Nowhere is jazz's global influence more keenly obvious than in the unlikely but ultimately delicious pairing of legendary trombone player Roswell Rudd and Malian kora master Mamadou Diabate in MALIcool. Rudd, who's been on the American jazz circuit for 50 years, enjoyed a checkered career, playing with luminaries such as Archie Shepp, Carla Bley and Steve Lacy before burning out and abandoning the whole sorry business to work as a nurse.

Obviously, meeting Diabate and his West African musical traditions -- and perhaps even some spiritual reinforcement -- was all the inspiration the veteran American needed to get excited about music again.

That was clearly obvious at last night's Concert Under the Stars main stage gig.

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