After 30 seconds into Cuong Vu's new album, Vu-Tet (artistShare), I'm hooked. Deftly using electronic processing, Vu smears his trumpet into a compacted mélange of echoes that twitter and cry like seagulls circling over a seaside crevasse. Against this lush backdrop and gentle mallet taps, Vu gradually builds up a quiet melody with dreamy, nocturne-like notes.
Like the great trumpeters of the past—notably Miles Davis, who drenched his trumpet in echo on Bitches Brew, and Bill Dixon—Vu uses electronic processing to amplify the inner qualities of the instrument.
"With loops and delays, it's like playing with another person," Vu explains. "It's not just automatic. I have to react to what all those loops are doing." When I wonder whether electronics might act as a sonic magnifying glass, Vu agrees, adding, "When you play loudly, the range and intensity of the trumpet diminishes. It starts to sound the same, loud and splatty. With electronics, you hear the subtleties. I get to play softly and be heard."
Vu, who tours with Pat Metheny, is settling into Seattle. Recently appointed assistant professor of jazz studies at the UW, the Bellevue native looks forward to showing off his trio with bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Ted Poor. On Vu-Tet, the three mingle multiple styles, from the updated bebop licks of "Never, Ever, Ever" to the 1970s jazz-rock thrash of "Accelerated Thoughts," which bristles with hectic jump cuts and a sly nod to the staccato trumpet intro of Bitches Brew.
Vu looks forward to teaming up his group with the eclectic guitarist Bill Frisell. "He's one of my idols; he sounds good with anyone and can elevate any group to another level." Don't miss it. 
Catch the Cuong Vu Trio and Bill Frisell Wed Feb 6 at Meany Theater, UW Campus, 543-4880, 7:30 pm, $10/$15.
Thurs 1/31
VAUGHN & OWCHARUK
Pianist Eric Vaughn brings his energetic touch to a showcase for the Seattle-based Broken Time label. In addition, Michael Owcharuk leads an adventurous chamber-jazz sextet that features Jim Knodle (trumpet) and Beth Fleenor (clarinet). Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave, 441-9729, 7:30 pm, $10/$18.50.
ILLUSION OF SAFETY
This long-running electro-acoustic project imbues fuzzed-up collages with a rhythmic vitality that bypasses the clichés (steady tempo, sterile percussion samples, etc.) of beat-based electronic music. Fourth-floor Chapel Performance Space, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, 8 pm, $5—$15 sliding-scale donation.
Fri 2/1
APHONIA RECORDINGS SHOWCASE
I caught the first installment of this monthly series in January and left inspired. Here, Aphonia Recordings honchos Ben L. Robertson and Andrew Senna team up as the Precambrian, but the focus is on two other groups, Problems and Paintings for Animals. Based in Olympia, Problems play chamber music in just intonation using violin, viola, steel pedal guitar, and a retuned Farfisa organ. Paintings for Animals make hypnotic and gorgeous collages from vocal snippets and field recordings; I had a hard time leaving their MySpace page. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave, 322-1533, 8 pm, free, but donations accepted.
Sat 2/2
MARK WILSON
Flouting the Second Law of Classical Guitar—Thou shalt play Bach at every concert—Wilson ranges across eight centuries of music, from the "Two Cantigas de Santa Maria" by Alfonso X (1221—1284) to transcriptions of Josquin De Pres (1450—1521) and the "Cancion del Fuego Fato" ("Song of the Willow Wisp") by Manuel de Falla (1876—1946). St. Ignatius Chapel, Seattle University Campus, 296-5587, 7 pm, $15 suggested donation.
STRANGE & BARRECA
Allen Strange, author of the cult tome Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls, spearheads a concert with electric accordion, computer, and interactive video. He shares the bill with Marc Barreca, who back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, performed with the pioneering Seattle electronic music group Young Scientist. Fourth-floor Chapel Performance Space, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, 8 pm, $5—$15 sliding-scale donation.
Sun 2/3
MT. NONFICTION SESSIONS
No jam session this week; instead, drummer Ethan Cudaback has assembled a decidedly avant show. Noise-skronk guitarist Ed Petry teams up with the improvising vocalist Detonator Beth. Zach Shaw proffers a solo set on saxophone and electronics. Gogan and Bunch, rightly described as "kind of a cross between Butthole Surfers, Captain Beefheart, and Depeche Mode" round out the bill. Blue Moon Tavern, 712 NE 45th St, 675-9116, 8:30 pm, free.
Tues 2/5
OLIVIER LATRY
My nominee for sleeper gig of the week. Latry, whose much-anticipated concert was canceled last year, returns with a program of French organ music by Tournemire, Duruflé, Jehan Alain, Jean Langalais, and Dupré. I'm a fan of his complete Messiaen cycle on Deutsche Grammophon, so I'm eager to hear him essay the titanic L'Ascension by Olivier Messiaen. St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave, 382-4874, 7:30 pm, students pay as able/$15 suggested donation.
