The Joe Ascione Trio

Born on 14 March 1961 in Brooklyn, New York City, Joseph Vincent Ascione took up music at age four. He gained proficiency on piano, guitar and bass yet devoted primary attention to drums. Academic training earned him degrees in both music and computer engineering, two disciplines he later fused. Although his tastes embraced nearly every genre, including classical, he first attracted notice as a jazz drummer. Performances in New York and across the country led to appearances at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, and subsequent festival and concert engagements extended his reputation abroad. Unlike many peers of his era, he pursued contemporary jazz while also thriving as a mainstream player, bringing verve, nuanced dynamics and fluid swing to the small-group settings where he anchored both live dates and recordings. The breadth of his work is reflected in associations with Ken Peplowski, Lars Erstrand, Herb Ellis, Howard Alden, Dan Barrett, Randy Sandke, Jon Faddis, Houston Person, Cab Calloway, Al Hirt and Dr. John. A recording saluting Buddy Rich underscores one key influence. He also instructs, serving part-time on the faculty of New York’s New School for Contemporary Jazz.

During the late 1990s he merged his dual passions by exploring music-technology applications on computers. In 1999, together with guitarist Frank Vignola, he launched an innovative website enabling musicians to download play-along tracks along with matching charts for any chosen instrument. The service spans jazz, rock, funk, blues, Cuban, Brazilian and additional styles.