Earshot Jazz Festival: Week one

The 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival convenes tonight for a three-week run that features more than 50 performances at various venues in Seattle and on the Eastside, at a rate of two or three shows per night.

In its 21st year, the festival has garnered a reputation for showcasing jazz beyond the typical boundaries of the idiom. Experimental, or art jazz, is a sizable part of this year's festival: Kinetic and surprising, Trio M performs Tuesday at the Seattle Asian Art Museum (Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle; $10-$20; www.cornish.edu/music_series_09). Led by pianist Myra Melford, a Cornish College of the Arts alum, the trio includes bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson, who also performs Sunday with his own quartet at the Seattle Art Museum ($10-$20; www.cornish.edu/music_series_09).

The Asian Art Museum will also host a performance by Turkish vocalist Saadet Turkoz Thursday. Festival director John Gilbreath described Turkoz singing as "vocal renderings of poetry." Turkoz will be accompanied by Canadian cellist Peggy Lee. The duo opens for another avant-garde duo, guitarist Joe Morris and pianist Matthew Shipp ($16; 800-838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.org).

"Some of the music does not want to be categorized," Gilbreath said.

One of Europe's most highly regarded modern-jazz drummers, Han Bennink, performs with his trio 3rd Man (accordionist Will Holshouser and woodwind player Michael Moore) Monday at the Chapel Performance Space (Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle; $18; 800-838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.org).

For those seeking music more earthy and traditional, there is New Orleans pianist Allen Toussaint and his quartet, performing Sunday at the Triple Door (216 Union St., Seattle; $11-$22; 206-838-4333 or www.tripledoor.net). Toussaint's music is as much rhythm and blues as it is jazz and should translate well in a large venue. Toussaint appears with guitarist Renard Poche, bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Herman LeBeaux.

In a similar vein, local funk-jazz trio McTuff, with organist Joe Doria, guitarist Andy Coe, and drummer D'Vonne Lewis, plays at Tula's Monday (2214 Second Ave., Seattle; $12; reservations: 206-443-4221). And several local acts will be featured this first week: Trumpeter Chad McCullough's quintet performs Tuesday at Tula's in support of McCullough's latest CD "Dark Wood, Dark Water" ($12; 206-443-4221); and pianist Marc Seales leads two distinct combos Wednesday and Thursday also at Tula's ($15; 206-443-4221).

As is becoming tradition, the Earshot festival opens tonight with a concert by the city's teenage jazz talent — this year the Garfield High School Jazz Band, winner of the most recent Essentially Ellington national jazz-band competition in New York. The band will be joined at the Triple Door by saxophonist Miguel Zenon ($11-$22; 206-838-4333 or www.tripledoor.net).

Hugo Kugiya: hkugiya@yahoo.com