Seabop Ensemble, 4/3/15. Prell, Logas, Lieber, Rodriguez. Photo Angela Bennett.

Bassist Don Prell entered the business in the mid-1950s as a member of The Bud Shank Quartet, recording two albums with Shank – “The Bud Shank Quartet featuring Claude Williamson” (1956) and “Bud Shank on Tenor” (1957). Don has anchored our Friday night jazz in the bookshop series, just as often taking it aloft, since it began in October 2002.

We’ve never missed a Friday in all those years – even when we had to move the shop from Diamond Street up to Chenery. And on at least two occasions, we wouldn’t have been able to keep the tradition unbroken but for Don– the Christmas day he played solo on the sidewalk… and long before that, there was the Friday he was the only player who showed up for the gig, so he kept us completely happy with a couple sets of solo bass.

Regardless, the music is always a joy. Don’s lately been loving the opportunities for interaction presented by a trio format, and tonight he’s working with reed player Jerry Logas and drummer Vinnie Rodriguez to take the music where it can go.  Check it out this Friday.

Don leads the first Friday date each month, while the second is given over to a rotation of leaders who made up the late Jimmy Ryan’s band — Bishu Chatterjee assembles the band on September 11th. (In October, it’s Joe Cohen’s date.)  And on the third Friday of each month, guitarist Scott Foster puts together a fresh band for the occasion. On the fourth Friday, series founder Chuck Peterson leads a quintet made up of players with whom he has a long history, since his start here in 1950.