Peter Zak Trio


Photo by Javier Oddo

Pianist Peter Zak was born in Los Angeles in 1965, and grew up in Columbus and Kent, Ohio, then moved with his family at age 16 to Oakland. At the University of California, Berkeley, he studied with Susan Muscarella (founder/director of Berkeley's Jazzschool, now the California Jazz Conservatory).

Zak played on an extracurricular basis in combo and big band settings, with the UC Jazz Ensembles. He also freelanced in bands with noted bassist Herbie Lewis, who had recorded with one of Zak's major influences, McCoy Tyner, as well as Jackie McLean and local hero Bobby Hutcherson. Following his graduation from UC Berkeley, Zak played clubs, concerts, and festivals with such notables as saxophonists Frank Morgan and John Handy.

Since moving to New York in 1989, Zak has enjoyed ongoing recording and performing associations with saxophonists Walt Weiskopf, Jim Snidero, and Stephen Riley; trumpeter Ryan Kisor; and guitarist Tom Guarna. Zak has accompanied such name artists as George Coleman, Billy Hart, Jon Hendricks, Etta Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Scott Hamilton, Doug Webb, and Junior Cook. He has been on the faculty in the Jazz and Contemporary Music College of the New School since 1995.

For his tenth CD in as many years, all for the Danish SteepleChase label, pianist Peter Zak continues his brilliant series of jazz trio explorations, this time in the company of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Willie Jones III. The new disc, "The Disciple," was released October 21, 2014.

http://www.peterzakmusic.com/

Bassist Michael Zisman holds a Bachelor of Music degree from New Jersey's William Paterson College, where he studied with Rufus Reid, Todd Coolman, Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, and Norman Simmons.

After moving to New York City in 1985, Michael began performing with jazz legends such as Cecil Payne, Junior Cook, George Coleman, Phil Woods, Jimmy Cobb, David "Fathead" Newman, Clark Terry, Eddie Henderson, Jerome Richardson, Kenny Burrell, Herb Geller, Don Friedman, Junior Mance, Mundell Lowe, and James Williams. Michael also performs and records with some of the jazz stars of today including Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, Joe Farnsworth, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, Dena DeRose, Akira Tana, and Matt Wilson.

In 2000, Michael returned to the Bay Area to serve as the Artistic Director, Education Director and Programs Manager of the Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW) and Festival until 2006.

http://www.michaelzismanbass.com/

Vince Lateano has been one of the first call drummers in the Bay Area for decades. He has performed with numerous great jazz musicians over the years, including Cal Tjader, Woody Herman, Vince Guaraldi, Stan Getz, Mark Murphy, Flip Nunez, George Muribus, Kitty Margolis, Scott Hamilton, Larry Vuckovich, Al Plank, Bruce Forman, Noel Jewkes, and Mark Levine. He performed frequently at the late lamented Jazz at Pearl's, and has long co-led a renowned jam session at the Dogpatch Saloon and 7 Mile House with Andrew Speight.

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