The Nathan Bickart Trio composes and improvises from a deeply collaborative aesthetic, valuing folk-song melodies that hold audience members in rapt attention, recognizing that three notes played in unity are stronger than 300 played apart. They build upon the piano trio traditions of artists ranging from Ahmad Jamal to Robert Glasper, recognizing the ways in which musical and spiritual practices can be folded into our complex and busy modern existence. The trio released their debut album ‘Poem’ on March 28th, 2018, and toured the West Coast of the United States in support of the album. Most recently, the Trio composed and premiered a 4-movement piece entitled ‘Gravity Sweet’, a multi-media reflection on human relationship to land, in April 2022, with support from InterMusic SF.
Nathan's compositions and improvisations navigate the inner spaces between jazz, folk, and soul musics, melting together discarded records and old baseball cards and browning Bay leaves to create a heartening night of tunes, good for dancing or lounging or lingering in the moonlight just a little longer. You can find Nathan performing with a diverse array of Bay Area artists, including vocalists Christelle Durandy, Lilan Kane, and as part of the duo DADÉ with drummer/producer Marshall Williams. He is also cares for creeks and rivers alongside the good people of Urban Tilth, an environmental justice non-profit in Richmond, CA.