"Together, the FAB Trio has uncommon cohesiveness and passionate positive energy. All three players write nice tunes that reflect the group's orderly, muscular mainstream approach."

"If you have a high-resolution audio system, the power and depth of Amy Shook's bass on "Just You/Just Me" will remind you why you spent all that money."

~Thomas Conrad, Jazztimes Magazine, Oct. 2007~

Since it's inception in early 2006, the FAB Trio has become
one of the most in-demand jazz ensembles in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, not only as a trio, but also as a burnin' ready-made rhythm section in the area's jazz venues and night clubs, backing various local
and national jazz artists. Individually, each of these three musicians are masters in their own right, but as a trio, they are unsurpassed as a powerful, groovin', fine-tuned instrument. Through their deep understanding of the jazz tradition, they have truly developed their own sound, and express it intuitively and passionately in their arrangements and performances of both jazz standards, as well as in their own compositions. It simply doesn't get any better than this...the FAB Trio is FABulous!

Amy (bass) had been working separately in different ensembles
with both Frank (drums) and Bob (piano) for over two years
before they ever worked together as a trio. Frank and Amy were,
and are, highly regarded for their uncanny intuitive interplay and
solid groove, and are often hired as a rhythm section team for
various groups. They also co-lead their own quartet (with Amy's husband, saxophonist Pat Shook, and pianist Tim Young) The
Shook-Russo Quartet (hear them on Summit Records' The
Shook-Russo Quartet Featuring Greg Gisbert, DCD 458, and So Far From Home, DCD 526). Bob and Amy played steadily as a duo, and were also often hired as a rhythm section team, due not only to the incredible groove they always provided, but also to the immense number of tunes present in their mutual repertoires. While playing as a duo, Amy
and Bob began writing new music to perform together. So when the opportunity finally arose for these three talents to play together, it was as if they'd been made for just such a purpose. They ended up meshing immediately, both musically and as friends. They were featured at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millennium Stage (archived online for viewing at:
http://kennedycenter.org/programs/millennium/schedule.html,
on July 6, 2006, click here to watch), and shortly after, they realized it was inevitable that they go into the studio to document their amazing musical chemistry and shared passion for America's one true musical art form, jazz. Here you have the evidence of what is certain to be the first of many such fantastically intense and joyful musical offerings by this amazing trio.

Frank Russo, originally from the New York City area, is one of the premier drummers in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. He completed a distinguished career with the Naval Academy Band, has toured internationally, and is currently the professor of Drum Set Studies at Towson University in Maryland. Because of his incredible adaptability and excellent sight-reading skills, Frank is highly in demand and is an integral part of every group he performs with. He has developed his own voice on the drums, and is sought after for the integrity he brings to the music. His previous recordings have gained national recognition in publications such as Downbeat, Jazztimes, and Modern Drummer. His insight and understanding of music has provided a vital role in developing the amazingly cohesive sound of the FAB Trio.

Bassist Amy Shook was born and raised in Idaho, and is now one of the most in-demand upright bassists in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, coveted for her huge sound, driving groove and supportive musicianship. She is an incredibly versatile musician who enjoys playing jazz standards as well as new music by her local colleagues. She is an accomplished composer, and her personality truly comes through in her writing. She has received national recognition in reviews of the album Uncertain Path by the Rob Levit Trio, a trio she performs regularly in with drummer Frank Russo. As a result, she was featured in Bassics magazine on their CD Sampler published with the magazine. Amy consistently provides a solid foundation on every bandstand, and is the integral bridge between groove and harmony in the FAB Trio.

To say that Bob Butta plays fist fulls of piano would be an understatement. A native of Baltimore, Bob has performed throughout his career with some of the greatest jazz artists of our time, which in turn, has placed him highest on everyone's list for who to call when you need a piano player. For years and years he was the house pianist in such local jazz venues such as "The One Step Down" and "The Jazz Closet," and he led a trio that backed the "heavy-hitters" that came to town to perform. He has more than earned this place of honor, having played with the likes of Gary Bartz (appearing on two recordings, Reflections Of Monk: The Final Frontier, and The Sun Song), Sonny Fortune, Sonny Stitt, Curtis Fuller, Clifford Jordan, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Junior Cook, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Henderson, Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, Buster Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Leibman, Jimmy Snidero, Buddy Tate, Mark Murphy, Keeter Betts, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Morgan, Billy Hart, Terrence Blanchard, Ralph Moore, Bob Mintzer, Roy Hargrove, Grover Washington, Emily Remler, Louie Bellson, James Moody, Marshall Allen, Buck Hill, Harold White, and David "Fathead" Newman to name a few. He can be heard on many other recordings, and his own previously released album, Windows, features late, great drummer Mike Smith, and bassist Paul Langosh (Tony Bennett's bass player). Bob is a remarkably powerful soloist, displaying incredible concept, groove, and sound, and is coveted for his supportive comping. It is these skills that help to define and round-out the powerful sound of the FAB Trio.