Smokestack

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reveal their own voices. But the musicians (who hail from Ann Arbor and the U-M jazz band) also find their way back to each other, whether to wrap up a number or push it to another level.

A professional calm permeates Smokestack's live act; they don't even seem to sweat. And after several years on the road, they've developed an impressive traveling show: tapestries and rugs for the stage, a well-lit display for their merchandise table, and cool home-size light-show machines projecting psychedelic patterns around their heads.

But they're not just flash and polish. Guitarist Chuck Newsome can be bright and squealing in a classic guitar solo, down 'n' dirty when playing against James Sibley's lyrical keyboards, or even funky and soulful, as in his own "Shafted." Meanwhile, Sibley takes his cues from Stevie Winwood, Bruce Hornsby, and Vince Guaraldi, playing melodic, single-note lines that often carry the tune along. And percussionist Dan Eichinger is as likely to latch onto a Latin beat as to throw in a marching drum roll. With his goofy sexiness, the bassist, Thom McNeil, may take the prize for strongest stage presence, although he makes his mark in a sneaky, understated way.