Modern Jazz Rock With Seattle’s SmackTalk

The two-sax quintet SmackTalk is well trained for jazz, but their music is more than that. Much more. Performing live in the KNKX studios, the band’s energy, and a good deal of their sound was reminiscent of the indie rock that filled nightclubs in Seattle 20 years ago, filtered through cool modern jazz swagger. SmackTalk blends funky grooves with complex but accessible harmonizing horns, developed over changes common in classic rock-jazz fusion of the 70s. It’s party music for smart people.