The Jazz Therapy Trio brings together three seasoned Bay Area musicians for an evening of introspective, lyrical jazz. Pianist Ben Stolorow leads the ensemble, drawing on classical influences and modern jazz sensibilities shaped by studies with Fred Hersch, Stanley Cowell, and David Hazeltine. A UC Berkeley graduate and Jazzschool faculty member, Stolorow has performed at Yoshi’s, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, and festivals throughout the Bay Area and Japan. The SF Chronicle describes him as “a pianist with a gift for crafting alluring melodies that cry out for lyrics” who “interprets every piece with poise and purpose.”

On bass is Heshima Mark Williams, a native San Franciscan and a neighbor of the store when we first opened in 1999, living in Berkeley now. As a youth, he studied under the first classical bassist in the Boston Symphony, Dr. Ortiz Walton, and through the five decades since, he’s played with countless top musicians from Taj Mahal and Albert King to Bobby Hutcherson and Eddie Henderson, often heard here in the bands of Avotcja (Modupue) and Idris Ackamoor (The Pyramids) and as a sideman with many more local greats.

Drummer David Rokeach completes the trio. With over 30 years of professional experience, Rokeach has toured and recorded with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, and Joe Henderson, and currently teaches at Stanford University.

Stolorow’s playing blends post-bop sophistication with a light, confident touch. His 2011 album Almost There showcases his interactive approach to the trio format, while his 2014 duo recording Duocracy with trumpeter Ian Carey earned praise for its “understated eloquence” and “harmonic gifts” (Bop-n-Jazz). The Ottawa Citizen noted Stolorow’s work as “a sensitive and varied accompanist” who finds “different ways to keep the tune moving forward.”

Expect the trio to explore American Songbook standards, modern jazz classics, and Stolorow’s shapely originals with the kind of interactive interplay that makes piano trio jazz so compelling. This is music for listening — thoughtful, melodic, and unhurried.