David CasTiglione bought his first alto saxophone for about $50 after finding it for sale in The Citizen when he was 20 years old.

Now CasTiglione will return to Auburn to sell the soul jazz sound he plays with The Groove Merchants.

CasTiglione describes the quartet as a “supergroup” that includes organist Jerry Z of the Headhunters, percussionist Evan DuChene of Dryjack and guitarist Mark Dziuba. Together they perform a modernized version of the groove jazz popularized in the 1960s and ’70s by artists like Jimmy Smith and Richard “Groove” Holmes.

Each member has juggled the Groove Merchants with several other musical commitments for more than 15 years.

“We get together to do this out of love,” CasTiglione said. “We’re having so much fun on stage with the conversation of music at the moment that it’s quite impossible to avoid being drawn into it.”

Growing up in Auburn, CasTiglione began his musical career banging on the drum kit of a neighbor in the 1960s. After seeing Jethro Tull member Ian Anderson play a soprano saxophone that “looked great and sounded crazy,” CasTiglione said, he started searching for his own horn.

CasTiglione learned his way around his first alto sax from Marty Fogel, a member of the Everyman Band who lived in Moravia. The Auburn native has gone on to record and perform with Dave Matthews Band, George Clinton and several more musical titans.

“I dove in headfirst and stayed under for a long time,” CasTiglione said.

David Wilcox

253-5311 ext. 245

david.wilcox@lee.net

If you go.

Who: The Groove Merchants with David CasTiglione

When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27

Where: Bear Bones Bar-Bo-Que, 83 Wall St., Auburn

Cost: Free

Info: Call 25-BONES