The Artist

The Giving Trio

joined me on on an early April afternoon and transformed the studio into a vision of a smoky Jazz Club late at night with the trio's sweet jazz sounds. I enjoy all forms of original music, but because my Father took me to many Chicago jazz clubs in my youth, I have a special place in my heart for Jazz.

The Giving Trio is a Chicago-based jazz group with a style and sound reminiscent of late 50's and 60's cool-jazz and pop music. Think: Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz. Spice all of that up with hints of Motown, The Beach Boys and The Beatles and you'll have yourself a good taste of The Giving Trio’s aesthetic.

The trio is made up of John W. Lauler on upright bass, Justin Cash on guitar, and Alex Kerwin on alto saxophone. All three met while attending Columbia College Chicago, and after graduating they continued to work together on the Chicago music scene. They began to meet and play together regularly in 2014, building a repertoire of their favorite jazz standards and classic pop tunes. From these sessions they developed a group rapport and began playing out as The Giving Trio.

“Defuser,” the trio's debut album, showcases six all new original compositions written by both Lauler and Kerwin. While the compositions are firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, they also take many cues from pop and rock as well. Their first single, “Old Bull Lee,” is reminiscent of all things Lennon and McCartney. Their second single, “She’s Skeptic,” strikes a similar harmonic vibe to that of Stevie Wonder and is set beneath a very ghostly, supernatural sounding melody. With each new original composition the trio crafts wonderful, fun-loving sounds in this unique, drummer-less setting.