All the way live at Huger's

I had the time of my life July 30 at an upper King Street spot. I left the gloomy heat outside, paid my five bucks and settled in to check out one of my favorite musicians, Oscar Rivers.

I was looking for healing.

And I know from decades of listening that Oscar and whoever he had along could do that for me.

He recently brought his trio back to Huger's, looking to build up to a cabaret project, adding that dimension to the Lowcountry music and arts scene.

When I heard he was back at the club at 587 King St., I decided I would go listen.

This night seemed like a good time. It had been a grueling week, magnified by the recent plague-like heat wave. I was facing an emotional roller coaster the next day. My friend, Dru Patterson, was giving his daughter away in matrimony and another friend, Theron Snype, was burying his dad.

Also, I had just heard of the deaths of two great Charleston musicians, saxophonist Elvin Davis and drummer Oscar Scott. I was heart sick.

Joy and pain, like Frankie Beverly and Maze would say.

But I needed more than Frankie's crooning.

I needed the balm of blues-based, rock steady grooves that shimmer with warm tones and elegant execution. In order to soothe the wounds of the days before and calm the fears of the up-and-down road the next, I needed my life force to be charged by the energy good jazz foments.

Well, what Oscars' band did that night was to start off with a bang, then settle into a wave of joyous rhythms and melodies. It mined grooves all night, especially after midway through the first set when about 25 people celebrating a friend's birthday arrived to take the comfortable room to being full. The energy being fed to the band doubled all of a sudden.

Just about then, I turned my bar stool to face the bandstand and settle in for the magical ride that was galloping along by then.

I further prepared myself for the journey into live swing with, for me, a tried and true accompaniment to a good time, H&H. Heineken beer and Hennessy cognac. Alcohol isn't necessary to stimulate enjoyment but, like legendary drummer Art Blakey said of jazz, it can take the dust off the day.

It was on.

Working with keyboardist Oscar were his basic trio members, Chuck King on bass and Max Moore on the drum kit. A very tight unit, a solid rhythm section that communicates telepathically, there is more than 100 years of professional music experience among the three cohorts.

Then there was the front line of T.J. Robinson, a prodigy, on trombone, Chris Shecut on tenor saxophone and DeVone Gary on alto.

T.J., a graduate of the Charleston County School of the Arts and a recent alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music, was a monster. Most impressive is his warm tone and understated, easy swing, all very advanced for his tender 21 years.

Chris on tenor had a superior command of his instrument and provided a phat bottom to the melodies and harmonies of the instrumentalists.

Gary has good contemporary chops, playing high and fast and sweetening the ensemble's sound.

The room has a good sound. The north wall is brick and there's plenty of wood in there.

The other walls, colored a shade of peach, are adorned with large, colorful murals by Charleston artist Charles Desaussure.

The interior was designed by another Charleston artist, Robert Washington. Wash, as he is known, chose the color scheme and painted the walls himself. The works by Charles that he chose used to hang in Mitchell's, a club that used to occupy 102 N. Market St. where Mercato restaurant is now.

This was a bit of a different sound for Oscar. He usually plays more standards in the bop idiom.

Oscar said his band is booked at Huger's through the end of the year. That gives him time to develop new material, bring in guest artists and have full-blown shows.

Along with his skills as a performer and arranger, Oscar has a flair for show business. Some will remember Rivers and Company, a band that he and his late wife, Fabian Rivers, used to produce cabaret-style shows. For instance, the band was the house entertainment at Ernest Pinckney's Touch of Class on Meeting Street.

I think he has a good chance at accomplishing this, given what I saw and heard that Friday night.

I still feel better from it.

Call 577-7855.

Jack McCray, author of "Charleston Jazz," can be reached at jackjmccray@aol.com.