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What happens at the Green Mill after dark.

Saturday Dec 08, 2001.     By Greg Rolnick

Music Feed

SATURDAY, 11:59 P.M. Stepping into the Green Mill in Uptown Chicago is akin to stepping back in time. I found myself peeking over my shoulder from time to time, trying to catch a glimpse of a gangster or two, and wondering where the fabled "Al Capone Escape Route" lay.

Sidling up to the bar in front of the stage, my friend and I staked out two bar stools and ordered an opening round of drinks. The capacity crowd from the early set had filtered out a bit, but enough people lingered around to hear the fabled Sabertooth Quartet to keep things elbow to elbow.

Originally formed 11 years ago as a quintet, Sabertooth has undergone several lineup changes over the years. However, the current foursome of Cameron Pfiffner (tenor sax and flute), Pat Mallinger (alto and tenor sax), Dan Trudell (Hammond B-3 organ), and Ted Sirota (drums), have been creating exceptional music together since 1996.

In 1992, while playing at the Get Me High Lounge (a hangout for local jazz players), Green Mill owner and music aficionado, Dave Jemilo, came to see the group play. He had decided to bring a new band to The Green Mill for their Saturday midnight set, and offered Sabertooth the gig. What then began as a jam session eventually took off through word of mouth, and Saturday night after Saturday night of intense jazz continued. Before long, Dave told the group to drop the extra players and consider the gig theirs and theirs alone. And, as long as the crowds keep on coming in, don't expect Sabertooth to be jumping ship anytime soon.

Weaving an intoxicating web of jazz, blues, and soul, Sabertooth justifies their long-standing residency at such a prestigious venue in song after song. Running the jazz-standard gamut from Duke Ellington to Dexter Gordon to even the Beatles, the group plays a round-robin of extended solos and clever arrangements. As a testament to their skill, simply look around during the middle of their set (middle being 3:00 a.m.) and notice how many people are still there, gently nodding to the beat. Furthermore, simply witnessing Dan's inspired ability to "grimace musically" is worth the price of admission alone...

After the show, I had a chance to speak with the Pat Mellinger and Ted Sirota.

Centerstage Chicago: How has the vibe changed for you over the past 9 years at the Green Mill? And how do you keep each show fresh and exciting?

Pat Mellinger: The vibe has changed, I believe, on several levels. First, there are larger numbers of people coming to our shows than in the past, and one result of that is we have developed a very loyal fan base that is very appreciative, and thus inspiring. Second, there is a wider range of different types of people. We try to keep each show fresh by attempting to perform new material, and resurrect [songs] from the past that we haven't done for some time.

CC: What makes a show at the Green Mill different from a gig at any other club?a

Mellinger: Just the mere history of the club and the hours of our gig make it entirely unique, and reminiscent of a historic era rarely encountered today. We can perform how we like and what we like, to a large degree, and the patrons and bar staff are often complimenting and encouraging us. Also, the owner, Dave Jemilo, is the best club owner a musician could ever ask to work for.

Ted Sirota: Anyone who's been to the Green Mill can tell that it's really a one-of-a-kind. I've never been anywhere else like it. For one thing, if you're there on the weekend you're practically guaranteed a big crowd, if not a packed house, even if you don't do any promotion. Each night has a different vibe in the Green Mill - Monday night is completely different from Tuesday, which is completely different from Saturday.

CC: Who inspired you when you first began playing, and who inspires you now?

Mellinger: My Uncle Tommy Bauer was my first big inspiration. He played sax with Boyd Raeburn, Blue Barron, Ben Webster, and others. On records, my first sax inspiration was Paul Desmond. I discovered bebop soon thereafter, and got into Bird, Miles, Dexter, and Sonny Rollins in my early years. Many players inspire me now. Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Getz, Bird, Beethoven, Hendrix, Garcia, just for starters.

Sirota: I started playing the drums when I was 10 years old (I'm 32 now). I fell in love with jazz when I was 15. I grew up in the South Suburbs of Chicago and I used to take the Metra (or the IC as we called it back then) downtown for lessons at the American Conservatory of Music on Michigan Ave. After my lessons I would go over to the Rose Records on Wabash and buy jazz and reggae records, then I would eat dinner and go over to the Jazz Showcase when it was in the Blackstone Hotel. I would go hear whoever was there. That's when I first saw Max Roach, Billy Higgins, Roy Haynes, and Tony Williams. They were playing with people like Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, and Milt Jackson (to name just a few). That's when I fell in love with jazz- when I could sit three feet away from these cats and watch them while I listened to them.

CC: How do you approach each drum solo?

Sirota: I always try to play on the melody or the vibe of the composition that we're playing. I try to play thematically and work with motifs in my solos. I basically try to tell stories with my solos, so that people can relate to what I'm doing rather than just beating the shit out of the drums - although sometimes it's best to just beat the shit out of the drums.

GREG ROLNICK 06/19/01