Joshua White Trio to perform Feb. 10

Music fans will get a treat on Feb. 10 when The Joshua White Trio performs at the Rancho Bernardo Library.

Part of the Friends of the Rancho Bernardo Library’s ongoing jazz concert series, The Joshua White Trio will perform a free concert from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. in the community room on the second floor of the library, 17110 Bernardo Center Drive.

The concert is open to the public. While it is free, donations are encouraged as they defray the costs of the professional performers.

Though he’s often called one of San Diego’s leading jazz pianists, White himself hesitates to restrict his sound to one genre of music. “I just call it music (not jazz),” said White, who will be joined in his performance by Dean Hulett on bass and Dan Schnelle on drums.

White began playing piano when he was 7, training with a private instructor. While at first he studied classical piano, he expanded into gospel and jazz as he grew up. “As I studied, jazz (piano) became my main focus,” said White.

White has studied with several well-known musicians in the Southern California jazz community, including Anthony Davis, David Borgo, Holly Hofmann and Mike Wofford. In 2011, he entered the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition in Washington D.C. and placed second out of 160 worldwide competitors.

Though he hasn’t released any albums of his own as a leader, White has performed with several other musicians on their own albums. “I’m in no rush (to record an album),” said White.

White also performs with a quartet of his own, along with many other jazz groups in Southern California. He has previously performed at the library as a guest musician with jazz trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos in 2013.

He can be seen performing regularly at Dizzy’s in San Diego, the Blue Whale in Los Angeles, The Loft and the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, both in La Jolla.

White said that concert attendees can expect a mix of his own original work and pieces from the Great American Songbook, done in his own style. White said he adapts every show to how the audience reacts.

The jazz concert series will continue with Peter Prague performing a show of Brazilian jazz on March 9, John Hall and the Chicago Six performing on April 13, and the Bill Cabellero Quintent finishing up the season on May 11 by performing Afro-Cuban Latin-style jazz.

For more information on White, visit www.joshuawhite.com or www.facebook.com/JoshuaWhite.MusicPage.