Alex LoDico is a trombonist, composer, and leader of the Alex LoDico Ensemble. He has appeared at venues ranging from the Knitting Factory to the Vision Festival, including a European tour and a recent summer with bassist William Parker. Since he first arrived in New York City from Palermo, Italy, inspired by the trombonist Joe Bowie, LoDico has made the city’s subways a regular stage. His original band, Chicken Wings, performed in 1987 during the first Music Under New York auditions. LoDico’s musical philosophy—"swing till you drop"—was summed up in an NPR interview: "You see the crowd … you get the beat right, you touch their hearts. You try to put everything in that one note—the whole world in that one note."