The Spiritual Roots of Jazz (It’s Not What You Think)
New compositions by the Dick Sisto Trio

November 6, 2026  |  7:00 p.m.
Capilla del Monte San Francisco
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Sponsored by: Jazzen/Peace
All proceeds benefit the Franciscan Arts and Earth Care Initiatives.

In this performance of new compositions, the Dick Sisto Trio presents The Spiritual Roots of Jazz (It’s Not What You Think), exploring how art, regardless of discipline, is shaped by both the heart and the mind. These two elements come together to create a holistic experience. Fine art, music, and other artistic disciplines all share this same underlying principle.

Thought is used to create art, but ultimately the goal is to transcend thought. In jazz, we are taught not to think while we play. Playing improvised music is very similar to meditation; the mindset is much the same. The mind is cleared of thought, creating an openness that can lead naturally to greater creativity, peace, and inspiration. It is through that preparation that a musician can eventually let go, trust the process, and allow the music to unfold in the moment.

Vibraphonist Dick Sisto has built a distinguished career as a performer, composer, educator, and broadcaster. He studied with marimba master José Bethancourt of the Chicago Symphony and went on to perform and record with an extensive roster of acclaimed jazz musicians, including Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Rufus Reid, Bobby Broom, Barry Ries, Joe Morello, and David Sanborn. His career has taken him to clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest and across Great Britain, including performances at London’s renowned PizzaExpress Jazz Club.
Based in Louisville, Sisto has also served as music director of the historic Seelbach Hotel, taught at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops, and presented clinics and master classes around the country. He is the author of The Jazz Vibraphone Book and a Musser vibraphone artist. His recordings have received national radio airplay, and his original music for Soul Searching, inspired by the life of Thomas Merton, became the soundtrack for a PBS-aired documentary of the same name.

Sisto is joined by nationally recognized musicians Jeremy Allen on bass and Mike Hyman on drums for an evening of music that explores what can happen when preparation gives way to presence.