Today I have another treat for Jazz fans of a Jazz Piano Trio. Billy Test is a talented and creative young Composer, Arranger and Educator. While still young, Billy has an amazing resume that includes holding the piano chair with the Grammy Award Winning WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany since 2018. Billy is an alumnus of the Jazz studies at William Paterson University in New Jersey. He also was awarded his master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He has won many musical awards including being a finalist in the American Pianists Awards and second place in the 2017 Montreal Solo Piano Competition.
Billy's piano playing and composing blends the Jazz emotions of joy, sorrows and Blues perfectly and incorporates his classical background skills to produce fresh improvisations and wonderful compositions.
Joining Billy on "Coming Down Roses" are two seasoned pros who have been playing together as a trio since 2018. Evan Gregor is on Bass and Ian Froman is on Drums. The trio was formed in 2018 and has developed a close musical relationship. The focus of the trio has been on performing Billy's original compositions along with lesser-played songs from the "Great American Songbook". This is Billy Test's debut as a bandleader.
I have attached two YouTube videos for your listening pleasure. The first is a fresh approach to the Cole Porter standard "All Of You". The second is a Billy Test original and the title tune from his CD, "Coming Down Roses". I know you will enjoy this CD and I expect we will be hearing a lot more from The Billy Test Trio.
PLAYLIST:
1. All of You
2. Spinning
3. Fate
4. Hardly
5. Empty Spaces
6. Coming Down Roses
7. The Prince
8. Mother's Day with Freud
9. Belonging
PLAYERS:
Billy Test- Piano
Evan Gregor- Bass
Ian Froman- Drums
" Coming Down Roses"
