Portal

If there's a distinct sound to Seattle jazz, and I think there is, these two longtime Cornish instructors have helped define it. Celebrating their new disc, Portal, on Ballard's Origin label, they and some veteran pals deliver a quintessential mainstream Seattle session: relaxed, light on its feet, gregarious. On bass, Deardorf has a gorgeous deep resonance, his ideas always flowing and well considered; Peterson's no-fuss hollow-body guitar manages to swing without being too boppy. Pianist George Cables (once Dexter's main man) is on Portal and on board for this show as well.