An unanticipated outgrowth of a recurring gig, the Ben O’Neill Trio formed in 2023 as a playful, improvisatory combination of Ben’s love of both classic jazz recordings and popular song from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The trio merges the heartfelt, beautiful nostalgia of artists like The Ronettes, Patsy Cline, Paul Simon and the exquisite songbooks of composers like A.C. Jobim and Rogers and Hart, with an exploratory spirit of fluid and evolving arrangements.
One of the primary features of the group is the creative reimagining of form as a way to improvise through a tune rather than over it. These expeditions, improvised from week to week on the gig, felt to Ben like the unqualified, exuberant play that drew him to music at a young age. Unexpected Flock is a short document, a snap shot in time, of a few of these journeys through the group’s diverse repertoire.
Unexpected Flock features Shane Aaserud (https://shaneadam.art/) on upright bass and Mikel Patrick Avery (https://www.mikelpatrickavery.com/) on drums. As one of Ben’s long-time collaborators, Shane is perfectly situated to anticipate and respond to tone, timing and direction, and his innate and driving sense of rhythm is integral to the heartbeat of the trio. A fast friend in creativity, Mikel brings a uniquely broad and sensitive musical understanding to Ben’s vision of the jazz guitar trio. Mikel’s inherent awareness and singular ability to add texture greatly enriches the group’s presentation.