox

Tucker Brothers: Live at Chatterbox

By Jack Bowers
March 14, 2024
View read count

Chatterbox is a nightspot in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Tucker brothers (Joel, guitar; Nick, bass) homegrown siblings whose weekly gig at Chatterbox serves essentially as their home base. The brothers lead a quartet on this concert date, with tenor saxophonist

Sean Imboden

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Sean Imboden and drummer

Carrington Clinton

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Carrington Clinton rounding out the group.

Joel Tucker

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Joel Tucker is the latest in a long line of splendid Indy-based guitarists that started more than seventy-five years ago with the legendary Wes Montgomery. Coincidentally, Wes Montgomery had a brother, Monk, who played bass—and another, Buddy, who played piano and vibes. As far as we know, there are no more Tucker brothers waiting in the wings. Another prominent bassist, the late

Ben Tucker

bass, acoustic
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Tucker, is not related.

The Tuckers and their teammates do the best they can to give the audience its money's worth, presenting seven numbers in a panoramic fifty-seven minute live date that includes such well-known melodies as

Hoagy Carmichael

piano
1899 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark,"

Juan Tizol

trombone
1900 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and the lovely Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz standard, "You and the Night and the Music." The other themes—"Shakshuka," "Mantra," "Away," "Rhythm Changed"—are original compositions whose authors are unnamed.

Everyone plays well—that is to say, at a professional level—especially the brothers who must have done some woodshedding together before striking out on their own. Joel's approach is sharp and nimble, and the same can be said of Nick who keeps splendid time and solos with assurance. Imboden's tenor is on a par with what one might hear in many concerts across the country, while Clinton's timekeeping is admirable and by and large unintrusive. A generally engaging concert performance by four lesser-known but no less able and hard-working musicians.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Skylark; Shakshuka; Caravan; Mantra; Away; You and the Night and the Music; Rhythm Changed.

Personnel

Joel Tucker

guitar

Nick Tucker

bass

Sean Imboden

saxophone

Carrington Clinton

drums

Album information

Title: Live at Chatterbox | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Wanted: For Being Hip��Willie Colon...
< Previous

Meet Bobby Watson
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.