By JASON TRACHTENBURG

When all is said and done, I believe Seattle will be remembered as one of the most important and influential cities in the history of music. With that said, let's profile a couple of musical acts from North Seattle.

SEATTLE GUITAR CIRCLE:

First up we have the Seattle Guitar Circle. As the story goes, I hosted an open mic for three years at the legendary bohemian Queen Anne Coffee House (Relativity). I was therefore able to meet and get to know many musicians, all performing a wide array of musical stylings. One evening, a husband and wife guitar duo from Wedgwood named "Bob and Jaxie" came into the coffeehouse and signed up on the list. They proceeded to bring the house down, week after week, with their instrumental duel guitaring. Firing off Hendrixesque bass riffs and high, sonicly harmonic, lead guitar notes, Bob Williams and Jaxie Binder would play their two guitars as if they were having an actual conversation with each other. Their original songs are filled with many dynamics within each song. They write and perform interesting music and that's a good thing.

Bob and Jaxie have since joined forces with the Seattle Guitar Circle. This six-member troupe features, in addition to Williams and Binder, Curt Golden, Bill Rieflin, Steve Ball and Dean Jensen. All six members play Ovation acoustic guitars in a formation known simply as "the circulation." The circulation is as follows: Instead of everyone in the band playing the same part of the song at the same time, the circulation prescribes that a melody (or a series of notes that make up a musical phrase or thought) is passed around the circle. Each note of this melody is played by a different member of the circle.

"We have the potential to do pretty much anything," says Jaxie. "There's lots of possibilities."

The six members of the Seattle Guitar Circle live in North Seattle neighborhoods. The Seattle Guitar Circle are part of a larger organization known as SeattleCircle. Based out of Phinney Ridge, SeattleCircle is a local group that sponsors educational music projects, seminars and concerts in the Seattle area. In addition, SeattleCircle also offers musical courses and instruction.

Curt Golden is the guitar instructor at SeattleCircle. He hosts a monthly Beginners Guitar Circle on the last Saturday of every month for anyone who is interested in learning the circulation. The Seattle Guitar Circle and SeattleCircle can be reached at www.seattlecircle.com.

Seattle Guitar Circle's next performance will be Friday, May 28 at Folklife.

GODOT:

Godot is a rock trio from North Seattle that features Haller Lake resident Nick Denke on vocals, guitar and flute, Mark Postelwaite (a former Lake City resident who now lives in Puyallup) on drums and vocals, and Lake City resident Pat Sargent on bass.

Listening to Godot reminds me of the early solo music of John Lennon in a way (and not because of the over-use of reverb). Anyway, Godot's music is both modern and psychedelic. The totally mellow flute presents itself unobtrusively. Godot's musical influences, according to frontman Nick Denke, are Ani Difranco, Tori Amos, Soundgarden and the Beatles.

Godot recently recorded their third CD at Ironwood Studio in Greenwood. Denke was pleased with Ironwood's "great mics, great engineers, good ears and good personnel." Denke describes Godot as: "Sophisticated rock, funk and rhythms since 1993." He went on to explain that the band's three members are "educated people becoming uneducated in order to get the emotions out."

Godot's upcoming gigs include the Kosovo Relief Festival at Jimmy Z's in Everett on Saturday, May 15, a show at the Mothership in Fife (where they will be opening for Goodness) on Saturday, June 5, and the Hempfest Benefit at the OK Hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square on Friday, June 11.

For more information, Godot can be contacted through their manager, Debbie Rock, at 206-762-3599. The band also has a Web site: www.cni-media.com/godot/

ATTENTION:

Musical acts and clubs/cafes that showcase live music. If you live or are located in North Seattle and would like to be featured in an upcoming column of "Eye on Music," please send any promotional materials to: Jason Trachtenburg's Eye on Music, c/o The Jet City Maven, 12345 30th Ave. NE, Suites H-I, Seattle, 98125.