Inspired in equal parts by his love for early jazz records by Carmen McRae and heady organ-fueled rock songs by the Allman Brothers, drummer JT Bates has long dreamed of forming his own organ trio and gigging it around the Twin Cities.

"I have had a long-standing love affair with the Hammond B3 organ," Bates said.

JT Bates got the ball rolling for his new trio by enlisting guitarist Zacc Harris, and they eventually learned of an organ player by the name of Kevin Gastonguay who had started gigging in other groups around town. (Kevin has appeared previously on After Hours with Nooky Jones.) Gastonguay stood out for his ability to play the bass in his left hand while handling the melody and textures with his right, eliminating the need for a bassist in the group.

All three players keep busy with many other projects here in town, and view Grain Trio as a lighthearted, enjoyable side project.

"The grooves are fun, and the style of music is fun; it's less intellectual on a lot of levels than a lot of the other music we're playing," Bates noted. "And the B3 just kind of rattles your cells in a great way."

While in the studio for After Hours, the trio performed two unreleased and somewhat spontaneous original songs. They will perform a mix of covers and original jams when they perform at Amsterdam Bar and Hall on Saturday night, June 25, as part of the weekend's Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

Performers

JT Bates (drums)
Zacc Harris (guitar)
Kevin Gastonguay (organ)

Songs

"Bumpin' and Grindin'"
"Stew's Blues"

Credits

Hosted by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Evan Clark and Andrea Swensson
Engineered by Evan Clark

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