The Danny Fox Trio was formed in 2008 and features pianist Danny Fox, drummer Max Goldman, and bassist Chris van Voorst van Beest. The trio spent many hours building a strong rapport, whether they are in Brooklyn basements rehearsing music or traveling the country in a small sedan. The band is rooted in jazz but the musicians can also be found playing bluegrass, electronic, chamber music, New Orleans rhythm and Blues and other genres. This gives them a unique sound that is both all-encompassing and very individual. These complex and difficult compositions have been rehearsed and performed many times. This is how rock bands are influenced and appreciated. They explore a variety of new techniques and eschew traditional roles. The role of the piano is often both the lead melodyc and harmonic vocal. However, it rarely plays both these roles at once. Fox prefers textures that showcase the talents of his bandmates, and explores the extreme ranges of the keyboard. Van Voorst van Beest is a bassist who serves the traditional rhythmic anchor role. He also provides counterpoint and melodies as well as coloristic arco effects. Goldman uses traditional drumbeats well, but sometimes he prefers a more orchestral approach that mimics symphonic playing. Pianist Danny Fox was raised in New York City, where he first became involved in jazz music at an early age. Danny Fox was selected in high school as a Presidential Scholar of the Arts. He went on to Harvard University, where he became an active member of the Boston music scene. The Danny Fox Trio was formed in 2008 to perform his original compositions. The group has been performing all over NYC and the US since then, and has released the critically-acclaimed albums “The One Constant (Songlines), and “Wide Eyed (Hot Cup). Danny is a “pianist with diverse accomplishments” (NY Times). He has been described as a versatile musician who can be found in many settings. Danny co-founded Tubby, a New Orleans rock and rolling group, plays around Brooklyn’s bluegrass and roots scene, performs on Broadway and collaborates with Meghan Allynn. He has performed alongside artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Kermit Drake. Since his arrival in Brooklyn in 2005, Chris van Voorst van Beest, a bassist, was born in Pownal in Maine. Chris earned his bachelor’s at the University of New Hampshire, and his Master’s in composition at City College of New York. He studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici. Chris is well-known for his big sound and lyrical bass lines. He also has versatility in a variety of musical settings, including bluegrass, jazz, rock and contemporary classical. Chris regularly performs around New York City with various jazz, chamber and new music groups. Chris has performed in numerous European countries, including the Czech Republic, Spain and Turkey. Chris, an emerging composer, is the founder and curator of Hear Now chamber music. It features original compositions for ensembles of different sizes. In July 2017, Chris’s most recent work, Het Glazen Herenhuis (a sonnet for cello, piano, and clarinet), was first performed in Brooklyn. Chris was nominated for the Charles Ives Arts and Letters Award 2016. Chris received a grant in 2009 to compose the original music for “The Lamplighter”, a children’s book featuring narration by Sam Amidon, a noted folk artist. Max Goldman, a drummer, was born in Rochester, NY. He had the opportunity to study with local legends Jeff Lewis and Steve Curry. In 2001 Max moved to New York City and attended NYU and The New School. There he studied under Gerald Cleaver, Kenny Washington, and Tony Moreno. Max has been actively involved in Brooklyn’s creative scene since his graduation in 2006. Max spends most of his time touring Europe and South America with a variety of artists. Max has recorded and performed with the Danny Fox Trio and Tim Berne. The Chicago Reader has called him “a seriously propelling force”, while the New York Jazz Review has described his drumming as “beautifully melodic and even pianistic”.
