CLASSIC PIANO JAZZ TRIO ACOUSTIC3
to perform Live at the Linen
Friday, Jan. 29

Trio's swinging, soulful material is steeped in the piano jazz traditions of Gene Harris, Horace Silver, Ray Brown, Bill Evans

Saxophonist SANDON MAYHEW and ACOUSTIC3 bassist TOM JENSEN will open the show with a special duo performance

The sound of classic piano jazz will fill the air at the Linen Building when acoustic3 performs Live at the Linen at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. The Linen Building is located at 1402 W. Grove St. in Downtown Boise's Linen District. $5 in advance or day of show. Advance tickets are available at the Linen Building weekdays between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All ages, full bar (ID required).

Idaho-based trio acoustic3 (acoustic3.com) is a piano jazz trio whose sound draws from greats such as Gene Harris, Horace Silver and the Ray Brown and Bill Evans trios.

The trio has played at several well-known festivals and venues, including the JVC Jazz Festival (NYC), The Berkeley Jazz Festival (Berkeley, Calif.), Mt. Hood Jazz Festival (Portland, Ore.), Deutsche-American Festival (Berlin, Germany), the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival (Moscow, Idaho), the Gene Harris Jazz Festival (Boise), Jazz in the Canyon (Twin Falls), the Sun Valley Jazz Festival (Sun Valley), the International Fretless Guitar Festival (New York City), Birdland (NYC) and The Knitting Factory (NYC).

Members of acoustic3 have collaborated with a wide variety of artists, including Benny Green, Mel Brown, Dick Berg, Tad Weed, Christian McBride, John Clayton, Jay Leonhart, Russell Malone, Tom Harrell, James Williams, Kevin Mahogany, John Stowell, Mike Vax, Carl Fontana, "Slide" Hampton, Manny Albam and David Berger. Locally, members of the group have worked with Brent Jensen, Jeff Baker, Chuck Smith, Sandon Mayhew, Rob Walker and Ned Evett.

Justin Nielsen, acoustic3's piano player, comes from a musical family but didn't play jazz until he was nearly finished with college. The sounds and rhythms of jazz grabbed hold of Nielsen and he has never let go. Nielsen brings the technical abilities to the trio that give him unfettered access to expression of his musical ideas and emotional solos that audiences listen for and love.

As the bassist for acoustic3, Tom Jensen brings a foundation that was built while playing as a sideman in clubs and festivals in the NYC area such as Birdland and the JVC Jazz Festival. Helping to refine his sound were studies with such bassists as John Clayton and Rodney Whitaker.

Drummer Damien Bard and Tom Jensen have known each other since elementary school days. They grew up in the same Boise neighborhood and have played together in various musical settings over the years. Their comfort comes from knowing each other and growing up under similar musical influences. In the 1980s, they regularly went to Ste. Chapelle Winery to listen to the Ray Brown Trio.

Opening for acoustic3 is Sandon Mayhew and Tom Jensen. Mayhew, the top jazz saxophone player in town, will perform a special duo set with acoustic3's bassist.

For interviews, images or more information on acoustic3, contact Chad Dryden at Bandwagon PR, 208.284.0355 or bandwagonpr@yahoo.com.

For more information on the Linen Building and Live at the Linen concert series, call 208.385.0111 or email info@thelinenbuilding.com. Visit thelinenbuilding.com and interact with the Linen Building on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.