The Invaders Trio is a piano trio started in Berkeley California, featuring Mitch on piano, George Ban-Weiss on bass, and Jeff Marrs on drums.  These days in NYC the trio regularly features Brian Fishler on Drums and Leon Boykins on Bass.  We’ve got an album now too…check it out! (click on it to hear/buy)

This group was started as a way to showcase new compositions by Mitch that focused on the piano.  The Trio brings together a number of diverse elements to create a sound unique to the standard piano trio.  The Trio plays through-composed melodies intertwined with free improvisation, all the while swinging, mixed-meter grooves with intensity and a lively, dynamic interplay.  Inspired by the likes of Ahmad Jamal,  and Medeski, Martin, Wood in the same breath.

The repertoire is an almost completely different set of music than the MMQ, with a few rearranged pieces set to fit this group and ever-evolving.  Below are some selections from a concert at Berkeley’s historic Hillside Club.

Why Not Grape Pie?

Violet Wreath

Ban-Stan

Jolly Carton