Honey Ear Trio is a group composed of saxophonist Jeff Lederer, bassist Rene Hart and drummer Allison Miller. Together, these three passionate musicians approach the music with a sense of playfulness and elasticity. Honey Ear Trio creatively fuses the acoustic sound of a traditional saxophone trio with modern electronics. The trio also explores mixing multiple genres (jazz, rock, soul, folk) while bending, stretching, and decompressing the rhythmic and harmonic characteristics of the music. The group is releasing its second CD, Swivel, in 2015. Saxophonist Jeff Lederer joined the Honey Ear Trio in 2013. NPR described his sound as “slaying dragons” and the San Diego Union referred to it as “what would happen if Ben Webster and Albert Ayler went out for drinks together.” An exploratory saxophonist and clarinetist, Lederer is the leader of many of his own groups, including Sunwatcher, Shakers and Bakers, and Swing n’ Dix. His Latin-inspired interpretation of the Vivaldi Four Seasons, “Los Sazones” for Orchestra and Salsa Band, was commissioned and premiered by the Chicago Symphony and has been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which Jeff conducted. He is also a member of the groups of drummers Matt Wilson, Bobby Sanabria, and many other leading lights of the NY jazz, latin, and creative music scene and was included in the 2013 Downbeat Critics Poll. Bassist Rene Hart is a unique musician who draws from a wide range of influences. He has toured the world extensively, performing at major Jazz and multi-genre music festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Rene’s television appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Rene incorporates modern electronics with the traditional sound of the acoustic bass. He has recorded and performed with artists from David Amram, Julian Priester, Don Braden, and Mayra Melford to James Hunter, Anat Fort, Pete Seeger, and Bilal. Drummer Allison Miller defies all boundaries bringing her individual sound to diverse types of music while preserving their stylistic authenticity. Allison goes from playing with legendary songwriting vocalists Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlile, and Natalie Merchant to touring with avant-garde saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, legendary organist Doctor Lonnie Smith, and her own band, Boom Tic Boom. She approaches each of these musical situations with her own stylistic identity and a creative, fresh, and energetic approach. Allison was chosen as Rising Star Drummer in Downbeat’s 53rd and 58th Annual Critics Poll. from www.honeyeartrio.com
