BIOGRAPHY

Kurt Ribak Trio

At a Glance

How do you pronounce Ribak? REE-bok, like the shoes

Style: Soulful, eclectic, and accessible original jazz.

Instrumentation: Piano/keyboards, upright bass, drums

Venues Kurt Ribak has played:

Festivals
Fillmore Street Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, North Beach Jazz Festival, Union Street Jazz Festival, Shasta County Blues Festival, American Arts Festival, San Anselmo Art & Design Festival, and Yerba Buena Gardens.

Nightclubs and Restaurants
Yoshi’s, Pearl's, Pres a Vi, Chaya Brasserie, Prima Ristorante, Enrico’s, Hotel De Anza, Bruno’s, Shanghai 1930, Downtown Restaurant, Jupiter, Paragon, LJ's Martini Club and Grille, The Albatross, Freight & Salvage, Club Deluxe, Café Bastille, Café Claude, Café de la Presse, Hi-Ball Lounge, Maritime Hall, San Francisco Legion of Honor, and many others.

Churches
First United Methodist (Pt. Richmond, CA), Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church (Moraga, CA), Christian Church of Pacific Grove (Pacific Grove, CA), and Lafayette United Methodist Church (Lafayette, CA).

Radio Shows
KCSM-FM (San Mateo, CA) Morning Cup of Jazz, Desert Island Jazz, Mid-Day Jazz, West Coast Live (KALW-FM, San Francisco, CA), KCSM Desert Island Jazz, KRKD (Oakland, CA) and others.

Gig info: http://www.ribak.com/gigs.html

CD info

Our first CD, "Kurt Ribak Trio" is now back in print, having sold out its inital run. Our second CD, "more" has almost sold out its inital run. Our third CD, "gone" has just been released. You can hear samples of them and purchase them at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kurtribaktrio .

You can also purchase the CDs at http://www.afm6.org/cdstore.htm and at amazon.com. They are available for download at emusic.com, iTunes, and other major download sites. You can also buy the CDs at Groove Yard, 5555 Claremont Avenue Oakland, CA 94618 and at Down Home Music, 10341 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.

Contact: Kurt Ribak

Phone: 510-703-7035

e-mail: kurt@ribak.com

fax: 510-528-4774

postal mail:
P.O. Box 8045,
Berkeley, CA 94707-8045

BIOGRAPHY

photo: Lisa Solook

Who’s Kurt Ribak?

“Growing up I played and listened to tangos, African pop, operas, salsa, reggae, cumbias and a lot of other things, including R&B and gospel,” says Kurt. “These influences all show up in my music.” Kurt’s compositions are inspired by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus, but also by artists such as The Meters, The Skatalites, and Astor Piazzolla.

Despite the diverse influences there is a consistent thread of melody and danceable rhythms. Kurt notes, “It’s sad how many people think jazz is strictly a cerebral music. That intimidates people and they turn away from music that can give them joy, solace. It’s music that can engage their minds – and their behinds.”

Kurt sang with the San Francisco Boys’ Chorus as a child. He then took up ‘cello. “By the end of high school I got into electric bass and began playing in R&B cover bands and rock bands. I still played cello, which is a great instrument, but I was losing interest in the context in which I played it – classical music. I felt I was musical but I wasn’t really able to express myself fully.”

Kurt suffered a period of tendinitis, which forced him to stop playing for a few months. He recovered and won scholarships to Berklee College of Music. There he discovered he liked writing music. After graduation Kurt focused on upright bass. As time passed he needed to have his own group so that he could play his own tunes and have an outlet for new ones. Day jobs ranged from being a ditch digger and jackhammer operator to playing in a small circus and sharing the stage as a musician with performers ranging from hellfire spewing preachers to fire-breathing strippers (although not at the same time).

The Kurt Ribak Trio has three albums out, all of which enjoy airplay on KCSM-FM, the largest jazz station on the West Coast. The Kurt Ribak Trio CDs are also popular in Japan. Kurt says, “At this point our CDs sell as well there as here – although we haven’t played there.” This group headlined at Yoshi’s San Francisco, one of the premier US jazz clubs, last June 30 and filled the house.

In recent years Kurt has had another new experience – he has become source material for Mark Coggins’ August Riordan series of mystery novels. Kurt has had the peculiar experience of viewing a night of his life as working jazz bassist described through the eyes of the August Riordan character, Coggins states “Kurt Ribak has served as a kind of real-life alter ego to my fictional private eye, August Riordan.”

Greg Sankovich

photo: Lisa Solook

GREG SANKOVICH, piano, organ and keyboards was born in 1960 and was raised in the East Bay area of San Francisco. After showing attraction to piano as a child, he began his keyboard journey with classical training from age 6. His parents' interest in dance and popular music inspired Greg's feel for music that moves people, so his inclination from an early age was towards rhythmically-oriented music.

He went on to study with the finest jazz and latin pianists and educators in the San Francisco area including Al Zulaica, Mark Levine, and Art Lande. From 13 years old Greg was busy in the SF bay area with local jazz, club and dance bands, and was an active member of the UC Berkeley Jazz Ensembles, highlighted by concert tours in Japan and Europe.

After graduation, Greg moved to Tokyo where he lived for over ten years, performing with a long list of top Japanese artists. Greg has contributed his sound to an eclectic range of musical talent from jazz to R&B, hiphop to pop. He has performed and recorded music on over 25 record labels, and has produced music for TV, radio, and film. Currently, Greg performs regularly in the SF Bay Area with his 6+ year jazz-funk project Times 4 who are working on their third cd release, bassist Kurt Ribak's jazz groups, an R&B buddy band since his teens the Blue Sky Band, and many other musically diverse freelance projects.

Drums

Matt Willis

MATT WILLIS, drums was born in Detroit in the late 50's and has made California and Hawaii his home since the late 1970's. Extremely versatile in all musical styles with a dynamic groove and easygoing nature, he performs throughout northern California with top musicians including world-renowned steel drum artist Jeff Narell, guitarist Ray Obeido, and jazz composer/ bassist Kurt Ribak among many others. Past credits include Hawaiian artists such as Henry Kaleialoha Allen, Loyal Garner and Melveen Leed plus American oldies acts the Shirelles, Drifters and Coasters. Matt is expert in Brazilian and Caribean rhythms as a result of years playing with Jeff Narrell and Batucaje.  Matt currently resides with his wife and children in the Bay Area.

Additional performers with the Kurt Ribak Trio, Quartet and Quintet

LINCOLN ADLER, Saxophones. Lincoln started playing various musical instruments at the age of 5, eventually being drawn
to the saxophone in high school. Lincoln became fascinated by the power of music to communicate feelings across the boundaries of
language and culture. He developed his sound playing in Bay Area bands and refined his abilities at the University of California,
Berkeley as a member of the UC Jazz Ensembles. He studied with some great teachers, including legendary saxophonist Joe Henderson and
local hero Hal Stein. In Los Angeles he became an in-demand session player and composer/producer for TV and film. He released four albums
under his own name as well as one with the L.A. based Rain-bo Tribe, and two with Times 4. Lincoln has performed and recorded with many
artists including actor/pianist Jeff Goldblum, The Jets, kd lang, and Olivia Newton John. Lincoln plays regularly with Kurt Ribak and is a member of jazz-funk group Times 4, including multiple appearances at both Yoshi's Nightspots. His musical influences include Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Grover Washington Jr., Stanley Turrentine, Gustav Mahler and Meshell Ndegeocello.

HAL RICHARDS, Saxophones, clarinets, and flutes. Born in New York City, versatile woodwind specialist Hal Richards has been performing and recording with many of the Bay Areas finest jazz, Latin and African musicians since 1976.

Currently performing with the Mike Vax Big Band, Kurt Ribak Trio, Jeff Sanford's Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, and the Golden Gate Park Band, Hal has appeared with Terry Gibbs, Eric Marienthal, Bill Perkins, Bob Florence, Omar Clay, Lenny Niehaus and at The North Beach Jazz Festival. As a Bay Area freelance musician, Hal also performs with many original Jazz and World music groups. Theater experience includes several musical productions, television soundtracks, the Bay Area Revels, San Francisco Children’s Opera, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Magic Theater, and the Peninsula Civic Light Opera. Classical endeavors have included various chamber groups and a stint with The Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his busy playing schedule, Hal, a member of Musicians Union Local 6, has been teaching music in S.F. Public Schools for the past 19 years.

Drummers Emeriti:

Tim Solook

photo: Lisa Solook

Tim Solook is a working drummer whose talent to adapt to a variety of musical styles is always in demand. Born and raised in New Jersey, Tim studied music in Philadelphia and New York City, receiving his BM degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

While studying at MSM, Tim took private instruction from jazz drumming great Joe Morello and vibist David Friedman. Upon graduating, Tim studied vibes with Caribbean Jazz Project's Dave Samuels. Collectively these associations have molded a solid musical foundation for Tim's style.

Over the last 25 years, Tim has performed everywhere from the Newport Jazz Festival, Saratoga, NY, Continental Arena, Rutherford, NJ, and the Roxy in Los Angeles to the Jazz Keller in Frankfurt, Germany. He has recorded five nationally distributed CDs with Houston jazz pianist Joe LoCascio.

While living in Houston, Tim performed with celebrated jazz musicians Freddie Hubbard, Kirk Whalum, Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd, Emily Remler, Dave Leibman, Roseanna Vitro, Monty Alexander, Tim Hagans and Randy Brecker. From 1996 to 2002, Tim held the position of percussion instructor at Houston Community College, working with private drum students and the percussion ensemble for five years.

Currently residing in San Jose, CA, Tim continues to teach, compose, record, and perform extensively throughout the Bay Area. His first CD as a leader called "ABILITY" was just released on the Sol Time record label.

Drummer Tim Solook played with the Kurt Ribak Trio from 2003 until December 2006, when he returned to Houston in search of more work and affordable housing. He appeared on the Kurt Ribak Trio's debut recording, "Kurt Ribak Trio."

Kevin Mummey

Kevin Mummey photo

Kevin has recorded and performed extensively with Davka, Klez-X, the San Francisco Klezmer Experience, Laurie Lewis, Penelope Houston, Los Pinkies, the Blue Room Boys, Ralph Carney, Jack Gates, Fox and Cats, the Kurt Ribak Trio and Alan Ginsberg among others.

A versatile percussionist, he finds himself in great demand in jazz, rock, flamenco, Klezmer, Brazilian and avant-garde ensembles. Kevin learned drums from his father in Chicago, and studied with Bob Moses, tabla with pandit Swapan Chaudury, dumbeq with Vince Delgado, and guitar with Jack Gates.

Kevin Mummey played with the Kurt Ribak Trio from 2003 until August of 2006, when he moved to pursue a doctoral fellowship in medieval history at the University of Minnesota. Kevin played drums on the second Kurt Ribak Trio CD, "more" and appears on the newest Kurt Ribak
Trio CD, titled "gone."