Northwest composer/pianist Scott Cossu has been erroneously slotted into the neo-classical new age section of the record store.  Sure, his stuff is mellow, laid-back and relaxing, but Cossu pushes the musical boundaries further than Yanni or John Tesh ever did, would or could. In other words, he's uncategorizable as he flirts with everything from jazz, blues, world and classical. Cossu was one of the first musicians to join the Windham Hill recording label in the late 1970s. His 1980 Still Moments was in step with the times and featured harp and cello with piano improvisation for a tranquil journey into the abyss. Rather than churning out compatible recordings, he flexed his musical muscle and released Islands in 1984. The release was geared more toward the jazz crowd as he incorporated bigger arrangements with horns, bass, and drums and even threw in a Latin flavor on a few tracks. Since then, Cossu has released numerous discs, including the 2009 Tides Between Us, a CD he dedicated to the Puget Sound region, which made the charts as far away as Japan. Aug 13, Cossu, accompanied by John Croarkin playing flute and harmonica, will present a variety of music styles including jazz, blues and his own compositions, which he has described as "heavy mental" and "cosmic national geographic."

SCOTT COSSU, 7:30 p.m., Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave SE, Olympia no cover, 360.352.0595