Admittedly, a long July 4th weekend doesn't conjure images of a dark jazz club – no matter how incredibly gifted the performing musician might be.

Here's a thought. Keep those fireworks on the shelf Friday night and wait until the 4th proper to blow your own arm off. Instead, head over to the comfy and intimate confines of the Side Door Jazz Club in the Old Lyme Inn and enjoy the incredible sounds of pianist Johnny O'Neal when he brings his Trio in for a performance.

The New York City-based O'Neal spent nurturing time in the South and his hometown of Detroit and absorbed influences in each of these musically-rich locations, including gospel and R&B. All of them surface in unique ways through his poly-bop excursions. He's worked in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and with Sonny Stitt, Milt Jackson, Nancy Wilson and Joe Pass. Leading his own band on albums such as "In Good Hands," "On the Montreal Scene" and the recent "Live at Smalls," O'Neal continues to explore new sonic worlds.

— Rick Koster

Johnny O'Neal Trio, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Side Door Jazz Club, Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme St., Old Lyme; $28.50; (860) 434-0886.