From the 3/15/15 performance:

Bio

Pianist/Composer Larry Bitensky invited Guitarist/Composer Daniel Worley to sit in on electric guitar during a recording session of structured improvisations played on a piano tuned to quarter-comma meantone. After maybe two takes, Larry coaxed Multi-Instrumentalist (understatement) Nathan Link to join on acoustic bass. They recorded enough material for 2 albums in 3 days. Their debut album, The Nature of Three was released June 2015.

"I think of it as a sort of experimental jazz trio. The songs are Bitensky originals for the most part, but they are structured very loosely, so that about 90% of what we do is improvised. The songs have the same feel every time we play them, but the details are always different. Nate usually keeps a steady kind of groove on the bass and Dan and I tend to just fly off in different directions. We also play some cover tunes that we've adapted to our own sound. There is definitely an influence on my end from jazz, Indian and Arabic classical music, and contemporary classical music."

"One of the unique things about our sound is that I have my piano tuned to what is called "mean tone" tuning or temperament. It is a tuning that hasn't been used since the Renaissance but is closer to the natural overtones. The result is that I can't play in some keys, but the keys I can play in are particularly beautiful and sweet. So the mellow tunes that we do can be really hypnotic and "feel good." It's a real challenge for Dan, since he has to bend most of his notes to stay in tune with me. As far as I know no one has adapted this tuning to contemporary uses."

"Our history: I began playing around with this tuning and creating some structured improvisations last spring. I enlisted Dan's help in recording these over the summer. He brought his guitar to the recording sessions and once we started playing together it was clear that we had an instant rapport musically. Nate was around as well so we enlisted him for the remaining recording sessions, and he fit in perfectly. The remaining recording sessions produced the album "The Nature of Three" which we are planning to officially release this spring." -- Larry Bitensky

“A truly magical experience” – Suehyun Choi
“Listening to Trace Trio is transporting. Their improvised conversations are a great trip” – Judith Jia
“Their music lifts you up and takes you for an amazing ride! Close your eyes and go!” – Katherine Nelsen