New Album: Joe Policastro Trio, Mending Wall

Joe Policastro Trio, Mending Wall Release Date: September 19, 2025

Shakespeare posited, “What’s in a name?” It’s a good question, but it only begins to examine the identity or essence of something. Robert Frost went straight to the heart of the matter in his poem, “Mending Wall.” In his rumination on borders and the lines we draw from defining things, he noted, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Drawing inspiration from the poem, the new album by the Joe Policastro Trio explores the nature of essence and identity through highly personal readings of eclectic music from Italy, Hong Kong, movie scores, symphonic themes, pop tunes, and even a cowboy song written by a Russian classical composer.

“Mending Wall” is the seventh album by the Joe Policastro Trio. This trio, led by bassist Joe Policastro, featuring guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, has always had boundary issues. In many ways, it has defined everything that they do. The band, its sound, repertoire, style and approach have never fit neatly into any one box. Eclecticism and a non-hierarchical approach to art and music is at the core of what they do. “Mending Wall” is a multi-layered exploration of boundaries and borders and their relationship to identity and essence. Not only does the material explicitly have an element of identity directly associated with it, but the trio further examines the notion in how they re-purpose and re-contextualize the music.

Whether it’s the existential crisis of “L’Avventurra”, the melding of two lovers into one (“Melt With You”), or the sound and nature of the American West (“My Rifle, My Pony, and Me”), every track on this album explores identity. As a band that “breathes and bends as one” (Dan Bilawski, All About Jazz), their ability to remake and subvert the material in their own personal, idiosyncratic, and highly unpredictable way truly does extend this examination.

Policastro’s closing quote in the liner notes beautifully and succinctly captures the essence of the album and what they do: “I can’t think of a time when fewer walls were ever needed more. Enjoy the music.” Mending Wall will be released by JeruJazz Records in physical and digital formats on all platforms.

For further information, visit http://www.thejptrio.com