NO COVER 4:30pm Show
JVP’s Little Trio is drummer Joey Van Phillips’s forward-leaning small‑ensemble project, featuring a rotating lineup drawn from some of the Twin Cities’ finest improvisers. Most often appearing as a piano trio, the group explores traditional and modern jazz while incorporating broader influences from Van Phillips's work across genres. The result is a sound grounded in the jazz tradition yet continually refreshed by the musicians who bring it to life.
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Joey Van Phillips is a drummer, percussionist, father, husband, actuary, television enthusiast, little-league coach, and chicken wing expert. A third-generation drummer and versatile musician, Joey has written for, recorded with, and performed with Dessa, Aby Wolf, Jonatha Brooke, and the Grammy award–winning Minnesota Orchestra. In 2017, Joey released his debut album, Punch Bowl. To read more about this endeavor, visit his incredibly outdated website.
Graydon Peterson is a bassist and composer living in Minneapolis. He regularly performs with a variety of vocalists and small ensembles, including Arne Fogel, Wayne Anthony, Firebell, Snowblind, Charanga Tropical, Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, Tropical Zone Orchestra, D’Lakes, Babatunde Leah’s “Rhythm’s Mama,” and ThoughtCast. Peterson has accompanied world-renowned jazz drummer Francisco Mela for a series of concerts in Havana, Cuba. He has also performed with Delfeayo Marsalis, Gary Bartz, Randy Brecker, Ben Wendel, Jorge Pacheco, and Mayito Rivera. Peterson is also the founder of a successful jam session held every week at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon in northeast Minneapolis. A consummate accompanist, writer, and arranger, he has become one of the backbones of the jazz scene in the Twin Cities.
With over a decade of performance experience, Joe Strachan has accompanied dance on the piano, performed on synths and electronics, and composed for a diverse range of collaborations in dance and theater. His recent work has included performing Terry Riley's “In C” with six musicians and 18 dancers, touring with Craig Finn and Mixed Blood Theatre, and performing locally with ThoughtCast, Ahndendet, Charanga Tropical, Little Boat, and Adam Zahllers’ Wheel Eternal. Joe’s work has been recognized with awards such as the Next Step Fund (2020).
