Earshot Jazz Festival: Week three

Cultural ownership of jazz has lately moved far beyond the borders of its birthplace, evidenced by the preponderance of non-American musicians performing the last full week of the 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival.

The lineup includes Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso, Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, Brazilian pianist Jovino SantosNeto, the Kaufmann/Gratkowski/DeJoode trio from Germany, Chilean singer Claudia Acuña and the Jay Thomas East/West Double Trio featuring jazz musicians from Japan.

"Jazz is so enriched by tremendous talent coming into it ... from outside the U.S." said festival director John Gilbreath. "There is obvious knowledge and love of the jazz canon. I think sometimes it is played back for us with more enthusiasm and heartfelt joy than we see in America. That's a great reflection how wonderful this music really is."

Suso, master of the West African stringed instrument known as the kora, will share the stage with the Marc Cary Trio, a contemporary, genre-bending, acoustic combo, at the Seattle Art Museum Saturday night (1300 First Ave., $18, www.brownpapertickets.com). The East/West Double Trio is actually a sextet led by local trumpeter Jay Thomas. In addition to pianist John Hansen and bassist Phil Sparks, the group includes Japanese sax players Atsushi Ikeda and Yasuhiro Kohama, and Japanese drummer Daisuke Kurata. The hard-swinging group appears at Tula's Sunday night (2214 Second Ave., $12, 206-443-4221 or www.tulas.com).

Acuña, who incorporates Chilean and South American folk music with jazz, sings in both Spanish and English Wednesday night at the Triple Door (216 Union St., $20, 206-838-4333 or www.tripledoor.net).

The same night, local treasure Wayne Horvitz (a pianist, composer and electronic musician) debuts his work, "These Hills of Glory," at Benaroya Hall (200 University St., Seattle, $9-$19, 206-215-4747 or www.seattlesymphony.org), a chamber work for string quartet and improvised violin. The concert features violinist Carla Kihlstedt and the Odeonquartet.

Fans of the late singer and songwriter Peggy Lee will want to hear singer Tish Oney's Peggy Lee Project tonight at the Kirkland Performance Center (350 Kirkland Ave.; $25-$30; 425-893-9900 or www.kpcenter.org). Oney, backed by her trio, will sing contemporary arrangements of both Lee's popular and obscure work.

Hugo Kugiya: hkugiya@yahoo.com