Jazz Guitarist Mimi Fox and Bassist Jeff Denison at The 222

The 222 has a wide variety of performances but it has developed an especially strong programming for  jazz artists.  The final jazz performance for the 222 season featured Mimi Fox on acoustic and electric guitar with Jeff Denison on bass, baritone guitar and vocals.  Fox engaged in friendly banter with the sell out crowd and with her performing partner of "13 lucky years." The duo performed their opening number which Fox called "a well known standard".  It was unknown to me and went without being identified. The aesthetic was cool jazz with a rich, layered bass.  From there, Fox slid into Coltrane pieces which are standard, fan favorites (including for yours truly).  The 222 is an intimate setting which allows the audience to watch the musicians closely.  Being able to observe the intricate fingering and agility elevates the enjoyment of the event. Denison left hand moved swiftly up and down the neck of his bass while thumping rapidly on his strings.  Included in the program were compositions by Abbey Lincoln, known for her jazz vocals and for being out an outspoken civil rights advocate in the 60s. Denison lent his vocals on Lincoln's "Bird Alone" while playing bass. It was the first time I heard a bass player sing. His pleasant tenor worked well on this composition and Bonnie Raitt's mournful "I Can't Make You Love Me".   Fox, filling a void between numbers chanted"Jewish girls rock" and talked a little about her New York family.  Several of the numbers were from her just released album "Political" which she instructed us "to interpret as we will."  The music had a back and forth syncopation and a contrasting pitch between her acoustic guitar and Denison's baritone guitar.  Both artists hale from the Bay Area and perform often in San Francisco and the Sonoma. While the two are exceptionally talented musicians, and the close staging is pleasurable, the music from the duo fell short. The music needed a percussion or wind instrument to fill out the jazz compositions.