Okonski

Okonski is a jazz trio from Asheville, North Carolina, made up of Steve Okonski, Aaron Frazer and Michael “Ish” Montgomery. The group centres on pianist Steve Okonski, who is trained as a classical pianist and leads the project under his surname.

Formation and recording process

The trio begins work in winter 2020, when Steve Okonski invites Montgomery and Frazer to make an album. The project first starts as a planned set of beat-driven, fully composed trio instrumentals, but the work develops through improvisation.

A second recording period follows in summer 2021, when the group aims to capture the more spontaneous material that emerges from the first session. During that later session, the tracks are improvised and recorded live to a Tascam 388 at Colemine HQ in Loveland, Ohio. The performances are shaped collectively, with the trio’s intuition determining the melodies and overall structure.

Connections

The group records at the studio at 122 West Loveland Avenue, a familiar space for Steve Okonski. The location is associated with Colemine Records, which has set up shop in Loveland and hosts visiting acts. All three members also have connections to Durand Jones and the Indications.