I like the Kava Lounge. It looks like an opium den and they have interesting drinks and bands. They're not afraid of putting on an esoteric jazz night.

Click on a photo to go to the full gallery.

Passengers took the stage first, odd since they were the only locals and should have been anchoring the night (and most of the audience).



Using a Tortoise-like instrumental setup, they read their way through intricate  changes, adjusting a note here and there to create new textures and voicings. The music draws from the aforementioned Tortoise at times, but when they got into a groove they channeled 70s Miles funk.



This was my first time seeing Nathan play vibes instead of drums. He's melodic either way.



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Moyindau is not an easy name to pronounce or remember. The music is the same way. It's almost a different language.



Switching out the traditional bass player for a cellist has a profound effect on the direction of the music. There is no room for swing in classical music, so that pulse is replaced by cerebral forms and solo interludes. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it, since it was so different.





The drummer was quite kinetic, even in the places where the music lumbered along a bit.



I'm sure most of the audiences they play for have a similar reaction. For me, the highlight of the set came when I spied a friend of mine across the room.



If you know this man, you know he's a mainstay on the jazz scene, and quite mysterious. I like this shot because it captures everything about him in portrait form.

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If only Slumgum had come on second and I had fresher ears to lend them.



In this case, technical prowess is sublimated into passionate solos and telepathic signals among the members. One person would turn in one direction, and everyone else would follow.





This music is something special, and I recommend downloading some tracks from their website. I'll be giving them a second listen later today.