Kasey Knudsen, Mat Muntz, Scott Amendola

The Scott Amendola Trio brings together three distinctive voices in Bay Area creative music for an evening of genre-bending improvisation at the intimate Bird & Beckett. Drummer and composer Scott Amendola leads this exploration, drawing from over three decades as "a creative force in jazz and beyond" who fuses jazz with funk, rock, and experimental music. As the Los Angeles Times notes, "Amendola's music is consistently engaging, both emotionally and intellectually, the product of a fertile and inventive musical imagination."

Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen has become "one of the essential voices on the Bay Area scene," bringing her technical virtuosity and experimental approach to the alto sax. Known for "playing cascading, virtuosic solos" while experimenting "with sound design and effects, transforming the 'jazz' listening experience," Knudsen moves seamlessly between bebop traditions and avant-garde territories. Her recent tribute to Joe Henderson at SFJAZZ showcased her ability to honor jazz masters while bringing her own inventive voice to the music.

Bassist and composer Mat Muntz completes the trio with his explorations of microtonality and unconventional orchestrations. His work "seeks to find unlikely connections between disparate musical worlds," extending jazz improvisation into experimental territories through his multi-instrumental approach and global musical perspective.

This trio configuration promises the kind of musical adventure that defines Bird & Beckett's programming. As one reviewer puts it, "Nobody fuses like Scott Amendola – he's not pandering, he just loves to rock, and freak out, and write actual tunes, and improvise." Expect an evening where post-bop meets experimental rock, where traditional jazz forms get twisted in unexpected directions, and where three creative musicians push each other into uncharted musical territory in one of San Francisco's most beloved listening rooms.