Jonas Myers Trio plays Cellar Cat!

Jonas Myers is Cellar Cat's Artist-in-Residence for 2026 for GREAT reason. Cellar Cat owners Holly, Jim and Greg, are fixated music people (cats). They met in the seventies over music. Joined forces. They live for music. As their tastes and sophistication grew they came, naturally, to America's original performed and recorded music: jazz (and cousin blues). Recognizing a deep need to see the American tradition of JAZZ MUSIC continue and evolve, the Cellar Cat Clan seeks out dedicated, focused, musicians who can't help but just. play. jazz. The Cats look for musicians of the highest talent to perform in their Listening club (Sundays: speak during the performance at your own peril). Jonas Myers follows the magnificent Dmitri Matheny (artist-in-residence 2025) as a resource, a collaborator, a jazz friend, mentor, and most of all: top-drawer performer.

Joining Jonas are two of the Puget Sound's most in-demand side-men: Osama Afiffi on bass and Craig Cootsona on percussion.  

Osama Afifi is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded and performed live with many artists such as U.S. and Canadian tours with Yanni during the "Reflections of Passion", "Revolution in Sound", and "Dare to Dream" concert tours; a European and Canadian tour with French artist Vanessa Paradis; and a TV show on VH1 called Storytellers with The Doors. He worked with jazz vocalists Kurt Elling and Nnenna Freelon, The 5th Dimension, The Cadillacs, jazz saxophonist Gary Herbig, singer Debby Boone, keyboardist Kei Akagi, Doors drummer John Densmore, Brazilian style guitar duo Hugo Jojo, and jazz trumpeter Tony Guerrero.

For several years he has been the bassist for the B Sharp Jazz Quartet. The Quartet toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. They performed at the North Sea, Istanbul, Nice, Brecon, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, to name a few. Afifi ventured into composition, co-writing the song "Nami" for the album Searching for the One. KLON, a Los Angeles jazz radio station, chose "Nami" to be on a compilation album.

Craig Cootsona first hit the music scene in Olympia, playing jazz with Steve Munger, Syd Potter, and Bill Duris in “Size 4.” After a few years of gigging he met Bert Wilson and became a member of Bert’s group “Rebirth” from about 2006 until Bert’s death in 2013. They hosted sessions attended by musicians like Chuck Stentz, Lenny Pickett, and Jeff Coffin. Bert’s characteristically challenging phrasings helped Craig broaden his skills and find his own voice to interpret the music. Craig plays styles including jazz, rock, funk, contemporary Christian, and classical. Craig enjoys the opportunity to meet and work with many different musicians whose influences remain instrumental in his lifelong journey to improve his craft. He believes music fosters an appreciation for creativity, expression, and diversity that "washes away the dust of everyday life."

Proud we are. And grateful. Every month Jonas, in addition to his other Cellar Cat gigs, brings us the Next. the New. the Awesome. In PNW jazz.