Local saxophonist Kareem Kandi presents a musical gift to the South Sound Thursday. Get this: Boarding a plane in New York bound for the Puyallup campus of Pierce College are trumpeter Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Gil Evans, Tito Puente, Manhattan Jazz Quintet), bassist Essiet Essiet (Horizon, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Note All-Stars) and drummer Sylvia Cuenca (Joe Henderson, Clark Terry) for a concert/workshop next Thursday. I shit you not. Plus, the respected guitarist/educator Milo Petersen from Seattle's Cornish College of The Arts will be in the house too. Over the phone it sounded as if Kandi was taking oxygen hits to calm his excitement. Those who hold jazz dear to their hearts know this is the real deal - especially when these talents will perform, tell stories and teach through questions. Oh yea, it's freakin' free. Kudos Kandi. 

PIERCE COLLEGE, 7 P.M., NO COVER, THE ARTS AND ALLIED HEALTH BUILDING. 1601 39TH AVE. SE, PUYALLUP, 253.840.8400