Downstairs at Smith's Olde Bar, the Dan Coy Trio cranks out jazz standards, reveling in the naturally flattering acoustics every Tuesday through Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. As a prelude to the nightly rock-oriented concerts held upstairs, guitarist Coy, bassist David Webb , and drummer Paul Fallat seem to enjoy their roles as jazz ambassadors to an audience more attuned to alternative music than alternate chord changes.
Miles Davis' "All Blues," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave," and Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" are the openers to a first set which finds the casual crowd steadily sauntering in.
"Some come specifically to hear the jazz," suggests Coy with candor, "but others are here prior to catching the concert upstairs, which starts at 10. So, the music that we play may be all new to them, and their reaction generally is, 'This is so cool.'"
It's pretty cool. Coy's jazz box is at no loss for expression as he unleashes streams of notes and chords with an ease belying solid chops. His influences are there -- Wes Montgomery, maybe Grant Green -- but with so many diverse gigs under his belt, Coy's individual style has absorbed elements from innumerable idioms. Same goes for Webb and Fallat. Combine the three and this jazz jells into a highly listenable, sometimes rockish, sometimes countrified style which never really affronts the senses with an emotion other than sheer joy.
Obviously, these players are very familiar with and relish each other's company. Refreshing to see musicians playing jazz with amused expressions rather than the more accepted, this-is-serious-so-listen-closely contorted look. Midway through the second set, the trio tones down for a very sensitive rendition of "Tenderly." Coy's excellent choice of tight voicings lend harmonic depth while Webb's full-bodied upright and Fallat's brushes compliment to the nth.
Film critics pitch "feel-good" movies. The Dan Coy Trio offers up the musical counterpart with a healthy dose of feel-good music. (You can visit Dan Coy's website at: http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3573/ , and Smith's Olde Bar is located at 1580 Piedmont Road, seven minutes from I-75. For more information, call 404-875-1522.)
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