HoJo’s Big Brass at the Jazz Jam Session in Sag Harbor

The weekly Jam Session at Bay Burger in Sag Harbor is a jazz aficionado’s paradise, with a number of accomplished musicians participating in the 7-to-9 p.m. shows. Those in attendance may be fortunate to witness a performance by Randy Brecker, a six-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and original member of Blood, Sweat and Tears whom The Star profiled in November, or Morris Goldberg, a saxophonist who played the famous pennywhistle solo on Paul Simon’s hit song “You Can Call Me Al.” 

Tonight’s show is the latest installment in the Jam Session’s special guest series, featuring Howard Johnson, one of the world’s top jazz tuba players. Mr. Johnson, who also plays baritone saxophone and a host of other brass and reed instruments, began playing with the late bassist Charles Mingus in 1964. Since then he has performed or recorded with artists including Hank Crawford, Buddy Rich, Gil Evans, John Lennon, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, and Marvin Gaye, to name but a few. He can be heard on the soundtracks of the Spike Lee-directed films “School Daze,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” and “Clockers.”

Tonight will be Mr. Johnson’s performance debut on the South Fork, though he has been a visitor to friends who spend time in Sag Harbor, he said last week. He also has a connection to the South Fork through the late Percy Heath, who lived in Montauk, having recorded several albums with the bassist and his brother, the saxophonist Jimmy Heath. 

A giant of jazz, Mr. Johnson is nonetheless no stranger to the less formal jam session. “In my 52 years or so, I have done quite a lot of that,” he said on Friday. “We all learn the same language,” he said of jazz. “There’s a lot of stuff that can really be a lot of fun that you wouldn’t put together for a band of your own, but is perfect for a jam.” 

“He’s a legend,” said Claes Brondal, a drummer who founded the Jam Session in 2009. Mr. Johnson, he said, came into the Jam Session’s orbit through Erik Lawrence, a baritone saxophonist. “In this world, there are two degrees of separation,” he said. “Erik, who has been down here quite a few times, is Howard’s good friend.” 

Guest musicians, Mr. Brondal said, “are important to the vitality and diversity of the Jam Session,” allowing musicians an opportunity to jam with more seasoned players and play in styles and with approaches they may not be familiar with. “Many different styles of music have been displayed by past special guests, but still within the realm of jazz or ‘music of the world,’ ” he said. “The idea behind the featured musicians is to promote diversity and to provide substance within the parameters of the Jam Session.”

Though it is truly a participatory event, a special guest “dominates the concert and inspires others to play outside their comfort zone and create new music,” Mr. Brondal said. “It also keeps it exciting for listeners.” 

The sessions are broadcast on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on WPPB 88.3 FM. There is no cover charge, but a minimum $5 donation has been suggested.