"This week, the Metropole again is featuring an artist worthy of this plush and intimate room. By booking Chicago jazz pianist Marshall Vente and his trio. The club's management clearly is emphasizing exceptional local artists who deserve a downtown showcase.

And though one hesitates to leap to any firm conclusions at this early date, the Fairmont's jazz-oriented policy appears to be paying off: Tuesday night's crowd was by far the largest this listener has seen in the Metropole on a non-weekend. Chicagoans, it seems, are beginning to discover the place.

Those who make their way to the club this week will hear a sleek jazz trio headed by an especially creative pianist. Joined by bassist Scott Mason and drummer Isidro Perez, Vente produces a smart, sophisticated music utterly befitting the room.

Colleen Timler is a straightforward, unpretentious jazz singer who's not particularly interested in making unusual artistic choices.  So while Timler unspooled a series of jazz standards. Vente offered virtually a mini-recital of his own. The pianist's big and complex chords, catchy melodic hooks and all-over-the-keys virtuosity made his singer's work that much more appealing."

-Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Jazz Critic