Trio Grande is the newest incarnation of Sean Driscoll Group. Its origins can be traced back as far as 1995, when the core trio-- Sean Driscoll (composer/guitar), Christian Fabian (bass) and Antonio Sanchez (drums) joined forces while attending Berklee School of Music. After honing their chops in many of Boston's best-known Jazz clubs, the trio, along with Bill Vint (saxophone), Patrik Andren (piano/keyboards) and Doug Hinrichs (percussion), released a self-titled CD (Sean Driscoll Group). Two of the songs from the CD were entered in Musician Magazine's Best Unsigned Band Contest, and after numerous rounds, Sean Driscoll Group was judged the winner, beating out more than 3,000 other entries. Judges included such music industry heavyweights as Steve Winwood, Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), Adrian Belew (Frank Zappa, David Bowie), Pat Metheny, Juliana Hatfield and Jimmy Jam, illustrating the band's appeal beyond Jazz fans.
In 1998, the group released a second CD titled islands, which was also met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. It garnered praise from The Jazz Review, which noted that "The entire CD features track after track of beautiful tunes that carry the listener to another dimension…Sean marches to the beat of his own drummer. This is refreshing when you consider how difficult it is these days to maintain some semblance of originality..."
The group was offered a recording deal with Atlantic Records and a publishing deal with an independent publisher, but Sean felt both arrangements gave him far too little control over the music and turned down both offers. Instead, he felt that a move to New York City would challenge and push the band further. After studying and performing with some of the greatest Jazz performers and innovators, such as Lionel Hampton, Pat Metheny, Wayne Krantz, Dave Holland and Michael Brecker, the original core members of Sean Driscoll Group reunited for another recording, this time adding Brad Mason on Flugelhorn. Again featuring the expansive writing of Sean Driscoll and the effortless interaction and improvisations of all members of the group, Trio Grande establishes this band as one to watch on the forefront of the Jazz scene.
SEAN DRISCOLL GROUP
Formed in Boston Massachusetts 1994, the members of Sean Driscoll Group met while attending college. Despite their different nationalities,
(American, Mexican, Swedish and Venezuelan), and their musical backgrounds (from the jazz of John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny and Weather
Report, to the music of South America and the Afro-Cuban sound) it was their common love for jazz and it's many incarnations that brought them
together and gives them their strong, cohesive sound.
After many performances throughout the New England area, they recorded a CD which was completed in late 1995. The CD received
overwhelmingly positive reviews in local and national press. A few months later, the group entered Musician Magazine's "Best Unsigned Band
Contest". After numerous rounds and final judging of the more than 3000 bands that entered, Sean Driscoll Group was chosen as one of the
twelve winners.
The group recently released their second CD entitled "Islands" and relocated from Boston to New York City. The band's current lineup is: Sean
Driscoll-guitar, Bill Vint-saxes, Patrik Andrén-piano and keyboards, Carlos Sanoja-bass, Antonio Sánchez-drums and Doug Hinrichs-
percussion. In addition to being an accomplished composer, Sean Driscoll's guitar playing has been described as: "...his phrasing transcends
the limits of his instrument, combining energy with horn-like fluidity." Members of the group have performed with some of the biggest names in
Jazz and World Music including: Pat Metheny, Paquito D'Rivera, Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Danillo Perez, Steve Smith, Zakir Hussein, Dave
Brubeck, Tiger Okoshi and Mick Goodrick.