The Triple Door in Seattle was the first stop for the Karriem Riggins’ Virtuoso Experience brought to you by VTech, and the crowd eagerly awaited his arrival. Karriem, not new to Seattle having traveled there several times with Diana Krall and Madlib, happily greeted the audience.

With Karriem on drums, Mulgrew Miller on piano and rhodes, Warren Wolf on vibes and Joe Sanders on bass, this band is a wealth of talent, bursting with energy and filled with music. Karriem’s endless rhythms encouraged big playing and was met by an intricate and soulful set of tunes. With music from sources as diverse as Tony Williams, Cesar Camargo Mariano and Burt Bachrach, all which received the virtuoso treatment,  jazz fans will not be left wanting by this ambitious quartet.

The guest set with Dj Dummy paid tribute to J Dilla with a re-interpretation of some of his lesser known tunes. It was an emotional moment for Riggins who was very close to Dilla and even finished his last record the Shining when his untimely death prevented him from doing so himself.

The finale of the show was with the entire group doing a beautiful up-tempo rendition of Mulgrew Miller’s Eleventh Hour. Miller, the elder of the group, played incredibly throughout the evening. He brings a powerful and wise feeling to the energetic music. The satisfaction on the faces of the group having pulled off such a fantastic and deeply satisfying song was palpable.

The audience which included members of Maxwell’s band (Piano virtuoso Robert Glasper and drum magician Chris Dave) as well as many local hiphop literati was left filled with the spirtual sustenance which great African American music can bring.

KARRIEM RIGGINS VIRTUOUSO EXPERIENCE TOUR

Pete Rock (Wed/24) and DJ Dummy (Thurs/25); 8 and 10 p.m., $20

Yoshi’s

510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA (510) 238-9200

Understanding music through the kaleidoscopic lens of jazz is daunting. But it’s a challenge made for virtuoso drummer, multiinstrumentalist, rapper, and arranger Karriem Riggins.

Riggins allows jazz’s free-flowing aesthetic to guide his quest to study genres, explore amorphous coagulations of sound, and synthesize diverse sonic influences and life experiences. His muse opens an expansive universe of musical possibilities….Whether playing drums for powerhouses like Ray Brown and Herbie Hancock or producing and rhyming with Madlib, Riggins shows a rare adeptness at either transcending or crossing skillfully between musical traditions.

-San Francisco Bay Guardian