Premieres 8 Feb, 9pm SGT

It was all hands on deck—a baby grand piano, a double bass, a stripped-down drum kit, a guitar amp, four cameras and 10 mics, appearances by a guitarist and vocalist, this was perhaps the most elaborate video shoot for Cargo Lift Sessions thus far. It was a breeze though, for New York jazz pianist and bandleader Emmet Cohen, bassist Philip Norris and drummer Kyle Poole, who were in Singapore for two sold-out shows as part of Mosaic Music Series. 

After all, this was far from their first digital rodeo: at the height of the pandemic, Cohen began livestreaming from his living room, joined by musicians who lived in his apartment complex. In a time where people were starved for community and the live concert experience, Live from Emmet’s Place quickly built a fervent online fan base that tuned in weekly to see some of New York’s finest: from established musicians like Scott Robinson and Paquito D'Rivera, to vocalists like Lucy Yeghiazaryan and Samara Joy. Now, it has evolved into what The Guardian calls “the most exclusive jazz concert in New York”, with clips from the livestreams garnering millions of views on Cohen’s YouTube page (which now has 168,000 subscribers). 

This experience certainly paid off: the video shoot was a one-take affair, with Cohen’s trio playing with ease across 20 minutes. In the spirit of Live From Emmet’s Place, Singapore jazz guitarist Andrew Lim and vocalist Alemay Fernandez joined the trio in the lift too. The energy in the space was palpable and infectious, capturing (if only just a snippet) of jazz’s true essence—a dedicated commitment to the craft and the camaraderie among its most loyal followers. 

Video: Marcus Chow
Audio: Andrew Lim