The Michael Jay Washington Trio strives to quench artistic thirsts with its unique brand of liquid jazz.

Strategically billed for Monday nights under the appropriate genre of “sooth jazz,” this all-string trio eases away stress from the Monday Shock Syndrome and leaves a content grin on the faces of those walking out of The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway.

The group’s original, fresh sound can be attributed to the creativeness and musicianship of its members, who met while playing together in an NIU music class two years ago.

The trio said because their busy schedules only allow one practice session per week, an element of spontaneity exists with every performance.

“One of the most important things to all of us is working in the moment – seeing where the music takes us,” violinist Jay Gemkow said. Skillfully proving that the versatility of the violin can be a gift to jazz, Gemkow, who teaches private lessons and runs the sound at The House, added depth and character to Monday’s performance.

Guitarist Mel Washington, a senior jazz performance major at NIU, laid tasty rhythmic grooves at times while subtly stealing and soaring with the melody at other times.

Keeping the rhythmic seal air-tight and rounding out the trio with a warm, fat sound was bassist Michael Dyer, a senior music major.

“We see our creative differences as constructive,” Dyer said. “Because we have different backgrounds, we can learn from each other.”

They must be learning plenty, because despite their limited rehearsal time, the group plays a wide variety of music every week including jazz standards, new jazz, free improvisational pieces and a few miscellaneous funky grooves to keep audience members on their toes.

“Not only is it a free show, you get something different every time you come,” Kishwaukee College student Liz Floersch said.

“I think they are some of the best jazz in DeKalb,” said Floersch, who continues to frequent Mondays at The House since discovering the Michael Jay Washington Trio four months ago.

The group is both mellow enough to be soothing background music and intense enough to hold your attention, while its musical interpretations are both entertaining enough for a non-jazzer to enjoy and complex enough for serious music enthusiasts to appreciate.

The Michael Jay Washington Trio plays at every Monday at 9 p.m. at The House. The trio also will perform there at Saturday night as part of the Hope Haven Benefit Concert, which starts at 10 p.m.