When the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey comes to town tonight, don't expect anyone named Jacob or Fred to be on stage, but do expect lots and lots of improvisational jazz.

"Part of being in the jazz tradition is innovating and having your own universe," pianist Brian Haas said. "Jazz is not intended to be a classical music. It was always meant to be a constantly shifting language of innovation and newness."

Haas places the origins of the band's name to when he was three years old. Haas' mother got pregnant and he wanted her to name the baby Fred. When she didn't, Haas got upset and his parents gave him a stick horse, which he named Jacob Fred.

When Haas and bassist Reed Mathis founded the band nine years ago, the two were influenced by jazz groups such as the John Coltrane Quartet and the Miles Davis' Quintet. "We were kind of wanted to have a leaderless jazz band," Haas said. And so combining the name of Haas' rocking horse with the Jazz Odyssey from the movie This is Spinal Tap, the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey was born.

Tonight, JFJO will play at The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave.

"Jacob Fred is probably one of he most amazing improv acts out right now," said Matthew Carlson, talent buyer for The Brewery. "They've got a hell of a buzz all over the country."

Although the band plays around 200 shows a year, Haas said that it does not hinder JFJO's ability to be creative.

"It's almost like it's a constant never-ending improvisation," he said. "We don't really have
any restraints in our improvisation."

For the first five years the band had either six or seven members, but for the past four years there have been only three members. The band's current lineup is Haas, Mathis and drummer Jason Smart. Smart is the band's fourth drummer.

"The bigger lineup was sort of a constant conflict," Haas said.

The smaller lineup "contributes to the ease of the improvisation," Haas said. "It definitely contributes to the primal simplicity of it."

Over the past nine years the band has released eight albums, which were all live. JFJO recently recorded its first studio album over Christmas.

"It was like an aspect of growing up, letting yourself try to do a studio album," Haas said.

The entirely acoustic album is as-yet untitled. JFJO is shopping it around to several jazz labels with no release date set.

Although JFJO has recently been in the studio, the band's focus is still on performing live.

"We just hit the stage every night with real openness and just let it happen," Haas said. "We're not playing booty-shaking grooves for people to get drunk and try to get laid to."

Haas describes the live show as anything but a "passive experience" for the concert-goer. He encourages audience members to make up names for the songs and concepts for the band to play off of.

"It's very much a give and take thing," he said. "The audience is making the music as much as we are."

Tonight's show is the first in State College for JFJO, but Haas said he prefers playing to college audiences.

"If you're going to college you're saying, 'hey, I'm open. I want to learn. I want to check out new shit,'" he said.

Tonight's 21-and-over show begins at 8:30 with opening act Caveman. There is a $5 cover charge.