Tina TurnbowI first saw Brian Newman perform a while back at Duane Park. The space was packed, but I managed to get a nice dose of some pretty swingin’ music and a glimpse of his noteworthy style. These days you can catch him twice a week at the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar. And might I add, his new album, “Brian Newman: Live From New York City,” is seriously addictive.
T.T.: Are there products you use to help keep your lips and fingers in good condition for horn playing?
B.N.: I was using Jack Black on my lips, but I’ve recently discovered Burt’s Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm, and it’s really great. It’s all natural and perfect for horn players. Anything with camphor and other chemicals can break down muscle tissue. Can’t play a good trumpet without strong lips. I don’t really go out of my way with the hand cream. If I really need it, I use the unscented Lubriderm. I usually have it around. I also use it for tattoos during the first week to help them heal.
T.T.: What product works best to get that perfectly slicked-back hair?
B.N.: The Iron Society is a joint that my buddy has. He cuts hair and makes pomade out of his house in Brooklyn. He’s a real old-school cat — covered in tattoos, with a Harley parked behind the barber’s chair. I use his pomade exclusively. It smells great, has a nice shine to it and always makes my hair do what I tell it to.
T.T.: What after-shave and cologne do you prefer?
B.N.: I stick to the classics. Clubman Classic is my go-to after-shave, and for cologne, I really like Gucci Pour Homme. I get a lot of compliments on it.
T.T.: Tell me a little about your shaving routine. What products do you use most?
B.N.: Burt’s Bees makes a great shave cream. I’ve been using that, and I get less blemishes and razor burn. I also keep my razor in my Barbicide jar in between shaves. It keeps the blades clean and looks great on the sink. Another favorite: Brut shaving cream.
T.T.: What is it that inspires you about and draws you back to past eras?
B.N.: What draws me back is the feeling of timelessness. Those short eras in American popular music were the golden ages of style and substance. Nowadays, everybody thinks they have style. But style is not always the clothes you wear on your back and who produced your record. It’s the way you carry yourself, how you make music in an honest way and how you handle everyday life as a human being.
T.T.: Musically, who are your heroes?
B.N.: I love Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McCrae and a cat named Mark Murphy. They all have their own style, and they played the music they wanted to play it. I look up to people that go their own way.
T.T.: Who are some of your biggest style influences?
B.N.: I take a lot of influence from many different people. I really love the way Dean Martin, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra dressed. Back in the day when men went to a party and they all had to wear the same white tie, black tux, white vest, they’d make it their own with the small details. There is a famous picture of Jimmy Stewart, Van Helfin, Clark Gable and Gary Cooper in Hollywood, sporting differently shaped bow ties, their vests are cut differently, and their pocket squares are all very distinctly folded. To me that is the epitome of true style. Casually, I love James Dean and Elvis. I love the ’50s greaser vibe. I also have a few jackets that remind me of the Temptations’ and the Four Tops’ kind of style. All sparkle and satin shawl collars.
T.T.: Congratulations on your engagement, to the burlesque performer Angie Pontani. What were some qualities about her that first caught your eye?
B.N.: Obviously, all of her wonderful qualities attracted me to her. She is truly beautiful, inside and out. I feel like the luckiest man alive. I love her classic style. No woman does it better these days. Her hair is in a pomp, nails always perfectly polished, smokin’ hot high heels and always the perfect dress, skirt or couture gown to go with her stunning personality. We’ve known and worked together for years, even before we started dating. She has always been my favorite New York icon. Her hard work for the burlesque community over the years has paid off with the growth of the art form nationwide.
T.T.: Are some nights for ties and other nights a bow-tie kind of night?
B.N.: I think any night is a good night for a bow tie. I’m in a tie or bow tie six nights a week. I feel my best when I’m dressed to the nines. Even when I’m not playing, I always like to dress the way a man should be dressed — clean lines, great fabrics and honesty in your own style.
T.T.: Do you usually have your suits custom made?
B.N.: Nothing makes a man feel better than wearing a finely tailored suit. Once you have had a suit tailored to your every angle and every whim, you can never go back to buying a suit off the rack. Two favorite designers here in New York who make wonderful bespoke men’s wear are Amble Doyle and Jake Muesser over at Against Nature on Chrystie Street. Another one of my favorite designers is my good friend Robert James, down on Orchard Street. He makes some of the coolest clothes around. He makes all of my dress jeans, shirts, vests, and I also own a few beautiful suits by him.
T.T.: You wear cowboy boots quite often. Do you have a favorite store for boots?
B.N.: I do love my cowboy boots. I get them from an old friend in Cleveland, where I grew up. The store is called Boot Corral. I love old-school off-white Chuck Taylors if I’m relaxing. But my favorite shoe on the planet is a Giorgio Brutini calfskin boot, with a Cuban heel, made in the ’60s and ’70s. They don’t produce very many in a size 11 anymore. I am frequently searching on eBay for every color I can find.
T.T.: You knew at a young age what you wanted to do. Was your family pretty supportive?
B.N.: I always knew I wanted to be a New York City musician. I told my folks that around the time I started playing jazz music. They were always extremely supportive. They sent me to private lessons in high school and to a great music school for college. They always encouraged me to be my own man in that sense. To be myself as a person, and as a musician. After such support there is nowhere to go but up! So many musicians come out of school sounding exactly like everyone else. I never wanted to sound like anyone. I wanted to play music that I loved, and that sounded like me. The music was always a lifestyle. Not a contrived and stale act. I live the way I play, and you gotta go hard.
T.T.: Where are your favorite places to play? Where haven’t you played that you’d like to?
B.N.: One of my favorite places to play is the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel. We are there every Tuesday and Thursday night from 8 to 10 p.m. It’s a beautiful room covered with Warhols and Basquiats. With the music swinging and the fireplace crackling, I think it’s one of the best spots in town. I have always wanted to play Carnegie Hall with a full orchestra and big band. That has been a plan of mine since I was 12 or 13 years old. I’ve never said something I didn’t do, so I’ll just keep hustling till I get there.