by Francesca Merwin, staff writer

Picture this:  It’s a Friday evening and you find yourself at the grocery store. You’re hungry, a little grumpy and looking forward to Friday night plans.  Wegmans is packed and you’re feeling overwhelmed.  Then you make out the sound of live jazz that makes you stop, smile and exhale.  Yes, that is a three-piece jazz trio playing at the café.  And you recognize it, from of all places, the Connective Corridor bus.

Surprisingly, this is a regular occurrence. The Bill Horrace Band of Syracuse actually plays live shows just like this, every month at Wegmans. “I think a lot of people think jazz can only be played in clubs and restaurants,” notes band member and pianist Dave Solazzo. “It’s nice to take the music and put it in a different setting. You’re able to reach people that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to reach.”

Funny enough, Wegmans isn’t even the craziest place that the trio performs. Three months ago, they delighted riders on a Connective Corridor bus by playing a 40 minute jazz concert while the bus was moving! “It was bumpy, interesting and fun,” explains Bill Horrace, member and stand-up bassist for the band. “It was cool! People didn’t expect to see us playing there.”

Playing jazz in unconventional settings was not initially the band’s goal.  It formed when Horrace came to teach economics at Syracuse University in 2002. He met Solazzo after seeing him play a gig in the city. They kept in touch, and connected in 2009, forming the Solazzo-Horrace Duo, which evolved into the SoHo Trio. They found guitarist Tom Bronzetti and decided to become the Bill Horrace Band in 2010. They now play several live shows a month at community venues such as Phoebe’s and Dolce Vita, while also thinking outside the box and trying out new performance venues.

“It’s more of performance art than just playing music,” explains Horrace. “If you can do something unique or weird with it, like playing in a bus, then why not?” he laughs.

The band is known for its unique blend of traditional and contemporary, mixing up jazz standards, modern pieces such as Coldplay, and original work.  “It’s a way to make jazz more accessible, which I think is our real goal as a band” notes Solazzo.

Perhaps one of the trio’s most exciting projects is the brand new Jazz Vocal Project which partners with students from Syracuse University’s Department of Drama to perform jazz standards at Phoebe’s and Syracuse Stage. The students are enrolled in an experience course taught by voice instructor Rebecca Karpoff and Horrace. “It gives drama students the chance to sing jazz in a club setting and perform solo jazz vocals,” Horrace comments. “The idea is that if they go to NYC and try to make it on Broadway, they’ll be able to go to a club and they’ll know the jazz standards.”

“It’s our way of giving back to the community,” Horrace concludes.

To catch an April Jazz Vocal Project performance:

• April 19 and 26, 8 p.m., Phoebe’s, 900 E. Genesee St.
• April 19 and 25, 6 p.m., prior to evening performances of “The Brothers Size” at Syracuse Stage

The band also does a gig at BC restaurant on the first Friday of every month and performs monthly at the Red House Café. For a full list of their performances and for more information, visit the Bill Horrace Band’s website. Many performances are located at venues that are just steps off the Connective Corridor, a FREE bus service.