CLASSICAL & JAZZ MICHAEL BISIOSeattle is filled with excellent avant artists who have an easier time getting gigs and garnering recognition elsewhere than right here at home. The reasons for this range from the immediate appeal of infrequently appearing out-of-town acts ("One night only!") to the ill-informed assumption that hometown artists cannot match or exceed the work of those in grade-A cities such as New York, Chicago, L.A., and San Francisco.

A longtime veteran of the Seattle avant scene, Michael Bisio is a world-class bassist who exploits every square inch of his instrument, from the bridge to the tuning pegs. His passionate playing has graced several fine recordings on CIMP, Drimala, and other labels devoted to the outer reaches of jazz.

He's a hometown treasure, which makes this free concert--thanks to an award from the Seattle Arts Commission--a treat. Bisio explains, "The scope of the award was to develop a body of solo work for the bass. There are three areas: original works, music of the masters (in this case Coltrane, Monk, and Coleman), and standards." Working with a group or playing alone, Bisio retains his intensity. His captivating solo on "In the End There Is Peace" from Shadow & Light (Drimala, 2002) sings, squeals, moans, pleads, and mourns. "I try to be as prepared as possible for the spirit of the music, and then get out of its way," says Bisio. "[For] a performer/composer this is always a struggle. The nuts and bolts of preparation are very much of this world; the music goes far beyond that. In a sense, preparation leads to ego, but ego must be let go for the music to be all it can be." CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

Michael Bisio performs Sun Dec 29 (Brad's Swingside Cafe, 4212 Fremont Ave N, 633-4057) at 8 pm, free.

chris@delaurenti.net