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.
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: PRIMA GIG on to the gigs! Wednesday,
Feb. 28, 6:00 to 9:00 PM - and the last Wednesday of every month 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.
Friday March 2, 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
For the time being we will 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."
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
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
Dave Bell is on guitar, with Matt Willis on drums. Tip - to best hear the band you should have drinks in the bar or make a dinner reservation in the bar.
Sat. Mar. 3, 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Kurt Ribak Trio - Original Jazz
Hotel De Anza, Hedley Club
233 W. Santa Clara St.
San Jose, CA 95113
http://hoteldeanza.com/
http://www.hoteldeanza.com/entertainment2007Mar.asp
Attention my South Bay friends! We are back at the Hotel De Anza! It is one of the nicest jazz venues in the South Bay. This is a last-minute gig and the lineup is TBA. The Hedley Club is expected to stop having live jazz soon, so this is probably your last chance to see us here.
Sun., Mar. 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 TBA 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.
Friday, Mar. 9, 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. 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.
Greg Sankovich is on piano, with Matt Willis on drums.
Friday, Mar. 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. Tim Fox is on guitar, with Hal Richards on woodwinds. Tim and I have played together in a couple of different groups. He is the the guitarist for the pickPocket Ensemble and for Dangerous Rhythm, a group he leads. I have subbed on occasion with the pickPockets. 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.
Sunday, Mar. 18, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM - ish
Dan Damon Quartet - original jazz -
Santa Maria Parish, Orinda, CA
All ages
Directions:
Oakland toward Walnut creek - get to Highway 24,
go through
the tunnel - exit Orinda -
stay in left lane - turn left -
proceed under highway 24 --
bear right -- turn right at Shell Station -
That's Santa Maria Way -
at stop light - proceed straight ahead up little hill -
bear left - you'll see a large sign saying DA FINANCE -
that the continuation of Santa Maria Way and entrance to Church
From Walnut Creek -- exit ORINDA - stay left -
turn right at Shell Station and follow as above.
I have regularly played with Pastor Dan Damon, both at his church - First United Methodist Church of Pt. Richmond and at other functions and locations. Dan is an accomplished writer of hymns and has had many of his hymns published. We will be playing sacred and secular music composed and/or arranged by him. The band will be led by Pastor Dan on piano, with Tom Griesser on woodwinds and Jon Arkin on drums.
Friday, Mar. 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.
Saturday, Mar. 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
Tyler Blanton will be on vibes. I played with Tyler a few times last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. Servino is something of a surprise to me - it's good a strong neighborhood bar/restaurant quality to it - there are lots of regulars there.
Wednesday,
Mar. 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.
Friday, Mar. 30, 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 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. The article gives a good general sense of what the bar is like.
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 Rob Hart 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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2007 gigs
February '07 gigs
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June-early August '06 gigs
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2004 gigs
February
November
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May
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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
