Embark on a colorful and delightful journey through free jazz and improvisation, where familiar melodic hooks anchor you, the listener, as you sail across a mesmerizing sea of sound wave bliss. You are now in the capable and imaginative hands of Youngbloods Trio.
The Youngbloods Trio is brought to life by Eric Wurzelbacher (tenor saxophone), Justin Dawson (double bass), and Phil Tipton (drums). The trio naturally blossomed after a few happenstance gigs, fueled by a spirit of fun, excitement, and effortlessness. Their lighthearted approach serves as a prime example of how bands can embrace spontaneity and creativity. The group rarely discusses setlists before performing, keeping the music as pure and spontaneous as possible. Without words, the trio relies on trust, nonverbal cues, and building on each other’s ideas—always prioritizing the music above all else. This vibrant and organic chemistry is likely why they’ve captivated so many live audiences.
The Youngbloods Trio EP takes artistry to new heights, blending well-known melodies with impromptu exploration that can go in any direction. Engineer Nolan Monigold beautifully captured the band in their true essence. Highlights of the EP include their renditions of Just the Two of Us, Come Together, and Ain’t No Sunshine, which dance playfully between peaceful familiarity and bold improvisation. The tracks showcase evocative instrumental storytelling—such as the enchanting way the saxophone dances through Come Together—creating a truly captivating listening experience. The seven-song EP strikes the perfect balance, appealing to both traditional jazz enthusiasts and younger listeners with its vibrant energy and familiar melodies. As Big Takeover aptly described, the music is “something that straddles the line between old school and new school.”
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Who would be a dream collaboration for you?
If I were to name all of the musicians that I’d love to collaborate with, this interview would be eternal, but if I had to pick one, I would have to go with Kenny Garrett. His compositions and approach to the horn have made such an impact on me. I’ve listened to his music so much that I almost feel like I’ve collaborated with him/ know him already. His energy is such a part of how I approach music. That’s the beautiful thing about music, the energy can continuously be dispersed without ever running out, in fact it can continue to grow and be transferred in different forms. Of course it would be very cool to actually collaborate, speak in depth, and play alongside him. Honestly though, what he has contributed to music and the saxophone alone is enough for me to continue to digest for a lifetime. As a matter of fact, two of the songs we decided to cover on Youngbloods Trio are because of Kenny; his original “Wayne’s Thang” and “Night and Day”, both from the album Triology (1995).
Top 5 favorite albums of all time?
My answer for this would change if you were to ask me next week, but once again I’ll do my best here. In no particular order:
“Songbook” – Kenny Garrett
“Spirit of the Moment: Live at the Village Vanguard” – Joshua Redman Quartet
“Physical Graffiti” – Led Zeppelin
“Superunknown” – Soundgarden
“Aquemini” – Outkast
Who would you like to tour with?
Currently, I would love to tour (as an opening act perhaps) with Donny McCaslin. The music he is currently putting out and performing would compliment the direction I’m trying to take my music and push it in new directions ideally. Plus, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the guy a handful of times over the past couple of years through shows/ festivals and he is a fantastic, very nice human being. I think it would all jive pretty well.
Love the energy and vibe from your focus on fun, trust and freedom with the band. Is there a message that listeners should get from The Youngbloods Trio?
I appreciate that description of the band – I think that’s pretty accurate actually. This album was really a microscopic view of a particular moment in time. I remember it very well – we recorded the whole thing in about 3 hrs on a Sunday morning (during a Bengals game). The reason I say that is because it didn’t take 6 months to a year of overdubbing and sculpting into a perfectly clean, pretty product like a typical studio recording. We turned on the microphones and did two full takes max on each tune. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to start and end, but other than that nothing was discussed… I think there’s something unique and beautiful about that. It requires a lot of trust, letting go, and acceptance of the current moment. I had just come off of a heavily arranged album with months of tweaking and overdubbing, so it was a really nice change. To wrap it all up, I would say the message is that it’s okay to let go and expose your true self. Did I feel vulnerable and slightly embarrassed about some of my playing after listening? Yes, but I think that’s only natural. However, it IS me and some of those “mistakes” in the recordings happened while I was giving it my all. Most importantly, I felt something real happening while playing. I had fun and felt like the interaction between everyone playing was genuine. What more can you do, really?
What’s next for you?
I’ve been on a cover song kick lately… the last two albums have been all covers. This is something I hadn’t really expected considering that my first four albums were all original compositions; there was a time where I was kind of opposed to covering songs. Admittedly, I have had a creative dry spell for the past couple of years (at least for writing original music). This has actually given me the opportunity to cover some songs and create some projects I had wanted to for a few years. I think I was honestly creatively depleted after four albums – at least for my headspace and life experience at the time. However, it’s been a couple years since my last original album (2021) and after some difficult self reflection and just trying to progress as a human, I do have an idea of where I’d like to take things. Intermittently, I have released a few original singles in this “cover song” phase of mine, but the idea wasn’t strong enough to put together a whole album. Now, I think it is, or at least I actually have the vision of where it needs to go. This is still a working title, but the next project will be original and be called something like “meditations” or “reflections”. I’m excited because this next album will definitely be the most deeply personal thing I’ve ever put out and I hope will impact listeners in a very positive, unifying way.
