Carl Fischer Brings His Famed Organic Groove Ensemble Back Home to Long Island for One Night Only at 89 North

Long Island native and longtime Billy Joel Band member, Carl Fischer, brings his Organic Groove Ensemble home Thursday, Nov 6, 2025, at 89 North in Patchogue.

LONG ISLAND, NY, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Celebrating nearly 25 years of Long Island roots and musical history

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. Long Island native and longtime Billy Joel Band member, Carl Fischer, brings his famed original Organic Groove Ensemble back home for a special one-night-only show on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 89 North in Patchogue. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the show begins at 7:00 PM, featuring two full sets of the band’s signature blend of jazz, funk, and soulful improvisation.

This show continues the group’s long connection to Long Island, where the Organic Groove Ensemble first began in 2001 before expanding into New York City venues. Fischer shared, “This band’s first steady gigs were in Rockville Centre, Long Island, back in 2001 (2026 will be the 25-year anniversary), and we regularly played the Backstreet Blues Club and the renamed Vibe Lounge next to the train tracks.”

From there, the group moved into Manhattan, where they played The Triad Lounge uptown, Miles Café in midtown, The Metropolitan on the East Side, and several downtown clubs throughout the early 2000s. Their debut recording, Carl Fischer and Organic Groove Ensemble (2003), is still available on digital platforms. “I still get calls and emails about that recording because some of those tunes developed an organic following. Two of my original songs, Hanging with Nat and Don’t Play Games, got a lot of love, and I still hear from musicians and educators asking for the lead sheets. It is always humbling that people still want to play my music.”

During this same stretch, Fischer was also touring with the late trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson, who helped propel the project in its early development. Fischer reflected, “Maynard was so important in my growth as a bandleader and a soloist, and he played a major role in helping that first Organic Groove record gain traction. He was the one who encouraged me to open shows with my own music, which was huge for me at that time.” Fischer continued, “We sold a lot of CDs on that stretch of the tour, which ran close to three years during that specific period with him, and boy, do I miss him.”

The group’s second recording, Adverse Times (2010), was shaped by both musical growth and the cultural moment in which it was written. “I remember rehearsing in lower Manhattan at 4th Street Music School, not far from the Twin Towers. We originally had a rehearsal scheduled for September 11, 2001, at 10 AM, but because of a schedule conflict, I moved it to September 10. Looking back, I think that moment had a lot to do with why I wrote the title track Adverse Times. There was so much tragedy during that time, and the music was really about finding ways to push forward through it.”
Taking the stage with Fischer at 89 North will be John Scarpulla on saxophone, Ron Oswanski on organ, Jeff Barone on guitar, and Marco Marcinco on drums.

“It all comes back to Long Island and to all our LI friends,” Fischer said. “This time it will be all Organic Groove. We have been playing at Lundy’s in Red Hook (Brooklyn), and we are bringing some new tunes along with a few New Orleans-style grooves from another group of mine, Sunshine City Brass, but the feel will absolutely be Organic Groove funkiness with music from both records.”

Fischer also shared what brought the band to this venue specifically. “I wanted a place that feels great for both the band and the audience, somewhere central where city folks and Long Islanders can both get to easily. When I was out with Billy Joel, I met David Salav, who co-owns 89 North and is also a bass player, and we had been talking about putting this show together for over a year. 89 North was the perfect fit. It is all New York and Long Island friendships coming together. This will be a night not to be missed. Come on out and say hello.”

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW: https://booketing.com/microsite/89northmusicvenue/event/1767/864976/carl-fisher-s-organic-groove-ensemble?eventcode=EVE86497600020251106

ABOUT CARL FISCHER
Carl Fischer is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer, and longtime band member of the Billy Joel Band, touring internationally for more than two decades. A former featured soloist with trumpet icon Maynard Ferguson, Fischer has led projects ranging from big band and jazz fusion to brass-driven modern groove ensembles. His Organic Groove Ensemble, formed in 2001, remains one of his most personal and enduring musical outlets.

Stephen Wright
FischMusic Productions LLC
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