About

The Pietra Group is a jazz-fusion group performing original compositions by brothers Joe and Mario Pietra. Their music draws from jazz traditions of spontaneity and improvisation, while expanding upon short-form jazz with a more narrative, programmatic form. Following the success of their debut album, Remote Narration (2013), The Pietra Group won a Syracuse Area Music Award for their studio album, People Chain (2021). Joining Mario (bass) and Joe (piano and synthesizer) to perform new original compositions from their upcoming album The Forgotten Field, are guitarists Ryan Peterson and Drew Serafini, vibraphonist Matt Hoffmann, drummer Byron Cage, and percussionist Josh Dekaney. The album contrasts musical styles and forms, shifting between acoustic and electronic, orchestrated to improvised, large ensemble to small group within each song.

Joe Pietra

Joe Pietra is jazz pianist and composer from Upstate New York. He is co-leader of The Pietra Group, playing piano and synthesizers for original compositions by himself and his brother Mario Pietra, including those on Remote Narration (2013) and upcoming release, People Chain. In addition, Joe actively performs with his own trio, Trio 315, and with a variety of other musical projects in the northeast, including The Matt Hoffmann Quintet. Joe started playing piano at a young age, studying classical repertoire and jazz soon after.

Mario Pietra

Mario Pietra is an upright and electric bassist, composer, and educator from Upstate New York. He performs and records actively in the northeast with a variety of jazz groups, orchestras, and other musical projects. Mario is the bassist and co-leader of The Pietra Group, a jazz-fusion group performing compositions by his brother Joe Pietra and himself, including those on Remote Narration (2013) and People Chain(2021). Mario holds a master’s degree in music from Syracuse University. He is a section bassist in the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the principal bassist of The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. Mario also is an assistant professor at SUNY Oswego where he teaches upright and electric bass, composition and music theory.

Band Members

Byron Cage

Byron Kidd Cage is an Upstate New York musician turned world traveling artist. A multi-genre instrumentalist, producer, teacher and performer. Grammy award nominee with a wide range of influences, Byron has become a versatile player working in multiple genres of music throughout the industry.

Endorsements: Los Cabos Drum Sticks, Sensaphonic, Evans, Ahead Armor Cases, Rim Riser

Plays: Pearl Drums and Meinl Cymbals

Matt Hoffmann

Matt Hoffmann is a vibraphonist, drummer and educator. Graduating with an MM in Jazz Studies from Purchase College in 2011, Matt has played such venues as Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, The Bickford Theatre and the Summit Jazz Festival. He has performed throughout the country with swing artists Allan Vache, Mark Shane, Dan Levinson, and Dave Bennett, and recorded two albums as a leader Daydream (2006) and Communion (2014). He currently lives in the Catskill region of NY with his wife and two kids and works in Special Education at the Center for Discovery and continues to perform and write.