Sat 10/12 @ 4PM
Acoustic bassist/composer/arranger Joe Policastro is an Ohioan — a native of Cincinnati. He left there to earn his masters degree in jazz studies at DePaul University in Chicago, where he settled in 2003. That city’s vibrant jazz scene offered him many opportunities to collaborate with other musicians, perform with an array of ensembles, and work as a sideman to artists as diverse as Phil Woods, Diane Schuur, and, um, Pat and Debbie Boone.
He also formed his own ensemble, the Joe Policastro Trio, with guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, which incorporates rock, soul, funk, Brazilian and free jazz influences. That group released three albums of his distinctive arrangements of pop, soul and rock tunes: 2013’s West Side Story Suite for Jazz Trio, 2016’s Pops! and 2017’s Screen Sounds.
His new album, Nothing Belongs Here, released this past spring, breaks the mold, spotlighting the band’s own originals, while working in a few covers with distinctive takes on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place,” and Santo & Johnny’s “The Wandering Sea.”
He’s back at Nighttown with the trio for a matinee show — come enjoy some music and have an early dinner. Tickets are $20.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106