Area jazz fans get to see three world-class artists this week, when a trio featuring drummer Jeff Hamilton, organist Akiko Tsuruga and guitarist Graham Dechter will make a special appearance at the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Cave. This is one of a select handful of regional appearances, and Hamilton is among the finest swing, big-band and mainstream drummers in jazz history. He’s proven masterful whether heading his own dynamite trio (which has made multiple Jazz Cave appearances, each time to packed crowds), the equally celebrated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, or recording and playing with the legendary trio that featured Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. Organist Tsuruga’s also an ace soloist, as well known as a composer and bandleader as a contributor to stirring groups led by Lou Donaldson and Grady Tate. Add to that lineup a premier improviser in Dechter, and there’s sure to be musical magic and fireworks. RON WYNN
