Mike Casey Trio at The Side Door Jazz Club

A lifetime passion for the saxophone began when Mike took to the saxophone in the 5th grade. Eager to expand his musical horizons, he attended the Greater Hartford Academy for the Performing Arts in high school, where he studied in the jazz program. He is a graduate of the acclaimed Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz (University of Hartford’s Hartt School, CT). While at Hartt he was fortunate to study with renowned jazz artists such as saxophonists Abraham Burton, Rene McLean, & Javon Jackson, trombonist Steve Davis, and bassist Nat Reeves.

Nominated for “Best Jazz” in the CT Music Awards, Mike has performed and delighted a wide range of audiences throughout the Northeast. He has shared the stage with notable jazz artists such as Marc Cary, JD Allen, Duane Eubanks, Rashaan Carter, Ugonna Okegwo, Steve Davis, Nat Reeves, Rene McLean, Brandee Younger & Dezron Douglas, some of which he sat in with here at The Side Door!...

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A lifetime passion for the saxophone began when Mike took to the saxophone in the 5th grade. Eager to expand his musical horizons, he attended the Greater Hartford Academy for the Performing Arts in high school, where he studied in the jazz program. He is a graduate of the acclaimed Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz (University of Hartford’s Hartt School, CT). While at Hartt he was fortunate to study with renowned jazz artists such as saxophonists Abraham Burton, Rene McLean, & Javon Jackson, trombonist Steve Davis, and bassist Nat Reeves.

Nominated for “Best Jazz” in the CT Music Awards, Mike has performed and delighted a wide range of audiences throughout the Northeast. He has shared the stage with notable jazz artists such as Marc Cary, JD Allen, Duane Eubanks, Rashaan Carter, Ugonna Okegwo, Steve Davis, Nat Reeves, Rene McLean, Brandee Younger & Dezron Douglas, some of which he sat in with here at The Side Door!

In early 2015, Mike was one of 24 young jazz musicians/composers worldwide selected to participate in the prestigious 2 week “Betty Carter Jazz Ahead” program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where he was fortunate to learn from celebrated jazz artists Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Eric Revis, J.D. Allen, Carmen Lundy, Andre Hayward, and Cyrus Chestnut. Mike has performed at well-respected venues such as The Kennedy Center (DC), Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC), Minton’s & Smalls Jazz Club (NYC), and the Hard Rock Cafe (Boston), as well as many venues across CT. He is also a teaching artist with 4 years of experience teaching the saxophone to all ages.

The Mike Casey Trio is a unique jazz group in their musical approach, style and instrumentation. The band features Mike on saxophone, Matt Dwonszyk on acoustic bass, and Corey Garcia on drums. The unique combination of the musicians, the instrumentation, the songs, and artistic vision give the group a vibe that is at once earthy and accessible, yet mature, refined, exciting, and upbeat – equally enjoyed by music lovers or a seasoned jazz aficionado. Mike has enchanted audiences young & old alike, performing a unique blend of upbeat, accessible, original music and exciting arrangements of jazz standards with a mature lyricism and a sound that commands the attention of the audience.”

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