Good Vibes From The Wee Trio

It’s a twist to put the vibraphone out in front of bass and drums in a jazz trio, but The Wee Trio are an unusual bunch. The band covers songs by Thelonius Monk, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, and pop star Sufjan Stevens along with original tunes on their new CD Capitol Diner Volume 1.

Vibraphonist James Westfall was the first vibes player to be admitted to study at the Thelonius Monk Institute. The audition was nerve-wracking - it required him to play Herbie Hancock's "The Sorcerer" and Wayne Shorter's "Fee Fi Fo Fum" while both Hancock and Shorter looked on as judges. He was accepted, and later resettled in New Orleans.

We caught up with vibraphonist James Westfall before he and bandmates Dan Loomis and Jared Schonig were scheduled to teach a music class in Brooklyn. They’re playing at the Lily Pad in Taunton, Mass. on Friday night. Click here for more info.