Time For Three On World Cafe

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Time For Three. Vanessa Brice hide caption

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Vanessa Brice

Time For Three.

Vanessa Brice

A self-described jam band which draws heavily on classical and folk influences, Time for Three was formed in 2002 by three students attending Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. The group is composed of two violinists (Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall) and a double-bassist (Ranaan Meyer), all of whom have a taste for improvisational jazz. Despite its small size, the band has an uncanny ability to re-create well-known orchestral standards, with seemingly flawless arrangements. It sports a repertoire that includes a diverse list of classics, a few pop songs (the most well-known of which is a rendition of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek"), and original compositions by Meyer. Time for Three has performed hundreds of shows and traveled to every corner of the U.S. in the eight years since its formation.

In addition to touring constantly, the trio is committed to youth outreach programs: It recently participated in a benefit performance that helped raise more than $8 million for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Time for Three's third studio album came out in January: Titled 3 Fervent Travelers, it features a mix of jazz, rock, folk and classical music.