A "ferociously assured and creatively dazzling" triple bill exploring the leanest jazz form: the piano trio. –SF Chronicle
Born into a musical family, Julian Pollack started studying classical piano at age five. A decade later, Pollack moved to New York to study jazz piano and composition at New York University. At 18, he was featured on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, and went on to later open for Chick Corea and Gary Burton at the Blue Note in New York City, and perform as a sideman with Brian Lynch at the Village Vanguard. Julian’s critically acclaimed record, Infinite Playground received accolades such as "masses of heart and soul, adding an emotional intensity that lifts this music to uncommon heights..." This year, Pollack won an ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award for his composition "Blackberry," which was included on his latest record. In April, he performed with Broadway-star Carrie Manolakos at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC where they performed Radiohead's "Creep" (arranged by Pollack), which was videoed and became a viral sensation on Youtube, receiving over 700,000 views within the first two weeks of its release. This year finds Pollack performing his original concerto for piano and orchestra, which was premiered by the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento, CA in March of 2012.
When Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato was formed in 2010 for a special performance in Montreal, the chemistry within this collaborative trio was one not to be ignored. Shortly thereafter, the trio recorded their debut album, Anticipation (Capri, 2011). Since its release, the trio has been actively performing to worldwide acclaim; The New York Times called Anticipation "an estimable album […] with meticulously flowing sound” and The Ottawa Citizen lauded the interplay of the three instruments as a "seamless harmony."
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Sam Harris’ life in music began at the age of two when his parents put him in early piano lessons. He quickly excelled in his classical training and under the guidance of his endlessly dedicated teacher Janet Jones, was soon competing regularly on the local and statewide levels. In 2004, he made the move to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in five years, studying privately with teachers like Jason Moran, Garry Dial and John Riley. He has since been performing regularly in bands led by forward-thinking musicians such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Logan Richardson, Gretchen Parlato and Linda Oh, and has also had the opportunity to play with Greg Osby, Jeff Ballard, Dave Douglas, Nasheet Waits, Joel Frahm, among many others.
Tickets: $12 in advance / $15 day of show .