Dave Kikoski
David Kikoski is a pianist, composer, and arranger steeped in the great tradition of Jazz.
"The brilliant playing of David Kikoski just smokes. His playing is sparkling." - Chick Corea
"Dave has so much feeling. He can play anything. I can depend on him for so much." - Roy Haynes
A highly regarded jazz pianist, Dave Kikoski, emerged in New York jazz scene in 1980s and quickly established himself as a go-to performer working with top players like Roy Haynes, Bob Berg, Randy Brecker and many others. Kikoski is known for his adept post-bop style and spontaneous swinging performances.
As a leader, Kikoski has released 20 albums, including “Presage" with Eddie Gomez and Al Foster (1989), "Beatle Jazz" featuring Michael Brecker, John Scofield, and Mike Stern (2007), and “Consequence"s featuring Jeff "Tain" Watts and Christian McBride (2015). His newest album "Sure Thing," a duo album with Boris Kozlov, was released under High Note Records on February 12th. The album has already received a 4-star review from The Times (UK).
As an invaluable go-to sideman, Kikoski recorded and toured with luminaries such as Roy Haynes, Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove, Donny McCaslin, Mike Stern, Chick Corea, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Toots Thielemans, Tom Harrell, Marcus Miller, Pat Martino, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Hart and many others. He is also a longtime member of the Mingus Big Band, the co-leader of BeatleJazz, and a member of Opus Five.
Kikoski won a 2011 Grammy Award with the Mingus Big Band for the “Best Live Jazz Ensemble Album” for Live at the Jazz Standard. He also had a Grammy nomination with Roy Haynes for the album, Birds of a Feather: A tribute to Charlie Parker, in 2001.
Michael Zilber
San Francisco-based and Canadian-born, ex-New Yorker Michael Zilber has led or co-led more than a dozen highly lauded recordings, including several each with virtuoso drummer Steve Smith and groundbreaking guitarist John Stowell. His releases range from Quartet to Chamber Jazz to Big Band and have made several year-end best of lists, including Downbeat, KPFA, and NPR, as well as an Independent Jazz Record of the Year finalist nomination for his Two Coasts CD. In addition to his groups with Steve Smith and with John Stowell, Zilber has recorded and/or performed with many jazz luminaries, including Dave Liebman, Mike Clark, James Genus, Kai Eckhardt, David Kikoski, Miroslav Vitous, Rachel Z, Drew Gress, Clarence Penn, Dave Douglas, John Benitez, Bruce Barth, and Michael Wolff, to name just a few. He co-led a group with Steve Smith for 8 years and with John Stowell for 5. In addition, Zilber is a member of Bass phenom Eckhardt’s Resilience, trumpet master Erik Jekabson’s Stringtet and the Bay Area’s top Big Band, The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. Jazz icon Liebman calls Michael Zilber “one of the best players and composers around anywhere. Period!”, Jazz Time’s Bill Milkowski says his compositions are “art Music of the highest order” and Paul Rauch of All About Jazz enthuses “Zilber is one of the true masters of modern jazz saxophone”. His upcoming recording is "Mike Drop" on Sunnyside Records, co-led with drumming legend Mike Clark