Online Press Kit
bio
profile by Michael Burman
photo
mp3s
CD Purchases - Buy the @#$! CD
You can buy the Kurt Ribak Trio CD online at CDBaby,
and at Musicians Union Local 6. We plan to have the next CD out by spring 2007. We're still working on the art and packaging. The third CD has been recorded but needs more production before artwork and packaging happens.
Meatspace Purchases
You can also buy the CD at Groove Yard, 5555 Claremont Avenue Oakland, CA 94618, and at Down Home Music, 10341 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA. Go to my CD page for more info.
Downloads
You can download the Kurt Ribak Trio recording at iTunes and emusic.com, as well as elsewhere. We've been getting some attention at emusic - the recording is rated four out of five stars. You can do a trial membership for cheap, and recordings are way cheaper to download at emusic than with iTunes.
Live downloads
You can go to BayTaper.com or http://mefeedia.com/feeds/21779/ to download our July 2, 2006 show at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. There are also some excellent photos there. The show is rated five stars out of five.
T-Shirts
Kurt Ribak Trio t-shirts are in. These are a seven-color print on Hanes Beefy-T shirts, so these are a quality product. These echo the artwork of the first CD. They are black, with the three-colored hand on the front and the words "Kurt Ribak Trio" on the back. They come in women's sizes and cut from small to XL and men's from small to XXL. e-mail me at: kurt@ribak.com
if you would like to buy a shirt, or catch up with me at a gig.
Check them out here. Drummer Tim Solook and his wife Lisa are modeling them at our Fillmore Jazz Festival gig.
PRIMA GIG
As things now stand, we will continue to play every Friday at Prima through *February*. After that Peter Chastain, the owner and executive chef of Prima, is considering changing our schedule. We might start doing the first and third Fridays, for example, rather than every Friday. Or we may start playing a different day. It's up in the air. It's even possible we might not play at Prima at all after February.
If you like coming to Prima and like knowing we're there every Friday, please let Peter know, whether in person, by phone, or by e-mail. The staff love having us there - it's Peter that needs convincing. He's at peter@primaristorante.com and 925-935-7780 ext. 27.
stuff ....
DRUMMER TIM SOLOOK RETURNS TO TEXAS
For those of you who are wondering what will happen to my trio now that Tim Solook and Kevin Mummey are gone, fear not. There are several other excellent drummers who are familiar with my book. Randy Odell, Matt Willis, Bryan Bowman and Jon Arkin are among the other drummers who appear with us. You'll be seeing more of them with us in 2007. We will also do some trio gigs at Prima with woodwinds, which have done twice in the last month or so. Hal Richards and Lincoln Adler both do a great job with that.
and still more stuff.....
PIANIST / KEYBOARDIST GREG SANKOVICH RETURNS IN FEBRUARY Greg Sankovich is spent January traveling in Asia. So he will not be appearing with us during that month, most likely. His smiling mug should be back with us in February. Although he was missed, there were a number of fine musicians in his place, including pianist / vibist Gerry Grosz, pianist Fred Harris, and guitarist Dave Bell.
on to the gigs!
Friday February 2, 7:00 to 10:00
PM - and every Friday
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Prima Ristorante
GREG SANKOVICH RETURNS!Greg Sankovich is on piano, with Jon Arkin on drums. Tip - to best hear the band you should have drinks in the bar or make a dinner reservation in the bar.
Sun., Feb. 4, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - and the first Sunday of every month
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original jazz
Chaya Brasserie
http://www.thechaya.com/
location & info
132 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-8688
Chaya is known for its "Japanese-inspired French cuisine." The food and service are outstanding, they have some very nice wines, and they have some great views of the Bay Bridge.
They also have a specially priced menu at the bar while we are playing, so you can drink and dine on a smaller budget than Chaya normally requires. The trio will be me on bass, Greg Sankovich on keyboards, and Bryan Bowman on drums.
Come check us out - there's not much other jazz happening on a Sunday night, and this is an interesting new version of my band. At Chaya we play a harder-hitting, more driving style than at Prima.
Thursday, Feb. 8, 7:00 to 10:00
PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Servino
http://www.servino.com/ - directions, menu, etc.
9 Main Street Tiburon, CA 94920
Dave Bell will be on guitar, with Lincoln Adler on soprano and tenor saxophones. Lincoln plays a curved soprano that looks like an alto that was in the cold water for too long. It sounds great but always causes double-takes. People don't expect a curved sax that small.
Mark Coggins is the author of the August Riordan series of mystery novels. The August Riordan character is a wise-cracking tough guy PI who is also a jazz bassist.
I got to know Coggins a while ago and he asked if he could use some of my music for a KQED podcast of "Candy from Strangers", the third book in the August Riordan series. William P. Arney of the Noir City Film Festival reads the first chapter with my music accompanying the story - specifically, "Prelude to a B Movie" and "Pseudoafrocubanismo," which appeared on the Kurt Ribak Trio debut CD.
The podcast is permanently at the following location:
http://www.kqed.org/arts/writersblock/episode.jsp?id=13480
iTunes users can access The Writers' Block via the following URL:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=82023860
The Writers' Block is also distributed through NPR here:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5593982 To go directly to the audio, use either of these: Friday, Feb. 9, 7:00 to 10:00
PM - and every Friday
stream:
http://www.kqed.org/.stream/real/topics/arts/writers-block/0701-coggins-bloc
k.rm.ram or
download:
http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/151/510076/7092336/
KQED_7092336.mp3
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
Tip - to best hear the band you should have drinks in the bar or make a dinner reservation in the bar. A recent review of the Friday night bar scene appeared in the Contra Costa Times. I think the review says more about the writer than about the place, but so be it. It gives a good general sense of what the bar is like.
Hal Richards is on woodwinds, with Robin Lewis on guitar. Don't worry folks, I'm not ditching the piano trio lineup we've been using at Prima for over three years, I'm just mixing things up a little bit, especially since Greg Sankovich is busy this night and drummer Tim Solook has left the area.
Saturday, Feb. 10, 10:30 PM to 2:00
AM
Kurt Ribak Quartet - original jazz -
T-Rex BBQ
http://www.t-rex-bbq.com/
view SFgate.com article
1300 Tenth Street (Cross St. Gilman)
Berkeley, CA 94710
location
All ages
This is a new venue for us - T. Rex is known as a gourmet BBQ place and is operated by the same folks that run Lalime's, Sea Salt, Jimmy Bean's, and Fonda. It's gotten a reputation for excellent barbeque and is in a handsome custom-designed building. They also have an excellent selection of whiskeys and other alcoholic treats.
T. Rex is located on Tenth Street at Gilman below San Pablo in Berkeley. You can take the Gilman Street exit off Interstate 80. It's near Pyramid Brewery but is on the other side of the street.
Oh yeah - the band! This will be a new lineup. My old compadres Randy Odell and Robin Lews will be playing drums and guitar respectively, and we will also feature Isaac Narrell on saxophones. Isaac comes highly recommended as a player and a person. Those of you who are locals may recognize Isaac's last name - he is the son of steel drummer Andy Narrell and the nephew of steel drummer Jeff Narrell.
After this show the music program at T. Rex will go on hiatus while they apply for (and hopefully receive) a cabaret license, which is required for regular live performances. I would think it wouldn't be too hard - after all, there is already 924 Gilman on the next block providing live loud music, and Ashkenaz is nearby. Also I don't think there are any residences within a block of the place. This is Berkeley, though, where NIMBYism runs rampant. So we'll hope for the best. There have been some really fine groups appearing there, and my friends in Times 4 had a date there canceled as a result.
Sunday, Feb. 11, 5:30 to 8:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz
Baltic Restaurant
http://www.balticsquarepub.com/
135 Park Place, Point Richmond, CA 94801
510-237-4pub
The Baltic Restaurant is back. It was closed for a couple of years. It's an old restaurant (founded circa 1906) with lots of character. This trio will have Greg Sankovich on piano and Lincoln Adler on soprano and tenor saxophones.
Friday, Feb. 16, 7:00 to 10:00
PM - and every Friday
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
Tip - to best hear the band you should have drinks in the bar or make a dinner reservation in the bar. Dave Bell is on guitar, with Matt Willis on drums. A recent review of the Friday night bar scene appeared in the Contra Costa Times. I think the review says more about the writer than about the place, but so be it. It gives a good general sense of what the bar is like.
Friday, Feb. 23, 7:00 to 10:00
PM - and every Friday
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Prima Ristorante
http://www.primaristorante.com/
1522 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA
Every Friday, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
All ages
Tip - to best hear the band you should have drinks in the bar or make a dinner reservation in the bar. Greg Sankovich is on piano, with Hal Richards on woodwinds. A recent review of the Friday night bar scene appeared in the Contra Costa Times. I think the review says more about the writer than about the place, but so be it. The article gives a good general sense of what the bar is like.
Wednesday,
Feb. 28, 6:00 to 9:00 PM - and the last Wednesday of every month
Kurt Ribak
Trio - Original jazz
Cato's Ale House
http://www.mrcato.com/
3891 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, CA
510-655-3349
all ages, no cover
We play the last Wednesday of every month. Cato's is a beer and wine place with a lot of good bar grub as well. Their beer selection is excellent, and you can bring your kids if you wish. Hal Richards will be on woodwinds, with Dave Casini on vibes.
FUTURE GIGS
Saturday, March 24, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz -
Servino
http://www.servino.com/ - directions, menu, etc.
9 Main Street Tiburon, CA 94920
Band is TBA.
Saturday, March 31, 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM
Kurt Ribak Quartet - original jazz
The Albatross
1822 San Pablo Avenue (two blocks
north of University, west side of the street)
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-843-2473 (510-THE-BIRD)
http://www.albatrosspub.com/
21 and over
$3.00 Cover charge
The Albatross (aka The Bird) has been around since 1964. Current owners Wendy Halambeck and Linda Zsilavetz did a wonderful job of revitalizing the place without losing the charm it had. There are lots of board games available, lots of room for darts, a nice fireplace in the back, and food. It's a very friendly comfortable place. They now have a hard liquor license, so it is a great place to have a single malt scotch or the like.
The band will be Randy Odell on drums, Hal Richards on woodwinds, Dave Casini on vibes, and me on bass.
"One of the perks of being an unemployed musician is that you get to
play much less bad music."
Jack Daney
You can check out mp3s of my music at http://www.ribak.com/mp3s.html. You can go to http://www.BayTaper.com to download our July 2, 2006 show at the Fillmore Jazz Festival.
Alex Walsh's CD "Light Another Candle" is pop - a lot of it sounds like Mott the Hoople meets the Replacements to me. This was recorded in 2003. I play electric bass and upright on it.
Brian Schindele's CD The Moral is original straightahead jazz. I like it - the title tune kicks off the CD with some great drumming. This CD features Brian, drummer Tim Vaughan, Sheldon Brown on tenor sax, Tom Griesser playing sax on one track, Dave Scott on trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn, Larry Leight on trombone, and Connie Champagne as featured guest vocalist on a ballad track.
I regularly play with Stephen Bigger at Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church, where he is music director. "Lights on the Horizon" is a CD of his contemporary Christian songwriting. Stephen sings lead on a number of the tunes, but he also features Amy Beth Nickelson and Katie O'Gorman, two very talented young members of the congregation at Moraga Valley.
Gig Mailing List
To join my mailing list, you are welcome to click on SubscribeGiglist and include the address where you want to receive the mail in the body of the message. You are encouraged to mention how you heard of me.
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2006 gigs
december '06 gigs
november '06 gigs
October '06 gigs
September '06 gigs
August '06 gigs
June-early August '06 gigs
June '06 gigs
May '06 gigs
April '06 gigs
March '06 gigs
February '06 gigs
February '06 gigs
2005 gigs
February '05 gigs
November '05 gigs
October '05 gigs
September '05 gigs
August '05 gigs
July '05 gigs
May / June '05 gigs
May '05 gigs
March '05 gigs
February '05 gigs
February '05 gigs
2004 gigs
February
November
February
September
August
July
June
May
May
March
February
February
Music Videos - Old and Not So...
Stevie Wonder plays "Superstition" on Sesame Street - this is a smoking version.
Reg Kehoe and his Marimba Queens
(better file)
or YouTube version.
The whole thing is something else! The first site has a much bigger file but it is a longer clip.
see... banjo does get the ladies all hot and bothered - check out this Eddie Peabody video
And for something just plain weird, we have....
The one and only... The Cramps! These guys have some brilliant videos.
Ultra Twist - it's warped and dumb but I love it!
Like a Bad Girl Should
Garbageman
Put Down the Duckie - Sesame Street
http://www.epica-awards.org/assets/epica/2004/finalists/film/flv/22012-1.htm
http://www.epica-awards.org/assets/epica/2004/finalists/film/flv/22012-2.htm
http://www.epica-awards.org/assets/epica/2004/finalists/film/flv/22012-3.htm
http://www.epica-awards.org/assets/epica/2004/finalists/film/flv/22012-4.htm
Hello Cthulhu is what happens when you cross Hello Kitty with H.P. Lovecraft, with a special holiday greeting from Hello Cthulhu.
Jack Sheldon's "Jazz Christmas" is a seasonal gem.
And here is comic Rob Paravonian's rant about Pachelbel's Canon in D - great stuff if like me you are deeply sick of Pachelbel's Canon.
Bush Pilot - thanks to my pal David Javelosa for forwarding this to me.
Here we have a website with a directory of musicians with bald/shaved heads. takeitfromthehead.com The site is maintained by Pete Levin, keyboardist for Gil Evans, Paul Simon, Jimmy Giuffre, Annie Lennox, Tony Levin Band, Lenny White and the brother of the famous bassist (also bald) Tony Levin. Pete Levin contacted me and asked if I would like to be on the site, so there I am, right up there with the pop singer Seal, the thrash-metal guitarist Kerry King of Slayer, and Dixieland clarinetist Pete Fountain.
:Iggy Pop's performance contract
