The following is a press release written by Joe Policastro for the Joe Policastro Trio.
Bassist/composer/arranger/bandleader, Joe Policastro, brings his acclaimed trio back to Bloomington to perform for the Call & Response series at Blockhouse Bar.
Hailed by Downbeat for its “deft analysis of choice repertoire,” and by the Chicago Reader for its “diversity of approaches to all kinds of source material,” the JOE POLICASTRO TRIO is a forward-thinking, 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 draws upon a wide array of musical styles and sources while still keeping the aesthetic of an acoustic trio intact.
The band recently released their sixth album, Ceremony. This ultra hi-fi audiophile release features four originals alongside highly-personal readings of music by New Order, Roy Orbison, Joao Bosco, and Thelonious Monk. Their diverse catalog - Sounds Unheard (2022), Nothing Here Belongs (2019), Screen Sounds (2017), POPS! (2016), and West Side Story Suite (2013) - captures the band’s progressive, forward-thinking, non-hierarchical approach whether showcasing their original music or their ability to remake unlikely songs in a characteristically raw, idiosyncratic fashion.
True bands are a rarity in jazz these days, especially ones who hone their craft as consistently as this one does. For over a decade, the band held court thrice-weekly at Pops For Champagne in downtown Chicago. Beyond Chicago, the band has been extensively playing together throughout the US and Canada having even performed for President Barack Obama.
As sidemen, Joe Policastro (Pat and Debby Boone, Sheila Jordan, 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. Whether highlighting the original music of its members, re-contextualizing modern music, or performing jazz classics of the likes of Thelonious Monk, Chico Hamilton, or Charles Lloyd, the trio readily displays its singular approach, sound, texture, and simultaneity.
“…a cohesive unit with an extraordinarily flexible mindset…at every step of the way, this band breathes and bends as one.” (Dan Billawsky, All About Jazz)
“Unpredictable and sometimes eccentric…each listen…reveals more surprises.” (Scott Yanow, JAZZIZ)
“Their deep understanding of each other and deft analysis of choice repertoire repays repeat and close listening.” (Michael Jackson, Downbeat)
