Guthrie Trapp Trio

The Read

Trapp’s résumé — Don Kelley’s honky-tonk band at Robert’s, six years touring with Jerry Douglas — explains the vocabulary but not the restraint. He plays with a trio because it leaves the most room, and he uses that room to wander between country, blues, and jazz phrasing without announcing the transitions. It is technical playing that never sounds like a demonstration. The 5 Spot has no barrier between the band and the floor and no ceremony about any of it. The regulars treat this like a standing appointment. If you want to understand why session players move to this city, an hour standing near the amp on a Wednesday explains it better than anything else.

The Room

The 5 Spot

1006 Forrest Ave

A Five Points bar and venue since 2003. Motown Mondays have been running so long and hit so hard that GQ called it the most stylish party in America.