Something's cookin' on Thursday nights at Sambuca Jazz Cafe.

Sizzling music.

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)
Trumpeter and host Joey Sommerville (left) jams with saxophonist Mike Phillips during last Thursday's 'Smooth Jazz Live After Hours at Sambuca' at Sambuca Jazz Cafe in Buckhead.
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IN CONCERT "Smooth Jazz Live After Hours at Sambuca" Trumpeter Joey Sommerville hosts national jazz artists in the weekly music series on Thursday nights. Tonight at 7 and 9: guitarist Wayman Tisdale. $20 per set. Sambuca Jazz Cafe, 3102 Piedmont Road, Atlanta. Upcoming: Nov. 15, saxophonist Ron James fills in for Sommerville and hosts vocalist and keyboardist Frank McComb; Nov. 29, Jeff Kashiwa; Dec. 6, Michael Lington; Dec. 13, Alex Bugnon; Dec. 20, Ronnie Laws. RELATED LINK: • More entertainment news

Tonight jazz guitarist Wayman Tisdale performs at the Buckhead club with trumpeter and host Joey Sommerville as part of "Smooth Jazz Live After Hours at Sambuca."

Sommerville and Atlanta's Smooth Jazz WJZZ-FM (107.5) started the weekly music series last August. Alpharetta-based Sommerville hosts national artists. DJ Dave Kosh broadcasts remotely.

Last week's main event was saxophonist Mike Phillips, who plays with Prince and Stevie Wonder. Previous shows brought Marion Meadows, Jeff Lorber, Ronnie Laws and Peabo Bryson.

"This is priceless," said Kendall Kidd, 37, from Rex, attending Phillips' performance. "These are guys you'd go to see at larger venues."

Indeed, the artists could draw more folks in larger settings than Sambuca, which holds about 400.

Sommerville himself opens the two-set show at the Piedmont Road jazz cafe with his fluid mix of traditional and contemporary trumpet sounds. Then, he plays a few tunes with the guest artist before turning over the stage until the latter part of the set, when he rejoins the guest performer.

Just into the second set last week, Sommerville told the crowd, "You're about to get served."

His smooth horn sound enveloped the room. And within seconds folks were singing along in the aisles to "Like You Mean it," a sultry funk and Latin mix that you might expect to hear on a Carlos Santana album.

That was only the prelude, before sax player Phillips wooed the packed house with his blend of hip-hop, jazz and R&B. Phillips, who was accompanied by the local band Khat Phud, can just as easily spin around and play John Coltrane.

Some of the guest artists are just a phone call away for Sommerville.

Both Meadows and Tisdale performed on Sommerville's latest CD, "Like You Mean It," which is No. 14 on the Smooth Jazz Indie Chart.

Meadows was eager to jump onstage when he came, Sommerville recalled.

"I was playing a few songs and getting the vibe happening. And [before it was time] he jumped up onstage and said, 'I got to get some of this too,' " recalled Sommerville.

"You don't get this kind of intimacy at larger venues," said Phillips, who recently moved to Atlanta from his native New York City.

"This is how guys like [jazz legend] Charlie Parker started out," he continued. "It was in venues like this, in front of 50 people and [with] this kind of energy, that bebop was born."