Peter Martin Group

This weekend's performances by pianist Peter Martin at Bistro Europa originally offered the promise of an interesting post-Turkey Day jam session reuniting the University City native with other area musicians who, like Martin, now live elsewhere and are back in town for the holidays. But now the Friday and Saturday performances by the Peter Martin Group have been raised to a much higher level, thanks to Martin's recently signed recording contract with the MaxJazz label. Richard McDonnell, the founder of MaxJazz, plans to record the Friday and Saturday sets of Martin's Jazz at the Bistro concerts for a live album on the label.And in addition to working with the fine musicians of his quartet -- sax player Bryce Winston, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Adonis Rose -- it's a good bet that Martin will be joined by some special musical guests onstage at the Bistro. Considering that Martin has made his home in New Orleans for the past decade, working with the likes of Nicholas Payton and Brian Blade, that he's toured and recorded with Joshua Redman and that old friends trumpeter Jeremy Davenport and bassist Chris Thomas will be in town, there's an interesting list of guest possibilities to ponder. Payton will definitely be sitting in with the group, and a host of others are rumored.