There's nothing like a rainy Winston-Salem night to bring the city residents out in full force. I myself witnessed this phenomenon at the Gran Torino show Sept. 26 at Ziggy's. Save a friend, a few fans and myself, university students were conspicuously absent from the concert. But the diverse fans that comprised the crowd proved they were there to have a good time. Luckily, the relatively low attendance did not affect the performance of Gran Torino or their opening act, Fighting Gravity, who provided two upbeat sets.

The band's performance at Ziggy's was the second one of their latest tour, which promotes the release of their new album The One and Only, their first in two years. The One and Only is "a lot more mature," said singer Chris Ford.

"A record is a tough thing to put together, especially when you are young. On the first two we were just learning," Ford said.

The group, which has been on the road for seven years, has had plenty of time to find their sound, a unique one comprised of guitars, keyboards, a horn section and two drummers.

"Don't try to characterize it as this or that type of music," said Pee Jay Alexander, who plays trumpet, trombone and keyboard. Gran Torino's music fuses rock, jazz, funk and soul, but you have to hear it to know what I mean.

"This is the best one we've done yet," said keyboard and trombone player Dexter Murphy of the new album. "We focused on taking the music back to our roots, making ourselves happy, and our fans happy."

Those roots are in Knoxville, Tenn., where the nine-man band got together at the University of Tennessee. Band members come from all over the country, including California, Washington, D.C., and Memphis. They are a motley crew, with some clad in suits, some in trendier streetwear and others merely in shorts and T-shirts. One spectator commented that the goofy-looking bassist reminded him of someone's older brother who asked if he could be in the band.

While I enjoyed the music from The One and Only, listening to the CD is nothing compared to the experience of a live performance. Singer Chris Ford (who looks like Jack Osbourne, complete with mini-Mohawk and Bono-style wrap around shades) is wildly energetic. His enthusiasm is evident in his edgy, gravely voice. The most seductive part of the ensemble, however, was the horn section of trumpet, trombones and saxophone. Alexander, Murphy, Whit Pfohl and Bob Maxon contribute to the section with backup vocals and synchronized moves. Maxon, who joined the group a year ago, has jumped in head first. While he has been very involved in the production of their new songs, he also loves playing the old ones.

Gran Torino's lively performance definitely got the audience on its feet. People young and old grooved to the music head bopping, all-out dancing and everything in between, making the crowd almost as entertaining as the show itself. The songs have a jazzy, catchy beat, especially my favorite, "Streetlight," off the new album.

Alexander prefers "Take it Off," because he wrote it with two of his best friends. "It is a departure from the usual," Alexander said. "If I had to pick one, that would be why." Gran Torino is a talented group of musicians, and The One and Only, the culmination of seven years of work, is representative of their style and skill as last week's show proved.

Check out their impressive Web site at www.grantorino.com for more information.