art credit: El Rey - based on a photo by David Meiland
You can buy the Kurt
Ribak Trio CD online at CDBaby, and at Musicians Union Local 6. We
plan to have the next CD, titled "more,"
out very soon. It is currently in duplication. 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.
PRIMA GIG GETS PRESS
We continue to play every
Friday at Prima. A review of the Friday night bar scene appeared
in the Feb. 8, 2007 edition of the Contra Costa Times,
in which the Kurt Ribak Trio is described as "delicious."
on to the gigs!
Thursday, May 31, 8:00 to 11:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original
jazz
Pres a Vi
http://www.presavi.com/
1 Letterman Drive, Bldg. D
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA
All ages
We have a new steady gig! Pres a Vi is a huge new restaurant in the Letterman Digital Arts Center, operated by George Lucas. We will be playing Thursdays for some time to come. The executive chef is Kelly Degala and the food is from around the world. Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni, the General Manager, just arrived here after working as the GM of Prima.
The band will be Gerry Grosz playing vibes and
Rob Hart on drums. Gerry's a treat to hear - most of the other players
in the area describe themselves in terms of how well they play compared
to Gerry.
We look forward to playing here every Thursday. This month we have a few prior commitments to work through, but soon we will be here every Thursday. The view is truly spectacular here - you can see the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, and a bit of the Bay itself.
Two reviews by The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer -here and here.
Friday, June 1, 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.
JUST ADDED! Sat., June
2, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original jazz
Union St. Fair
http://www.unionstreetfestival.com/
Union at Gough
San Francisco, CA
all ages
free
This gig just came in. We'll be part of the
31st annual Union Street Festival. This is one of the largest of San
Francisco's summer street festivals. We're very pleased to be able
to add it to our calendar. Greg Sankovich will be on keyboards, I'll
be on bass. Bryan Bowman is on drums, and saxophonist Lincoln Adler
may be sitting in.
Sun., June 3, 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 Jon Arkin 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, June 7, 8:00 to 11:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original
jazz
Pres a Vi
http://www.presavi.com/
1 Letterman Drive, Bldg. D
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA
All ages
We have a new steady gig! Pres a Vi is a huge new restaurant in the Letterman Digital Arts Center, operated by George Lucas. We will be playing Thursdays for some time to come. The executive chef is Kelly Degala and the food is from around the world. Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni, the General Manager, just arrived here after working as the GM of Prima.
The band will be Greg Sankovich playing keyboards
and Rob Hart on drums. Gerry's a treat to hear - most of the other
players in the area describe themselves in terms of how well they play
compared to Gerry.
We look forward to playing here every Thursday. This month we have a few prior commitments to work through, but soon we will be here every Thursday. The view is truly spectacular here - you can see the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, and a bit of the Bay itself.
Two reviews by The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer -here and here.
Friday, June 8, 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 Jon Arkin on drums.
Sunday, June 10, 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. Greg Sankovich will be on keyboards with Lincoln Adler on tenor (and maybe soprano) sax.
Thursday, June 14, 8:00 to 11:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original
jazz
Pres a Vi
http://www.presavi.com/
1 Letterman Drive, Bldg. D
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA
All ages
We have a new steady gig! Pres a Vi is a huge new restaurant in the Letterman Digital Arts Center, operated by George Lucas. We will be playing Thursdays for some time to come. The executive chef is Kelly Degala and the food is from around the world. Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni, the General Manager, just arrived here after working as the GM of Prima.
The band will be Greg Sankovich playing keyboards
and TBA on drums.
We look forward to playing here every Thursday. This month we have a few prior commitments to work through, but soon we will be here every Thursday. The view is truly spectacular here - you can see the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, and a bit of the Bay itself.
Two reviews by The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer -here and here.
Friday, June 15, 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 Rob Hart on drums.
Sun., June 17, 11:00 AM to Noon
First United Methodist Church Father's Day Jazz Service,
with Rev. Dan Damon
First United Methodist Church
http://www.pointrichmond.com/methodist/
201 Martina St., Point Richmond, CA
Jazz Father's Day Service at Pt. Richmond FUMC with Rev. Dan Damon, Jon Arkin, and Lincoln Adler. I've played the Father's Day service for a number of years now. I really like this church. It's a simple, sweet church with a welcoming congregation and a sanctuary with excellent acoustics. My trio has played a couple of concerts there. Rev. Dan Damon is a good person and has written many fine hymns. If you're looking for a spiritual place to go Father's Day, FUMC is a good choice. All are welcome.
First United Methodist Church
Sunday, June 17, 7 PM to 10:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original Jazz
The Riptide
http://www.riptidesf.com
3639 Taraval @ 47th Ave. San Francisco
Thursday, June 21, 8:00 to 11:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original
jazz
Pres a Vi
http://www.presavi.com/
1 Letterman Drive, Bldg. D
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA
All ages
We have a new steady gig! Pres a Vi is a huge new restaurant in the Letterman Digital Arts Center, operated by George Lucas. We will be playing Thursdays for some time to come. The executive chef is Kelly Degala and the food is from around the world. Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni, the General Manager, just arrived here after working as the GM of Prima.
The band will be Greg Sankovich playing keyboards
and TBA on drums.
We look forward to playing here every Thursday. This month we have a few prior commitments to work through, but soon we will be here every Thursday. The view is truly spectacular here - you can see the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, and a bit of the Bay itself.
Two reviews by The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer -here and here.
Friday, June 22, 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.
Wednesday, June 27, 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.
Thursday, June 28, 8:00 to 11:30 PM
Kurt Ribak Trio - original
jazz
Pres a Vi
http://www.presavi.com/
1 Letterman Drive, Bldg. D
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA
All ages
We have a new steady gig! Pres a Vi is a huge new restaurant in the Letterman Digital Arts Center, operated by George Lucas. We will be playing Thursdays for some time to come. The executive chef is Kelly Degala and the food is from around the world. Gerardo Acevedo-Vanni, the General Manager, just arrived here after working as the GM of Prima.
The band will be Greg Sankovich playing keyboards
and TBA on drums.
We look forward to playing here every Thursday. This month we have a few prior commitments to work through, but soon we will be here every Thursday. The view is truly spectacular here - you can see the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, and a bit of the Bay itself.
Two reviews by The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer -here and here.
Friday, June 29, 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. TBA on
piano, with Rob Hart on drums.
Saturday, June 30, 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
$5.00 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.
Band personnel is TBA.
"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.
T-Shirts
We have a few Kurt Ribak
Trio t-shirts remaining. 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 L and men's from small to medium.
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.
We're like, all up in literature and stuff
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:
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
PRIMA GIG GETS PRESS
We continue to play every
Friday at Prima. Thanks to all of you who let Prima owner Peter
Chastain know we have a following. A review of the Friday night
bar scene appeared in the Feb. 8, 2007 edition of the Contra
Costa Times, in which the Kurt Ribak Trio is described
as "delicious."
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.
To get off the mailing
list, just click UnsubscribeGiglist
and include the address you want dropped from the mailing list in the
body of the message.
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 January '06 gigs
2005 gigs
December '05
gigsNovember '05 gigsOctober '05 gigsSeptember '05 gigs August '05 gigs July '05 gigs May / June '05 gigs May '05 gigs March
'05 gigs February '05 gigs
January '05 gigs
2004 gigs
February November February September August July
June May May March February
February
Music Videos - Old and Not So...
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.
Iggy Pop's performance contract
photo: Susan Bigger
photo: Mark Thomas
