Jazz Beat: Peter Martin, and the Jackie Allen Quintet, at the Blue Room

Thanks to the Arts Midwest Conference in Kansas City this week, the Blue Room offers a rare Wednesday-night show that features a couple of conference guests — including the esteemed pianist Peter Martin, who regularly travels with Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves as music director. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, the New York Philharmonic and at White House dinners. Wednesday, Martin will perform a solo piano set that will make you feel alive. He’s followed by the Jackie Allen Quintet. Allen, who is based in Nebraska, sings with a seductive sass and is unafraid to stretch and explore through a phrasing all her own. At the Blue Room, it’s two world-class treats for a single cover.