On Tour in support of their new release "Screen Sounds", the third release by the band
The Joe Policastro Trio is a Chicago-based jazz trio led by bassist Joe Policastro featuring guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery. While firmly rooted in jazz, the band’s open-minded, inclusive nature also brings rock, pop, old-school funk, soul, Brazilian, and free improvisation to the surface while still keeping the aesthetic of an acoustic trio intact.
Known for its eclectic taste and approach, the Joe Policastro Trio “makes the case that such musical hybridity is worth celebrating.” “Policastro…is a melody-minded bassist who prioritizes group cohesion over individual displays of virtuosity.” (Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat)...
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On Tour in support of their new release "Screen Sounds", the third release by the band
The Joe Policastro Trio is a Chicago-based jazz trio led by bassist Joe Policastro featuring guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery. While firmly rooted in jazz, the band’s open-minded, inclusive nature also brings rock, pop, old-school funk, soul, Brazilian, and free improvisation to the surface while still keeping the aesthetic of an acoustic trio intact.
Known for its eclectic taste and approach, the Joe Policastro Trio “makes the case that such musical hybridity is worth celebrating.” “Policastro…is a melody-minded bassist who prioritizes group cohesion over individual displays of virtuosity.” (Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat)
The Joe Policastro Trio is a band that can turn “pop tart into Jazz art” (Travis Rogers, Jazz Owl) and one that “should have wide appeal among both jazz fans and listeners of other genres.” (Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine)
The band is currently on a 25+ city tour in support of their new album, "Screen Sounds", the third release by the Joe Policastro Trio. It features the singular approach of the Chicago-based jazz trio on a unique assemblage of music from movies and TV. The album features music from films such as Yojimbo, The Godfather, Blade Runner, Midnight Cowboy, and TV shows such as Taxi, The Young and the Restless, and Twin Peaks. Both a musical tapestry and personal soundtrack, the trio has re-purposed these selections blending each member's unique voice into a unified sound while shedding new light on these musical touchstones.
“The group’s terrific new album, Screen Sounds, applies a diversity of approaches to all kinds of source material, consistently retaining the essence of the original works while boldly imprinting the trio’s personality.” (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader)
“There are always new wrinkles to be found in the familiar. That’s a political stance that seems to serve the Joe Policastro Trio well…putting alternately gritty and focused touches on songs we’ve come to love….Policastro and company have found their niche tapping into different breeds of treasured songs.” (Dan Billawsky, All About Jazz)
Long-standing residencies in Chicago served as an incubator for its members to write, arrange, and develop a collective voice in the way a band only can over time. Other releases include 2013's "West Side Story Suite", and 2016's "POPS!", also on JeruJazz Records.
Beyond Chicago, the band has been extensively playing together on the road having completed several tours even performing for President Barack Obama this past fall. As sidemen, Joe Policastro (Jeff Hamilton, Pat and Debby Boone, Phil Woods, Diane Schuur), Dave Miller (Clarice Assad, Patricia Barber, Algernon), and Mikel Avery (Joshua Abrams, Theaster Gates, Rob Mazurek) have shared the stage with a wide array of musicians but dedicate collectively to this trio.
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