It’s not every night that a rubber chicken squawks in the middle of a drum solo, but anything goes when jazz bubbles in a casual setting. Long Island City’s Fifth Hammer Brewing Co offers live music in the Brewside Lounge as eclectic as the beer selection. Wednesdays see brewery owner Chris Cuzme trade in his mash paddle for tenor and soprano saxophone to blow with a rotation of invited guests.

A fiery sax solo followed by rapturous piano out the gate chased away the cold of a bitter NYC winter night. Loosened by golden lagers and malty porters, an intimate crowd swung and swayed to a mostly up-tempo set of standards from Cuzme & Friends. Their joyful sound floated towards the high ceiling and seeped into the fleet of beer kegs, tanks, and barrels behind the musicians.

Cuzme’s demeanor as host was warm and jovial, but he meant business when the reed touched his lips. Leaning back to lift his horn high at peak moments, he unleashed a barrage of sweet melodies, furious flurries, and passionate squeals. 

Speaking of squealing, no fewer than three rubber pigs oinked their way into Tommy Campbell’s vaudeville drum solos. Campbell’s antics behind the drum kit proved it’s possible to do stand up while sitting down. When not making pigs harmonize, he was sticking a squeaky lizard between the high hats, squeezing a rubber chicken or hamburger, or snapping open a Chinese fan to keep the crowd laughing. And when the bag of tricks ran dry, he reached one hand up his own shirt to interject armpit farts into the beat. A veteran who’s played with the likes of Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie, Campbell can not only set a rhythm but twist it around and change it to keep fellow players on their toes. Sometimes he chose the most abstract fill of all… silence held for a few beats before jumping back in right on cue to keep the groove going.

Bassist Will Slater took Campbell’s shenanigans in stride, providing a rock solid anchor where the music needed it and absorbing the rhythmic curveballs to throw in some inspired soloing of his own over pieces composed by the likes of Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner. The spirit of Tyner also danced in the hands of pianist Benito Gonzalez. His ecstatic but lyrical staccato runs whipped the band and crowd into a fervor each time he had the floor.

Patrons’ cheeks were flushed from more than just the beer by the end of the night. A jazz performance can shift from intense to whimsical and sweet to sinister, but it should always be interactive and adventurous. Chris Cuzme & Friends checked those boxes on Wednesday. Anyone thirsty for live music should stop by the Fifth Hammer and let the taps and improvisation flow.