American Songs, Volume 3: Time & Place

Pianist Marc Seales has been a Northwest mainstay for years, and his American Songs series has been a consistently entertaining look at jazz and blues history. On the third volume in the series, Seales digs into the funkier side of things, both with his song choice and his band's electrified sound. The album kicks off with Curtis Mayfield's "Pusher Man," a bold choice and one that initially feels off. But once guitarist Fred Hamilton launches into his solo over a wave of Seales's synthesizer, the track sounds like something new instead of a pale imitation of Mayfield's funk. Some of Seales's sound choices seem a bit dated -- check out the faux Rhodes on Stevie Wonder's "Looking for Another Pure Love" -- but the pianist plays them with confidence, and the band, which includes Portland's Gary Hobbs and Dave Captein, is in fine form throughout.