"The program said 'Art Hirahara Trio,' and that was enough to earn a priority spot on my schedule. But the program was wrong. What really took the stage on Saturday evening was a collaborative, leaderless trio with Hirahara on piano, Todd Sickafoose on bass and Scott Amendola at the drums. What a band! With three hard-working innovators, this is truly a force to be reckoned with on the local scene. The group is as much about texture as melody, and the interplay is deep, very deep. They rise, crest, and fall in waves, turning even simple vamps into sweeping statements, and carrying the audience along like driftwood to distant shores. A perfect example, and one which converted even some skeptical old-timers in the audience, was Sickafoose's original tune 'Workshop'. Starting with a cool, happy bass-riff strut, the group slowly and lovingly built it up into a huge, confident affirmation. Hirahara's approach seemed to change from minute to minute in a wonderfully complex mélange. Sickafoose's sound was low and intense, as he worked his whole body into the performance. And wrapped around it all was Amendola's drumming, a constant rumble of activity that felt like musical burlap: rough but secure, and somehow not at all abrasive. This band deserves a top spot in the Bay Area scene; I hope to hear a lot more from them in the coming months. - Forrest Bryant, allaboutjazz.com, October 2001

Formerly the Hirahara/Sickafoose/Amendola Trio, Games is comprised of Art Hirahara on piano, Todd Sickafoose on acoustic bass and Scott Amendola on drums. This Bay Area based trio draws upon the eclectic influences of its bandmates to reinterpret jazz standards and bring fresh, new compositions to the table. From Cole Porter to Thelonius Monk to Ornette Coleman to Radiohead, the trio traverses the history of the music while always looking forward. Hirahara, Sickafoose and Amendola weave a tapestry of sound using the threads of straight ahead jazz, wide open ballads, odd meters and free improvisation. Unique to the jazz piano trio setting, this trio is leaderless, with each member contributing equally to the musical dialog and bringing original compositions to the group.

You can hear some mp3's of this group by visiting Scott Amendola's website. We've gone into the studio and recorded more material. Stay tuned for more mp3's.