Kasey Knudsen Trio
The Kasey Knudsen Trio brings together three of the Bay Area's most adventurous musicians for an evening that promises to dig deep into the jazz tradition while pushing creative boundaries. This saxophone, bass, and drums configuration follows a storied lineage in jazz, offering the intimacy and interplay that makes the format so compelling.
Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen leads the group with her reputation as "one of the region's most esteemed saxophonists" well-established through her work with innovative artists like Ben Goldberg, Fred Frith, and Tune-Yards. Her music is spacious and lyrical, rooted in storytelling with melodies that linger and rhythms that stretch and shift. She creates compositions that feel alive and emotionally honest, drawing inspiration from literature, visual art, and film.
Bassist Mat Muntz extends the trio's sonic palette through his exploration of microtonality, non-Western instrumentation, and experimental performance practice. His work seeks unlikely connections between disparate musical worlds, bringing an unconventional approach that spans jazz improvisation, contemporary classical, and avant-garde territories.
Drummer Scott Amendola completes the lineup with over three decades of genre-bending creativity. Known for his technical virtuosity and ability to fuse jazz with funk, rock, and experimental music, Amendola brings electronic manipulation and innovative percussion approaches to the mix. His collaborations with artists like Nels Cline and Charlie Hunter demonstrate his versatility across multiple musical dimensions.
According to Knudsen herself, this trio "brings three adventurous musicians together for music that grooves, stretches, and stays deeply connected. Scott's drumming is playful and fearless, Mat's bass playing is bold and imaginative, and together we leave plenty of room for surprises." Expect deep listening, strong pockets, and an interactive musical conversation that invites the audience into their creative process.
The venue's description perfectly captures their approach: putting together three creative forces with one goal—dig deep, jump in the pocket, be creative, invite the audience in, and have a blast doing it.