About The Paul Ukena Trio:
If you experienced much New York City Theater in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, you probably caught Paul Ukena in performance.
If you saw the original Broadway cast of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas or The Will Rogers Follies, or were lucky to see Raul Julia’s Three Penny Opera at Lincoln Center, or Philip Bosco’s The Devil’s Disciple at Circle in the Square, you’ve seen the actor Paul Ukena.
After a couple of decades treading the boards on and Off-Broadway, the BMI composer Paul Ukena returned to his creative first love, the acoustic guitar, and something he always wanted to do, fronting a band that played his original songs and those of his favorite composers, from James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, to Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, to Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Paul’s melodious baritone voice, nimble-fingered playing, and ear for arranging music all blend seamlessly in clever collaboration with his guitarist sidemen, music industry veteran Left Frank Krupit, and the indie acoustic scene’s T Spoon Phillips, who is totally digging his first foray through Tin Pan Alley and the standards of mid-century Jazz, in the company of such talented artists.
Together, the Paul Ukena Trio spark a lively musical conversation of spontaneity and mutual inspiration that we hope you will enjoy half as much as we do.