INSIDE the tiny City Lights theater pumps the heart of the local jazz scene. Festivals are one thing, but this monthly showcase presented by San Jose Jazz allows fans and newbies alike to keep their finger on the pulse of a genre that has been pushed mostly out of the mainstream, but continues to thrive in all kinds of sonic mutations. People often ask what happened to jazz, but the showcase brings in a range of styles that allow the audience to hear exactly what has happened. This week’s booking is a perfect example: Ed Johnson and Novo Tempo are not traditional jazz music but rather a melodic mix of Brazilian music with traditional jazz technique. It’s bright and poppy as all get out, but just strange enough to make you wonder if you’ve heard anything quite like it before. Here’s a comparison that only true geeks will get: if you’ve ever played any of the Katamari games, Johnson’s music sounds eerily like their soundtracks. The parallels don’t stop there: Katamari represents a different way of thinking about video games; Johnson’s guitar style represents a different way of thinking about jazz.
ED JOHNSON AND THE NOVO TEMPO QUARTET perform Sunday, Jan. 24, at 7pm at City Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose. Tickets are $15 general/$13 for San Jose Jazz and City Lights members. (408.295.4200)
