Energetic, exciting, incredible to watch and listen to, fun, talented, respect for his musical elders, and finally, Jazz Ambassador - these are all terms used to describe Eric Byrd and The Eric Byrd Trio. As 2001 Kennedy Center/United States State Department Jazz Ambassadors, capacity crowds in Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Honduras and Trinidad can attest to what American audiences have known for sometime: Eric Byrd and The Eric Byrd Trio combine the best musical elements to create improvisational art at its finest.

          The Eric Byrd Trio played throughout the Maryland - D. C. area and beyond to support the release, including a CD release at the Blues Alley Supper Club in Washington, D.C. In the past 2 years, The Eric Byrd Trio has played clubs and festivals from Virginia to Connecticut, bringing their concept of a modern jazz piano trio to enthusiastic crowds.

 
         Out of 75 applying trios, The Eric Byrd Trio was one of seven selected for the prestigious honor of a Jazz Ambassadorship. After holding down a summer of 2001 residency of Twins Lounge in D.C., the trio embarked on their first Latin American tour, playing approximately 30 concerts in 40 days. Upon returning to the states, they went back into the studio to record their follow up record, "The Eric Byrd Trio." Released in April of 2002, the disc contains six Byrd compositions and four standards arranged by Khalsa. After appearing as a headlining act in Lima, Peru for weeklong international jazz festival and conference, the trio performed at the prestigious 36th annual Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the FestiJazz Festival in La Paz, Bolivia. In October, the trio gave a concert in Dubai in the U.A.E. as well.

          The flurry of creative activity continues: Their latest CD, TRIUNITY, represents their latest recorded document of work. Byrd sets the pace with more original compositions like the bluesy "Sunday Mo'nin' Chu'ch" and "Lullaby for Jason Miles," Khalsa continues to excel with phenomenal arrangements of standards like "Get Happy" and "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams." Alphonso Young, Jr. solidifies his musical reputation by explosive drumming on songs like "Nanami," beautiful brush work on "Just For A Thrill," and a high sense of musicality throughout. TRIUNITY has been distributed internationally, and has recently been sent to the finer music shops in Japan. Byrd has published a fake book of original composition with fellow teaching colleague Dr. Glen Caldwell and A Life's Journey in Six Weeks, a book written by Byrd chronicling the trio's Jazz Ambassadorship is available for purchase. As of this writing, the performances keep coming, headlining jazz festivals from the East Coast Jazz Festival in Maryland to the Silver Spring Jazz Festival to a festival/clinic in Oklahoma in 2006. By acknowledging the storied past of jazz to help create its future, The Eric Byrd Trio will be a musical force for many years to come.