“This polished band more than capably covers a lot of hip turf: hard bop, jazz-rock, Monk, Mingus, New Orleans funk, even a snatch of Led Zeppelin." -- Tom Surowicz, Star Tribune

“Evoking emotions from broody contemplation to giddy exuberance.” --Don Berryman, Jazz Police

Good things come in threes, the saying goes, and in jazz that often comes in the form of a trio. Such is the case with Triplicate, a collaboration featuring Joel Shapira on guitar, Bruce “Pooch” Heine on bass, and Dave Stanoch on drums. Performing rather irregularly these days, Triplicate takes the stage at Hell’s Kitchen on Thursday, January 7th.

Triplicate grew out of informal jam sessions as the three musicians developed their own repertoire of original compositions and arrangements. Their unwavering allegiance to presenting their work as a collaborative unit has paid off in critical and popular acclaim as well as diverse bookings, including appearances at The Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, KBEM Winter Jazz Festival and Grand Marais Jazz Festival; at the Artists' Quarter and Dakota jazz clubs; as opening acts for touring artists at The Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater and the Cedar Cultural Center. The trio has released two recordings, its self-named debut in 2001 (nominated for the Minnesota “Grammy” for best jazz album) and Dawn and Age in 2005. Described by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as “dedicated, democratic, dogged in their vision yet never myopic,” Triplicate stretches the boundaries of jazz into global realms with exquisite results.

The Boys in the Band

Once a rocker with the band Boy Elroy in the 80s, guitarist Joel Shapira has appeared with such international artists as Jack McDuff, Bernard Purdie and Herb Graham, Jr. His many projects include small jazz ensembles, classical duets with saxophonist Paul Harper (Sunset Park Music), a popular duo with Charmin Michelle (Charmin and Shapira), the edgy quintet Pooch’s Playhouse, and holding down the guitar chair for the Bella Gala Big Band. Joel has performed with a long list of Twin Cities artists such as Dean Magraw, Doug Little, Pete Whitman, Larry McDonough, Vic Volare and many vocalists, including Lee Engele, Signe Hensel, Judi Donaghy and more. Schooled at Berklee in Boston and Mannes in New York, Joel has studied with Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Sharon Isbin and Anthony Cox, and teaches privately in Roseville.

Bassist Bruce “Pooch” Heine has an eclectic resume that includes work with Mose Allison, Jack McDuff, Bob Mintzer, Bob Berg, Barrett Deems, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Paul Wertico, Jim Rotodni, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Joan Rivers. Locally he’s played with the Cedar Avenue Big Band, Eddie Berger, Chris Lomheim, Christine Rosholt, Jay Epstein and Big Walter Smith, as well as with local and touring theater productions; he lends his name as well as bass to Pooch’s Playhouse. Pooch teaches bass and trombone at St. Cloud State University.

Freelance and studio musician Dave Stanoch has handled the trapset for a multitude of diverse artists, including Jack McDuff, Ben Sidran, Bernard Purdie, Clyde Stubblefield, Herb Ellis, Hiram Bullock, Stanley Jordan, Anthony Cox, Bobby Bradford, Mary Wilson, the New Kids on the Block, Shirley Jones, Robert Goulet, Charo, Joan Rivers and Shari Lewis, as well as the Minnesota Orchestra and the Empire Brass. He’s studied with such giants as Max Roach, Jeff Hamilton, and Ignacio Berroa, and has taught at MacNally Smith for over a decade. Dave performs regularly with the Ellen Lease/Pat Moriarty Quintet in addition to Triplicate.

Triplicate appears at Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis (80 S. 9th Street), 8-11 pm on January 7th.