Project Trio hits the big charts

Congratulations to Project Trio. Their latest CD, Random Roads Collection, debuted this week at No. 15 on Billboard's classical music charts and, in a rare feat, simultaneously debuted at No. 17 on the trade magazine's jazz charts.

Project Trio consists of Greg Pattillo on flute, Eric Stephenson on cello and Dallas' own Peter Seymour on double bass. They compose a lot of their own tunes, but have also covered everyone from Beethoven to Guns 'n' Roses. Their YouTube videos have amassed an phenomenal 70 million viewings, making them one of the most viewed chamber music ensembles on the Internet.

The three musicians got together in 1996 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, but it wasn't until 2005 when they actually gathered as a trio for the first time. As conceived by Seymour, the band wanted to become a classical chamber group that incorporated jazz and rock music but also conducted educational outreach programs as part of their performing and touring schedule. As a result, they have performed in concert halls, clubs and classrooms. They have appeared at Montreaux, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, South By Southwest, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, They have played concerts in 35 states as well as in Hong Kong and throughout Europe, Australia and Canada.

I first met Peter when he was a student at the Arts Magnet in downtown Dallas. Somehow, he and my son became the best of friends (they are still best friends today) and that's how I got to know Peter and his marvelously gifted family. In 1997, Down Beat magazine gave Peter its award as the best jazz solist. After graduating from Booker T., Peter went off to the Cleveland Institute of Music and later received a master's from Rice University, studying under the legendary Paul Ellison.

The attached video, a song that appears on Random Roads Collection, will give you a taste of Project Trio.