Standing outside of the well-guarded door to the Mint a few weeks back, it was evident that Ive been missing something. Frequently squeezing into Eastside venues like the Echo, Spaceland, and El Cid over the past few years, Im used to bearded noise assaults and an equally hairy crowd that thinks buzz is a four-letter word. Well, outside the Mint, with a crowd of 50-or-so people waiting patiently to get through the shut door of the over-capacity venue, buzz became way more than a vague, industry concept. I could taste it, feel it pushing against my back, and hear it vibrating one word into my ear over and over: Quincy.

Quincy Coleman isnt one of those artists we hear about much over here. Or if we do, we see a cute girl on the cover of a CD and write it off as some chick singer-songwriter. She comes from a family of actors and musicians, spent some time overseas playing in bars throughout Europe, caught the ear of KCRWs Nic Harcourt one day, and has been plugging away locally ever since. And until that night at the Mint I never, ever felt guilty about tossing a CD from an artist like that in the Ill probably listen to one day bin. But as I finally exploited my connection and forced my way through the door surrounded by people peeking through the now-open crack, I felt like maybe Id been wrong.

I weaved my way through the packed house to a soundtrack of drunken ragtime tunes being poured out by a full band (horns included), accompanied by the sweet, smoky, sultry vocals of Quincy Coleman. Every eye in the house was drawn to the stage as Quincy and friends took the audience on a sloppy carnival ride of lighthearted, jazzy songs, full of brass and bouncy rhythms and Quincys casual, teasing voice. And as the incredibly full house smiled along with Quincy in a way that made it clear this was not their firstor even secondexposure to her sonic stylings, I felt a tinge of guilt for letting a singer like this sit on the shelf for so long. Its artists like Quincy that let me wet-dog-shake off those multiple layers of preconceived notions every year or so. And for that I thank her.