Don’t fret, Folk Element Trio is here
Adventurous, acoustic-forward jazz will fill the auditorium of the Lincoln City Cultural Center this Wednesday, Jan. 21, when Adam Moezinia’s Folk Element Trio performs a rhythm-rich program drawing from jazz and global folk traditions.
Led by guitarist and composer Adam Moezinia, the Folk Element Trio blends jazz improvisation with grooves inspired by West Africa, South Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Appalachia. Moezinia began shaping the trio in 2017, developing it into a tightly connected unit that explores how folk rhythms and melodies can open new pathways in modern jazz. After launching the project in New York, the group toured nationally in 2020 and released its debut album, “Folk Element Trio” in 2021.
Moezinia’s own musical path is equally wide-ranging. A Los Angeles native, he studied at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, performed and taught through peer-to-peer tours with the Thelonious Monk Institute and later studied at The Juilliard School on a full-tuition scholarship. While his career has included performances at major jazz venues and collaborations across the genre, the Folk Element Trio remains his primary outlet for weaving global influences into a guitar-led sound.
Many of the trio’s compositions grow from specific musical sparks. Moezinia’s “Ivory Suite,” for example, reflects his exploration of West African folk music after encountering the work of Beninese jazz guitarist Lionel Loueke. Onstage, the trio’s performances feel less like formal recitals and more like an invitation into the band’s creative circle, as members connect jazz and folk traditions in real time. Reviewers have described the music as celebratory and momentum-driven, the kind of set where “the party begins” with the opening tune.
Moezinia will be joined by bassist Emiliano Lasansky and drummer Marcello Carelli. Lasansky brings a melodic, story-driven approach shaped by his background as a composer and performer, including a 2023 ASCAP Foundation Award, studies at the Eastman School of Music and work connected to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA. Carelli adds lift and sparkle behind the kit, drawing on his experience as a drummer, composer and arranger with degrees from the University of Miami Frost School of Music and the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, along with performances alongside Grammy Award–winning artists.
Wednesday’s concert will begin at 7 pm at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. Reserved cabaret seating tickets are $30, $27 and $20 with member discounts available. For tickets and more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.