The Zach Bartholomew Trio is a fresh, young group devoted to bringing swinging, straight-ahead jazz to the ears of listeners. They have a wide repertoire that ranges from the classic jazz standards to daring originals. The ZBT has been performing together since the spring of 2009. Their sound comes from a lineage of great jazz trios that they’ve studied: The Ahmad Jamal Trio, The Oscar Peterson Trio, The Bill Evans Trio, The Brad Mehldau Trio, and The Marcus Roberts Trio. Each member contributes his own unique experiences, musical tastes, and personality to the sound of the group as a whole. The trio has experience playing at clubs, restaurants, weddings, private events, music festivals, and on cruises.

Each member contributes his own unique experiences, musical tastes, and personality to the sound of the group as a whole. Zach Bartholomew has a bold, unique approach to the piano which draws from influences ranging from James P. Johnson to Brad Mehldau. He uses intricate rhythms and melodic lines for building and developing ideas while improvising. In addition to the intellectual complexities of Zach’s approach, there is a deep-rooted sense of swing at the foundation of everything he plays. Miles Bozeman has mastered the ability to compliment the piano and bass without being an overpowering force on the drums. His swing and rhythmic nuances add a musical voice and texture that complete the trio’s sound. Brandon Robertson contributes a sense of modern hip hop and jazz from the rhythmic standpoint of the bass. He creates bass lines that groove hard, yet keep a melodic touch to the music. He supports the band by keeping the feel of swing and incorporating modern styles into the music.

The trio has performed throughout the Southeast at jazz venues in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Washington DC, and has also traveled overseas to Europe to present their music. Additionally, the ZBT has had the honor of appearing as guest performers and clinicians at Blake Performing Arts High School, have been featured in Florida State University’s newspaper, the FSView, in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010, and have been featured in The Jazz Club of Sarasota’s Jazz at Two series.

The ZBT plays all of their music from memory. This allows them to focus on the music and on improvisation. To help give their improvisation organization and coherence they create tight arrangements of the tunes they play. This provides a nice balance which permits the group to be completely expressive and keep a sense of structure. Each member brings some modern-day flavor to the trio as well as a deep-rooted love for the American music we call jazz. They have a great respect for the past and are looking to contribute something of their own to the music in the future.

If you would like the Zach Bartholomew Trio to play at your club, festival, restaurant, wedding reception, community event, or private party, please send an e-mail to zbtrio@gmail.com or call 850.545.6526.