The Desert Trio

The Desert Trio


Active: 2022 to present

Personnel:
   Art Lande (piano),
   Dwight Kilian (bass),
   Dom Moio (drums)


The band has been playing together since the early 2000s when Dwight moved to Arizona from Denver. The group has gotten stronger since 2019 when Art began living in Phoenix every winter. Weekly rehearsals at Art's studio in Anthem and concerts in the Phoenix area have given them the chance to create music that straddles the jazz tradition with each musicians freedom to contribute his ideas that show up in the present moment. The repertoire includes Jazz Standard's, modern jazz pieces by Joe Henderson, Ron, Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Carla Bley and others, as well as Art Lande originals. The group also ventures into improvisational storytelling (like sound movies).

Dom Moio started in the Reno Nevada scene playing with his guitarist brother as well as bassist Hans Holt (an Art Lande cohort). He and Dwight are the rhythm section of countless groups, both local and national, playing in Phoenix down to Tucson and up to Sedona. Dom (the prince of pasta) has a beautiful sense of time and he's a brilliant soloist with a great touch on the drum set. Dwight Killian (have motorboat will travel) is the Kansas native who played with Art in the Russian Dragon Band in Colorado in the 1990s. They recorded three CDs and played concerts in New York, California, and all over Colorado for a decade. His rich tone and heartful lyricism bring the bass to life whether plucking rhythm or sustaining with the bow.

Art Lande (sports fan deluxe) has been a vital part of the Colorado jazz scene since 1987. He recorded with ECM records in Germany for 20 years and toured Europe every year from 1973 to 2003. He has written over 500 compositions and finds fresh settings for old standards that bring their language into the present day. The members of the group are also active as teachers. Art has been the artist in residence at the University of Colorado for many years, and Dom has been mentoring the drummers at Arizona State University for a very long time. Dwight has done numerous workshops with Art and has helped the younger generation of improvising musicians through private lessons. Art wrote a book called Being Music with Mark Miller that talks about the process of being a conscious improviser and integrating music into daily life. Being Music is available from University Professors Press.

Now that Art is in Arizona every winter, the trio hopes to be more involved in the jazz scene, playing concerts and teaching in Phoenix and beyond. Keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming events. Check artlande.com for information, and certainly sign up for Where's Art to receive timely email updates about gigs, new albums, and what's going on with Art Lande. We look forward to sharing our music with you.

 

Bands

When Art returns to Colorado after wintering in Arizona, rehearsals get ramped-up, schedules expand and there is always a stack of new tunes to dig into. Check back often for the latest updates.