Wow, that's wonderful, and I really appreciate you investing the time on something unfamiliar to you. Also that's fantastic you got the "Jeff Sipe Trio" album.
They have perhaps the best version of John Coltrane's "Naima" that I've ever heard. The young bass player, Taylor Lee, is also an extraordinary player.
Cool you know Wes & Jango too ;-)
I often take time of to listen to something unfamiliar - I really like the album (and the Naima) - I think Seal has a light, sweet tone and first of all: he has real swing. It is like the country boy that comes to town and learn all its ways but never gives up his rural dialect. The two others are great too - I'm very happy for that purchase.
I love jazz and did play tenor saxophone in gymnasium. We listened to the grandfathers of Seal - Scofield and Stern on the Miles Davis albums our seventeen year brains blown right through the roof, and then we heard Coltrane and bebop and Louis Armstrong and British punk and heavy metal... well that was where I learned to just listen to music instead of putting it into brain boxes.
:-) That's a great analogy about not losing the country accent. Labels are sometimes helpful, but I agree, just listening with an open mind is the best approach.
I was fortunate enough to have interviewed John Scofield, he's another amazing musician and a lot of fun.