Richard Lopez plays the trombone and loves it.  Loves it.  He loves its slender, beautiful curves.  He loves the slide thing.  He loves the cartoonlike, slippery sounds.  If he could, he would slather it on toast or pancakes. 

Lopez wails like the late great Carl Fontana, combining a plump tone with the fast-tonguing of notes - wringing from-the-heart melodic ideas from that big, unforgiving horn.  He's been sliding since the 5th grade after his school's band director coerced him into hoisting the shiny instrument onto his shoulder.

Today, Lopez travels in several band circles such as the salsa bands Trombanga and Cambalache, the Olympia Jazz Senators Big Band, Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra, the Blue Moon Howlers, Jay Thomas' Usual Suspects Big Band, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, and the group he formed from the ashes of the Olympia Jazz Sextet — Native Blue. 

If Bobble Tiki had to choose one of Lopez's bands to be stuck on a tropical island with along with an endless supply of mai tais, it would be Native Blue.  Not due to its noble name - Native for jazz's deep roots in our nation's history and blue because that's the color of jazz's cool sound.  Not because they run in line with Art Blakey/Jazz Messenger with a little progressive Yellowjackets thrown in.  Nope, it's their numerous forays into the '70s funk rock genre à la Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers and Average White Band that sends Bobble Tiki back to his precious wicked frizziness Afro-mullet days.

And Bobble Tiki can revisit those days of glorious days of much happy monosyllabic grunting, massive whacked out hair and odd-smelling clothes and sleeping till noon and big, deep funk-rock pop-anthems in the era of Pick Up The Pieces and Toulouse Street and, oh Bobble Tiki's God, he's sorry to say even The Royal Scam and Chicago Transit Authority every week.  Native Blues plays a lot.  Bobble Tiki means A LOT.  Tumwater's Trosper Bar and Grill and Wednesdays comprise their long, middle name.  And this Saturday Lopez and crew - drummer Steve Bentley, trumpeter Barry Caldwell, saxophonist Mark Thome, pianist Drew Gibbs, and bassist Nick Johnson - slide (nice!) into The Factory for the joint's regular Saturday Jazz and Dinner Series.

DY-NO-MITE.

Bobble Tiki caught up with Lopez before Saturday's dinner show.

BOBBLE TIKI: Your music should be filed between?
RICHARD LOPEZ: Jazz, Latin and funk.
TIKI: The sound track to what movie would your music best match?
LOPEZ: "Bring On The Night," "Sting," "Mo' Better Blues" and "Buena Vista Social Club."
TIKI: If you could collaborate on a song with any person, living or dead, who would that be?
LOPEZ: Kenny Kirkland, piano player for Branford Marsalis; William Kennedy, drummer for the Yellowjackets; and Herbie Hancock.
TIKI: If a junior high school asked you to play a cover song in a band at the next talent show, what song and school would you choose?
LOPEZ: The theme for James Bond at Tumwater Middle School.
TIKI: Do you think your music saves lives?
LOPEZ: Yes! Our music is fun and creative, and it brings people together. And the more we take music education out of the public schools the more we eliminate the great potential for love and creativity from the next generation. Music builds community, peace and friendships, and these days we really need to make more friends in the world.

DY-NO-MITE.

[The Factory, Saturday, Jan. 27, 5-7 p.m., no cover, 5602 S. Washington at 56th and South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.474.1189]

As always, Bobble Tiki doesn't care what you do this week because he doesn't even know you.  And unless you can pull Bobble Tiki out of the bargain basement priced party mime stuck in an "Access Hollywood" sound-byte blurb - thinking quality and acting silicone - world Bobble Tiki lives in, then he's certain he doesn't want to meet you.  Besides, it's time to blow this joint and let The Man throw Bobble Tiki into a windowless white van while the after-school special cameras roll.