Ventured to the Zoo Bar in Lincoln to hear Ani Mato. The Zoo is known (in these here parts) as a blues spot...or so the T-shirts say. But tonight, it's a three-piece jazz outfit - bass, drums, keys. Why is it that 60% of the males who play a Hammond B-3 / Yamaha DX-7 all look and act a little like Donald Fagen...does anyone else notice that? The group was talented, meaning that all of their talent was equally distributed among every member. It was good, solid beat jazz with phases of funk slid in...Spiro Gyra with some Jimmy Smith.

As good as they were...and one of the guy's who bucks the 60% trend - the Gamble Brothers Band out of Memphis, Tennessee takes my prize for "White guy's who play organs...well." They are unreal. I saw them twice this year - both times in Memphis...but the most memorable being at the end of the Beale Street Music Festival. Talk about funk shuffle - get the first 8 bars of Stevie's "Higher Ground" in your head. Remember? Whaou...wha wha wha wha...ua ah a ua ah a...and that's the vibe. Wow...do I miss Memphis.