Chew Toy
Performing live in the corner at Little Jumbo, 241 Broadway, Five Points, Asheville. No cover. Pull up a seat.
Admission no cover · ever
Chew Toy sounds like backyard nights, rolling in your favorite smell, and never says no to treats. It feels energetic, weird, and strangely sincere. An experiment gone wonderfully off-script. The sound has teeth. It has that feeling of something playful happening whether the room is ready or not. The bass does the stalking and the searching, sniffing with purpose from one patch of sound to another. The drums provide impact and timing like a series of confident paw taps, fast when the room flinches, heavy when it leans in. The saxophone does not politely take turns. It appears, questions everything, and then darts away like it has spotted a clue no one else can see.
Chew Toy’s sets build attention and then disturb it. They start clean, then get stranger, then get exact about the exact moment the audience stops thinking and starts reacting. There are no chord progressions to hide behind. There is only rhythm, breath, tone, and the blunt honesty of bass lines that move forward and drum hits that land like the decision has already been made.
Danny Iannucci embodies the spirit of musical reinvention, carrying his Western Carolina University jazz education and nearly two decades of Asheville immersion into every bass line he lays down. Since earning his bachelor's degree in music with a focus on jazz in 2010, this Piedmont-born bassist has woven himself into the fabric of Asheville's local music scene, bringing his collaborative spirit and improvisational skills to diverse audiences through years of freelance performances with local bands.
Whether anchoring intimate jazz sessions at Little Jumbo or supporting the next generation of mountain musicians, Iannucci represents the best of Asheville's musical ecosystem—where academic training meets street-level groove, where technique serves community, and where a bassist's role extends far beyond just holding down the bottom end. His approach to music mirrors his philosophy in all endeavors: rooted in forming meaningful connections, guided by genuine care, and delivered with a personal touch that makes every musical conversation feel both professional and deeply human.
In a town filled with world-class musicians, Iannucci proves that some of the most essential music happens when formal training meets authentic mountain spirit, creating the kind of rhythmic foundation that allows entire musical communities to flourish.
Joe Enright transforms every drum kit into a storytelling machine, his sticks weaving rhythmic narratives that bridge the gap between Asheville's mountain soul and metropolitan jazz sophistication. This is drumming as architectural engineering, where every kick, snare, and cymbal crash serves both the song's immediate needs and its deeper emotional blueprint. Enright understands that great drumming isn't about technical flash—it's about becoming the heartbeat that allows other musicians to find their most authentic voices. His approach reflects the best of Asheville's musical spirit: deeply rooted in tradition yet unafraid to explore uncharted rhythmic territories. Whether providing the subtle brush work that makes a ballad breathe or laying down the propulsive grooves that turn a jazz standard into something urgently contemporary, Enright embodies the drummer's sacred responsibility to serve as both timekeeper and catalyst, proving that the best percussionists don't just keep time—they create the spaces where musical magic becomes inevitable.
Dylan Hannan transforms reed instruments into musical passports, his saxophone, clarinet, and flute carrying stories from middle school jazz band revelations to concert halls across 18 states and four Canadian provinces. This east coast Florida native discovered his calling in a school jazz ensemble, then spent his University of Central Florida years expanding his musical vocabulary—mastering jazz studies while secretly studying theory and composition on piano, proving that the best wind players understand music from the ground up.
Hannan's performance resume reads like a genre-hopping adventure: opening for trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval in a salsa band, winning the Florida and Southeastern rounds of the MTNA Collegiate Chamber Music Competition with the UCF Saxophone Quartet in 2019, and sharing stages with jazz luminaries like Dave Liebman and Emmet Cohen. Whether navigating the intricate harmonies of classical chamber music or laying down groove-heavy lines in rock, R&B, reggae, or salsa bands, Hannan approaches every musical situation with the curiosity of a scholar and the soul of a storyteller.
His two-year stint with the Glenn Miller Orchestra took him from Florida concert halls to Canadian provinces, appearing on their newest album—his seventh recorded appearance—proving that versatility and tradition can dance together beautifully. Since trading Florida sunshine for Asheville's cooler climate in 2022, Hannan has built a teaching reputation that speaks for itself: six All-County saxophonists, two All-State players, and one student who made the NAfME All-National Jazz Band.
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hannan continues proving that great reed playing isn't just about technique—it's about understanding that every note choice tells a story, whether you're doubling on flute in a classical setting or improvising through changes in an intimate jazz club.