Triumphant Trifecta

Start with John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, and Sergio Mendes. Shake vigorously, then pour the mixture through a filter of three twentysomething musicians. What you get is the Pan-Metropolitan Trio, playing melodies on a tuba and rhythm on a Chapman stick (imagine a guitar neck played like a keyboard). It seems unlikely that this combo would be enjoyable to listen to, but PMT has found a balance for a progressive sound that seamlessly meshes rock ’n’ roll, classical, and, most importantly, postbop jazz.

Though PMT has been performing together only since August 2005, each member is individually virtuosic. Tubist Stefan Kac learned the euphonium at age eleven and switched to the tuba at fourteen. He was a 2005 finalist in the Minnesota Orchestra’s WAMSO Young Artist Competition and the first tubist to attend Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Drummer Owen Weaver has been banging away since middle school and also plays other keyboard percussion instruments. Japhlet Bire Attias began playing guitar at thirteen and, two years ago, picked up the stick. Of the unique instrument, Bire Attias says, “I immediately felt an affinity and closeness to it that was always lacking with the guitar.”

In addition to their work with PMT, Kac, Weaver, and Bire Attias all regularly play with local musicians and perform solo.

Kac recalls PMT’s previous Dakota performance, which he says was a “big leap” for the band because of the caliber of the venue and size of the audience. Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-332-1010, panmetropolitantrio.com