Kurt Ribak – Bassist / Bandleader /
Singer / Songwriter
Kurt describes his music as “Charles
Mingus meets The Meters. They go to Duke Ellington’s
house to jam, and Cachao and Thelonious Monk sit in.” Kurt has
three albums as the Kurt
Ribak Trio, and two more as Kurt Ribak. The albums feature his
own compositions, which are original yet accessible.
Kurt grew up singing and playing
classical music. He
began playing jazz while attending UC Berkeley. After a battle with tendinitis, Kurt
won scholarships to Berklee College of Music. He
graduated with top honors and spent many hours mastering the
styles of bassists Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, and Charles Mingus
and discovering his love of composition and songwriting.
Kurt has shared the stage
with circus performers, preachers and fire-breathing
strippers, but never all three at once. He has
performed in venues ranging from SFJAZZ and Yoshi’s to a club
where someone surreptitiously stashed a loaded .45 in his bass
bag while Kurt was playing .
In June 2012 Kurt was in an auto
accident, seriously injuring his left hand and forearm.
Thirteen operations and six years later he resumed playing
full-time, much to the surprise of many
surgeons. Kurt notes, “When I was hurt I learned how
many people loved me, cared about me. That really
helped me get back to playing."
Kurt's recordings are played on KCSM-FM, KPFA,
KZFR, KKUP, San Diego's Jazz 88, PRI
and other jazz stations. His band has sold out Yoshi’s and SFJAZZ.
They have also performed at Freight & Salvage
Coffeehouse, San Francisco Jazz Festival,
San Jose Jazz Festival, Nor-Cal Jazz Festival, Fillmore
Street Jazz Festival, and Blue Note Napa.
Gig info: http://www.ribak.com/gigs.html
CD info
You can also purchase the CDs at
http://www.afm6.org/cdstore.htm
and
at amazon.com. They
are available for download at iTunes, and other major download
sites. You can also buy the CDs at Bird & Beckett Books
& Records, 653 Chenery, San Francisco,
CA, Groove Yard, 5555 Claremont Avenue Oakland, CA
94618 and at Down Home Music,
10341 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.