An urbane and lyrical violinist, Aaron Weinstein is known for his swinging, traditional jazz sound. Weinstein was still in high school when he first began garnering praise for his playing in the mid-'90s. A regular on the New York scene, he has performed with a bevy of jazz luminaries, including Les Paul, Dave Frishberg, Jon Hendricks, Dick Hyman, and others. His own albums have often found him pairing with guitarist John Pizzarelli, as on 2005's A Handful of Stars and 2008's Blue Too. For 2019's trio date 3x3, he paired with guitarist Matt Munisteri and bassist Tom Hubbard. Born in 1985, Weinstein grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, where he started playing violin at a young age. Early on, he discovered traditional jazz and was soon learning solos by violinists Joe Venuti and Stéphane Grappelli. While still in his teens, he founded the Stéphane Grappelli Tribute Trio and began playing shows. In 2002, his trio was named the best high school instrumental jazz group by Downbeat magazine. More accolades followed, including winning the Illinois State Fiddle Championships in 1998 and 2001. It was also during this period that Weinstein began playing with father-and-son guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and John Pizzarelli. After high school, he further honed his skills attending Boston's Berklee College of Music on a four-year scholarship. He also issued two independently produced albums with 1999's Fiddler's Dream and the 2002 EP Jazz Violin. Weinstein was still only 19 years old when he recorded his official debut album, 2005's A Handful of Stars. It found him playing a handful of standards alongside the Pizzarellis, tenor saxophonist Houston Person, bassist Nicki Parrott, and drummer Joe Ascione. Following his album release, Weinstein continued to gain wider acceptance, appearing as featured soloist at Chicago's Jazz Hall and the Jazz Showcase. He also played in Frank Vignola's Hot Club USA. In 2008, the violinist again paired with John Pizzarelli for the duo album Blue Too. He then guested on several of the guitarist's albums, including 2010's Desert Island Dreamers and 2012's Double Exposure. That same year, he also appeared on singer Catherine Russell's Strictly Romancin'. In 2019, Weinstein delivered 3x3, featuring his trio with guitarist Matt Munisteri and bassist Tom Hubbard. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi