Dynamo

Taking the Nashville rock mentality and fusing it with jazz heritage, Dynamo serves up a compelling twist on the modern jazz album. On Find Your Way, drummer Nate Felty’s brand of tom-heavy syncopation reminds us that we’re not listening to your granddad’s jazz. And the way pianists Ryan Connors and Josh Blaylock play off the brass (Kevin Gatzke on sax and Andrew Golden on trumpet) shows a deep understanding of how to construct lead melodies across the percussive foundation of a song. This is an exciting band. They would also, we’d wager, make for a good entry into the jazz world for the uninitiated. If you’ve been considering dipping your toes into the scene — or just wanting to check out Akron’s stellar Blu Jazz+ — well, tonight’s the night. (Eric Sandy)