Moody’s Bistro & Lounge will host one of the most entertaining and powerful jazz trios in show business when John Ellis and his band Double-Wide perform two free jazz shows on Friday, Aug. 1 and Saturday, Aug. 2.

Featuring Ellis on saxophone, Jason Marsalis (Branford and Wynton's younger brother) on drums and Wil Blades on b3 organ, Double-Wide promises to rev up the audience as it steers the music in fresh and compelling new directions.

Ellis and company will treat Moody’s audiences to selections from Double-Wide’s new CD, Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow, Ellis’ third album for HYENA Records. Ellis thematically structured the compositions of the CD around a timeless celebratory tradition—dancing. The songs run from the twisted urgency of Three Legged Tango In Jackson Square to the nostalgic wistfulness of Prom Song to the dark and provoking modern jazz found on Dream And Mosh and the gorgeous balladry on Tattooed Teen Waltzes With Grandma. Throughout the selections, sadness co-mingles with humor.

John Ellis grew up as the son of a preacher on an 18-acre farm in rural North Carolina. He began playing music in his father’s church. His brother, David Ellis, a world-renowned artist, was influential in encouraging John to pursue music as his life’s work. After studying for a year at The North Carolina School for The Arts, John moved to New Orleans where he enrolled at the University of New Orleans under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis, Harold Battiste and Victor Goines.

With gigs coming fast and furious, John left the university to play music fulltime. His work as a sideman took him around the world and soon after he released his first internationally distributed solo album, Roots, Leaves & Branches. Later, he hooked up with the widely popular guitarist Charlie Hunter, playing tenor saxophone and contributing compositions to Hunter’s trio on four albums and countless tour dates around the world.

During this Hunter period, Ellis signed up with HYENA Records. His first release there, 2005’s critically acclaimed One Foot In The Swamp, fused a funky New Orleans vibe with New York City’s modern jazz aesthetic. In 2006, he released By A Thread, a recording that took his compositional prowess to another level and further dug its heels into the sounds of his current New York City home base.

At Moody’s, Ellis will team up with Jason Marsalis, a member of one of jazz’s most famous families. Jason’s older brother Branford won Grammy awards for best jazz instrumental (1993) and best pop instrumental (1994) and was leader of Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show band. Wynton Marsalis, another of Jason’s brothers, won both classical and jazz Grammy Awards in 1983, becoming the first recording artist ever to accomplish that feat. In 1997 he won the Pulitzer Prize in music for his composition “Blood On the Fields.”

Wil Blades joins Ellis and Jason Marsalis on stage, bringing with him his expertise on the b3 organ. According to Keyboard Magazine, "Wil is a hell of an organ player...I found myself admiring his strong sound, strong sense of swing, his idiomatic lines, his rock solid pedal work, his enjoyable tunes, his excellent horn charts and the way he touches the totem of the '60s jazz organ and groove groups."

About Moody's
Located inside the historic Truckee Hotel on Commercial Row, Moody's Bistro & Lounge is known for its locally sourced ingredients served in an informal atmosphere reminiscent of Tahoe in the 1920s. The restaurant serves a variety of Contemporary American specialties in a range of affordable price points, as well as a seasonal drink menu made with fresh herbs and fruit. The lounge also is home to live jazz shows by top U.S. and international acts. Moody's is located a few minutes from Interstate 80 at 10007 Bridge Street in Truckee (on the corner of Commercial Row). For reservations, call (530) 587-8688 or visit www.moodysbistro.com.