Damn that John Nugent. I just realized he got me to go to church two days in a row --- and enjoy it. All I can say is, them Lutherans can swing.

With members who seemed to be in their 20s, Finland's Five Corners Quintet is a third-generation hard bop ensemble in the style of the first generation's Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. With roots in considerably different soil, the members of this band are a little like an American early music ensemble covering the hits of the Renaissance. The difference is Five Corners writes its own music in that great 1950s style.

The band is so true to that era, its members dress up in suits and ties, just like Blakey's group did. Only the highly energetic drummer got to take off his jacket. (He was either the leader or the only one who spoke English.)

Anyway, these guys were just fabulous. The tunes had great, catchy heads, usually played in harmony by sax and trumpet. The solos that followed --- on piano, horns, and drums --- deserved and got wildly enthusiastic responses from the large audience. The group, which sold all of the CDs it brought before the second show even started, seemed stunned by the exceedingly friendly welcome to America.

I don't know who or what was to blame for the disappointing performance by Trio Beyond. Was it the sound system in the Eastman Theatre, the person who turned the knobs on that sound system, or was it that the Eastman Theatre is not made for heavily electronic groups?

The problem at Eastman and in Kilbourn Hall is that both are designed as acoustically sensitive concert halls. The drums, which can't be turned down, carry very loudly to all ends of the theatre, so everything else is turned up to compete. 

John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette, and Larry Goldings are all great musicians. But the sound was way too loud and distorted. After the first tune about a hundred people left. After the second suite of tunes another hundred walked out. I was outside the theatre for a while after my own ears had had enough and the flow continued. There's something wrong with that picture.

As for Wednesday night's picks: Dave Brubeck is one of the greatest pianists and composers in jazz history. I'll be there. I also want to catch a keyboard player of a different (Latin) style: Hilario Duran.