sat 6/30

Thomas Marriott Quartet

Thomas Marriott is a prolific local jazz trumpeter who has won several awards and has the deceptive ability to make his art—an art he has carefully crafted over many years and that is technically demanding—sound so easy. His mastery of the instrument has nearly removed all signs of effort. All you hear is a beam of sound that seems as natural as a breeze on the surface of a pond. For an introduction to his world, I recommend his CD Human Spirit.

• Tula's, 2214 Second Ave, 443-4221, www.tulas.com, 7:30 pm, $15

sun 7/22

Ron Weinstein Trio

Weinstein, a local pianist, is a perfect fit for Vito's, a First Hill venue that cultivates a specific mode and mood—jazz melancholy, after-hours blues, world-weary dandyism. When Weinstein plays, he really goes for the soul, goes to the bottom of things, but not in a rootsy or earthy way. This is music for the type of souls who are sad when walking down a busy city street but soon bored when hiking in the woods.

• Vito's, 927 Ninth Ave, 397-4053, www.vitosseattle.com, 9:30 pm

tues 7/31–wed 8/1

Ravi Coltrane Quartet

Ravi Coltrane is the son of two jazz masters of the modern moment, Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane. His mother was a pianist and harpist (she passed away in 2007); his father was a saxophonist (he passed away in 1967 when Ravi was almost 2). His mother made a number of great albums and was known for being deeply spiritual; his father is, of course, a jazz god. Yes, it's strange that Ravi Coltrane picked up the instrument (saxophone) his father dominated and revolutionized. It's also strange (in the ghostly sense) that he sometimes does sound just like his father, particularly on the more strained or stretched notes. Yes, much in Ravi Coltrane's music and mode (which is deeply intellectual) can be attributed to him—his own development, life, and genius—but there does appear to be a gene in the Coltrane family for the mastery of the saxophone.

• Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave, 441-9729, www.jazzalley.com, 7:30 pm, $22.50

wed 8/15

Sonny Clark Memorial Sextet

A group of local jazzers (Wayne Horvitz, Andy Roth, Geoff Harper, Al Keith, Craig Flory) regularly meet and perform the music of Sonny Clark, a jazz pianist who had a brilliant career, died young (31), and inspired Bill Evans's "NYC's No Lark" (apparently an anagram of "Sonny Clark"). The Sonny Clark Memorial Sextet also performs music by Lennie Tristano, Ornette Coleman, and other jazz geniuses of the 20th century.

• Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave S, 906-9920, www.theroyalroom seattle.com, 6:30 pm