The sound of jazz leaking from 92Y could have been mistaken for a cool jazz radio station; but inside the venue was so much more. The beauty of this intimate locale -- with its excellent acoustics -- provided the right conditions for entertainment.

This evening, the first night of the two-day 92Y Soul Jazz Festival, featured three acts, different in approach, but each sharing a common denominator. Starting off was Brian Landrus with the piece "Kaleidoscope". Landrus, the artistic advisor of the festival, set the leadership tone with his baritone and bass saxophones. To start the second set, we got excellent solos from electric and bass player Lonnie Plaxico. On the Rhodes piano, Leo Genovese either provided great separate sets, or supported the overall sets with the necessary pinches of salt for our meal.

Additional standouts included a trio of violinists: Joyce Hammann, Patricia Tomassini, and Jody Redhage. By themselves, they played like an entire orchestra. And to complete the ensemble were Marcus Baylor on drums and Nir Felder on guitar. Together each member set the tone and in closing with a darker set, they amplified the feeling.

After one intermission, turntables were presented to make way for DJ Logic and his friends. He mentioned before the proceedings: "I have played with these musicians and I feel very comfortable working with them."  Logic added classic scratches in conjunction with James Hurt's keyboard work to produce futuristic style rips. By taking his 90s hip hop experience and morphing it with jazz, Logic became a trendsetter. Then Igmar Thomas displayed a trumpet solo that captivated the audience. Lamont McCain on bass also showed he was equal to the task. Soon, the sets resembled that cool jazz effect: more traditional with certain modifications in tone and arrangement. Kudos to DJ Logic.

The third and final act was a Flashback to the 1940’s with images of ballroom-swing dances and upbeat jazz arrangements. At 40, Joey DeFrancesco and his veteran All Star Band raised the roof. With dexterous fingers, DeFrancesco worked his square box, otherwise known as the Leslie 122 piano, to near ruin. The All-Star's intensity was matchless as George Garzone and Brian Lynch took turns in long rapid solos with the trumpet.

So from cool to hip-hop, and an all-jazz-based band, it was a diverse and satisfying evening indeed.