Kurt Ribak 

(pronounced REE-bok, like the shoes)

gigs and other stuff

Kurt playing
                bass
photo by Lincoln Adler / Groove Tonic Media

site map page      press kit page  home page

Kurt Ribak Trio - debut CD cover Kurt Ribak Trio "more" CD cover Kurt Ribak Trio -
                "gone" CD cover I Got One More! cover"onward"
              record cover
RECORDINGS - We have five recordings. 
Our records are played on KCSM-FM, San Diego's Jazz 88, PRI's "Jazz After Hours" (syndicated on 70 stations), KPFA, KZFR, KKUP, KZSC, KRCB,  soulandjazz.com's "The Creative Source" and more.


The newest record, "onward" features Greg Sankovich, Ross Wilson, Lincoln Adler, Russ Gold, Alan Hall, Michaelle Goerlitz, Myles Boisen, and Kurt
It's our best record yet.  It was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley by Adam Muñoz and produced by Greg, Lincoln, and Kurt.

UPCOMING RELEASE - We plan to have a new record featuring some of my tangos, rhumbas, boleros, and a cumbia out by May of 2025


Purchase: You can buy Kurt Ribak's CDs, downloads, etc. online at, on iTunes and all the other usual online sources, at The Groove Yard in Oakland at 5555 Claremont in Oakland, at Bird & Beckett Books & Records, 653 Chenery St., San Francisco, at Down Home Music,
10341 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA.

Streaming: You can also stream us on Spotify, Qobuz and Pandora, as well as other sources.


Gigs
I think outdoor house concerts - and concerts presented or underwritten by nonprofits, such as Bay Area Jazzmobile and Jazz In the Neighborhood -  as well as Freight & Salvage and SFJAZZ are going to be the way forward for jazz and other music with limited commercial appeal. 

If you want to hire my band for a house concert - or are a nonprofit interested in presenting or underwriting jazz performances, please contact me.




Our 2024 SFJAZZ show has now come and gone.  It was really fun and we sold out both shows. 

Big thanks to everyone who came to the shows!

We return to the Joe Henderson Lab at SFJAZZ playing two shows of my Latin tunes Sat., May 17, 2025.  It's not too soon to mark your calendar!



Thursday, August 1

Stookey's Club Moderne
http://www.stookeysclubmoderne.com
895 Bush St., San Francisco, CA


Pianist Greg Sankovich and I back singer/songwriter / guitarist George Cole.  Stookey's Club Moderne
George Cole Trio at Stookey's


bar at Stookey's

Stookey's is a beautiful Deco/Moderne style bar.  Great cocktails, outstanding decor, nice vibe.  I've come here on my own time and enjoyed it a lot.  Check it out!





Kurt Ribak - Original Jazz

Friday, August 16, 7 PM to 9 PM 
regular gig - third Friday of every month
Roxx on Main - California Cuisine - OUTDOOR SHOW
https://www.roxxonmain.com
627 Main Street, Martinez, CA 94553
Call 925-370-7699 for reservations

Picture of Sign with "Kurt Ribak Trio" on itView down Main St from Roxx

My band returns to Roxx on Main in Martinez.  We'll be OUTDOORS for this show.   Main Street will be blocked off to cars.  You can be inside if you don't want to hear the band and outside if you do.  In that case make reservations and ask to be near the band. Bring layers to wear, as it may be cool out once night falls.


The band will be Kurt on bass and vocals, Mark "Markos" Sowlakis
on clarinet and sax, Tom Patttitucci on guitar, and Rob Hart on drums. 


Roxx has been getting a lot of positive press

Roxx received multiple Reader's Choice awards from the East Bay Times:

Roxx on Main wins the 2024
East Bay Times Reader's Choice Awards 
🏆

1st Place categories: 
* Best place to hear live music
* Best specialty cocktail
* Best American food 



Roxx also received an award for Best Live Music Spot
from Diablo Magazine; https://www.diablomag.com/2024-best-of-the-east-bay-complete-list-of-winners/article_bc083c32-39c0-11ef-a516-d7987581ae6a.html




Executive Chef Lesley Stiles and Chef de Cuisine Tony Lauro consistently create outstanding food.  I've repeatedly come on my own time and dime to eat here and cheer on other bands. 
The restaurant was featured on the KQED-TV show "Check, Please."  The food, California Cuisine, is exceptional - Go here for a YouTube link to the episode featuring Roxx - the episode features three worthy restaurants, but the segment about Roxx on Main starts at 14:27.

The restaurant serves food until 8:45 PM and there is a full bar.  Make reservations by calling 925-370-7699  - Roxx is a popular place.  Ask for a table near the band, as we're outside.

Downtown Martinez has become a center of live music, as this SFGATE story notes - https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/martinez-bay-area-live-music-concerts-16717883.php.  You may want to walk around and check out various other bands playing nearby - it's become quite the scene, with brewpubs, BBQ restaurants, etc.  

The town itself is worth exploring, dating back to Gold Rush days.  The downtown has many historic buildings, and the train station is worth checking out.






Kurt Ribak Trio - Jazz and Standards
Sunday August 18, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Chez Mansour - Mediterranean, Lebanese, Wine Bar
1369 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706
all ages

Chez Mansour at night

Chez Mansour is a cozy family-run restaurant and wine bar with excellent Lebanese food. I played here for a couple of years with George Cole. You may also remember the location as the former site of Britt-Marie, if you've been in the area a while.

I will be leading a trio featuring John Ettinger
on violin, me on bass and vocals, and Myles Boisen on guitar. 
There is no cover and minors are welcome.




The PickPocket Ensemble - world Cafe Music
https://www.pickpocketensemble.com/
 
with Doralice - original chamber music
https://doralice.bandcamp.com/

Saturday, August 31
at

Strings

http://www.strings.org
6320 San Pablo Ave., Oakland (near 63rd St., East side of Street)
Doors open at 7:30 PM.  Be there by 8 or you may not be let in!
$20 donation suggested, CASH ONLY

Pickpockets at StringsStrings Facade
Strings is a special spot for music.  It's a sort of musical speakeasy - unmarked from the street.  Look for the facade above and the address - 6320.  There won't be anything on the marquee. 


Doors open at 7:30 PM.  Be there by 8 or you may not be let in!  Cash only.

It's an outstanding listening room with excellent acoustics.  Strings feels like you stepped into a wormhole and have been taken back to the late '60s or early '70s - in a good way. 
You can check out the space in a virtual tour - https://dynamicvrt.com/strings/

The concert space has a very nice piano, a nice sound system, and great acoustics.  Out back is a beautiful garden/meditation space.  BYOB/food is encouraged, and you're encouraged to share.  The place is volunteer-run and donations-funded.  It's one of my favorite places to perform or to listen to music.

I've played with The Pickpocket Ensemble off and on over the last twenty years or so.  The music is all composed by Rick Corrigan and evokes cafe music from around the world.  The tunes really are exceptional. 


The band will be:
Rick Corrigan-accordion, composition, Chloe Allen-violin, Yates Brown-guitar, John Slattery-percussion, Kurt Ribak-bass. 

You can see and hear live recordings of the band at https://www.youtube.com/user/pickpocketensemble/videos and check out a live recording at Strings and other recordings at https://www.pickpocketensemble.com/discography.html

Opening is Doralice - they describe their music as "
Cinematic acoustic instrumentals with elements of chamber & film music, Americana, gypsy, Spanish, & tango."
I've had the opportunity to record with them a couple of times - very enjoyable!
 



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videos
- we have a
YouTube Channel

Haven't seen us before and want to see if it's your thing?   Or revisit some of our shows?  
Check out our YouTube channel, or watch the selected videos below.  The YouTube Channel features a bunch of performances from our Freight & Salvage shows and a Yoshi's show. 

        

Check out our YouTube channel.  It features a bunch of live performances.

interviews of Kurt Ribak
These video interviews were made by Lincoln Adler - www.LincolnAdler.com. Lincoln plays with us often and is the saxophonist of Times 4, the jazz-funk group Greg Sankovich also plays in.




Kurt's ability to take you on a journey from the deepest waters of the Caribbean to the funky alleys of the urban jungle in one listening makes him a truly gifted original in my book." - Chris Cortez, KCSM FM announcer


PRESS

Links to two articles about the Vallejo show back in January 2020:

Fairfield Daily Republic article

Vallejo Times-Herald Article


SFJAZZ
Some nice press about us from SFJAZZ:


“Joyous,” “grooving,” “bluesy,” “sophisticated,” and “masterful” could all be accurately used to describe bassist and composer Kurt Ribak’s music, but perhaps an assessment is best left to the man himself, who calls his rollicking mix of bebop sophistication and body-moving grooves “Charles Mingus meets The Meters.” Ribak brings his superb working quartet, performing music from their most recent album Onward. 


BLOG

You can see my blog post at SFJAZZ about my injury and recovery here - https://www.sfjazz.org/onthecorner/kurt-ribak-interview/


STREAMING AUDIO

Just want to hear some audio of us?  We are on Spotify, and you can also hear us here.


Gig Mailing List

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