Peter Zak Trio at Chez Hanny

Pianist Peter Zak was born in Los Angeles in 1965, and grew up in Columbus and Kent, Ohio, then moved with his family at age 16 to Oakland. At the University of California, Berkeley, he studied with Susan Muscarella (founder/director of Berkeley's Jazzschool, now the California Jazz Conservatory).

Zak played on an extracurricular basis in combo and big band settings, with the UC Jazz Ensembles. He also freelanced in bands with noted bassist Herbie Lewis, who had recorded with one of Zak's major influences, McCoy Tyner, as well as Jackie McLean and local hero Bobby Hutcherson. Following his graduation from UC Berkeley, Zak played clubs, concerts, and festivals with such notables as saxophonists Frank Morgan and John Handy....

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Pianist Peter Zak was born in Los Angeles in 1965, and grew up in Columbus and Kent, Ohio, then moved with his family at age 16 to Oakland. At the University of California, Berkeley, he studied with Susan Muscarella (founder/director of Berkeley's Jazzschool, now the California Jazz Conservatory).

Zak played on an extracurricular basis in combo and big band settings, with the UC Jazz Ensembles. He also freelanced in bands with noted bassist Herbie Lewis, who had recorded with one of Zak's major influences, McCoy Tyner, as well as Jackie McLean and local hero Bobby Hutcherson. Following his graduation from UC Berkeley, Zak played clubs, concerts, and festivals with such notables as saxophonists Frank Morgan and John Handy.

Since moving to New York in 1989, Zak has enjoyed ongoing recording and performing associations with saxophonists Walt Weiskopf, Jim Snidero, and Stephen Riley; trumpeter Ryan Kisor; and guitarist Tom Guarna. Zak has accompanied such name artists as George Coleman, Billy Hart, Jon Hendricks, Etta Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Scott Hamilton, Doug Webb, and Junior Cook. He has been on the faculty in the Jazz and Contemporary Music College of the New School since 1995.

For his tenth CD in as many years, all for the Danish SteepleChase label, pianist Peter Zak continues his brilliant series of jazz trio explorations, this time in the company of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Willie Jones III. The new disc, "The Disciple," was released October 21, 2014.

http://www.peterzakmusic.com/

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