What can you expect from 10 strings and four hands?
Plenty, if those strings are in the hands of Ed Fleischman and Larry Maltz.
Billed as — you guessed it — 10 Strings 4 Hands, the duo is among 13 acts chosen to compete this month at the Mayo Performing Arts Center for cash prizes and bragging rights.
The 15th anniversary edition of Morristown Onstage is a benefit for programs in the Morris School District.
Fleischman will play four strings (upright bass) while Maltz handles six (guitar) on a jazzy instrumental version of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police.
“Larry came up with a great arrangement. I get to bow the melody. We love the sound of our acoustic instruments,” says Fleischman, 60, of Morristown.
He met Maltz, 65, of Livingston, through a mutual drummer pal and they’ve been gigging together for a couple of decades, at places such as Freddy’s in Bernardsville.
“We found a lot of chemistry,” Maltz says.
While both men have impressive musical credentials, experience has taught them not to chase perfection.
“Even with mistakes, we’re okay. It’s fun. We have a good time,” says Maltz, a guitar instructor whose résumé includes cross-country tours with the Seagram’s Party Band, and stints with groups in Vegas.
“Everybody makes mistakes, even great artists. They just recover quickly. It also makes it human,” says Fleischman, a teacher in the Montville school system.
They love telling a story about Herbie Hancock hitting a sour note in a session with Miles Davis. Davis simply repeated the mistake, incorporating it into the performance.
None of which is meant to imply any sloppiness by Fleischman and Maltz. They know their stuff, and can flat-out play. Fleischman studied at the Rutgers Mason Gross School and his bass has anchored community orchestras.
They see their mission as connecting with listeners, finding common ground via layered textures and novel interpretations of pop hits from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
They enjoy re-imagining these numbers as jazz standards–which, after all, “were the popular tunes of their day,” Fleischman notes.
The pandemic pushed Morristown Onstage into virtual mode last winter. This pair is glad their 10 strings and four hands will be spinning their magic before a live crowd at MPAC.
“It’s not all just about us,” Maltz asserts. “We need to be relatable to the audience.”
MORE COVERAGE OF MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE 2022
The Morris Educational Foundation presents the 15th anniversary edition of Morristown Onstage, a benefit for the Morris School District, at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Feb. 23, 2022. Tickets are $35-$85. New this year: A raffle with $30,000 in cash prizes.
