Clubscene

Salty's On the Columbia River - Saturday, May 27, 2006
Mark Simon Trio

Mark Simon - Piano
Tim Paxton - Drums
Ed Bennett - Bass

Salty's on the Columbia is approximately 3 miles East of I-5 on Marine Drive in Northeast Portland. The restaurant is large and spacious with upper and lower levels. The North facing section of the restaurant is a semi-circle adorned with large picture windows and white lights. As you enter the restaurant an aquarium of live crab and lobster greet you. Upstairs, a large rectangular shaped bar with granite countertops occupies the center of the room. At its side, a jazz trio auspiciously plays.

Friday and Saturday nights, from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m., master drummer Mel Brown, pianist Jof Lee, and bassists Tim Gilson (on Friday) and Ed Bennett (on Saturday) perform. On this night, the creative and affable Mark Simon sits in for Jof Lee and with his subtle yet abstract mastery, Tim Paxton sits in for Mel Brown. With Ed Bennett driving the beat, their choice of tunes is impeccable, like Monk's Dream and A Child Is Born, which was not done as a typical waltz, as it was written, but in 4/4 as a samba. This is the kind of jazz you'd expect to hear in the most elegant dinning room in New York or Chicago. It is the quintessential jazz sound that has kept jazz in the hearts of so many, understated but oh so tasty.

Menu notes: Appetizers start from $8.95 & up, Soups & salads from $4.95 & up
and Entrees from $19.95 & up.

Salty's is smoke free.

mz