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Zach Brock

Zach Brock, jazz violinist and composer, is forging a unique musical identity with “audacious ingenuity and masterful command of his instrument,” says Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times. Distinguished jazz critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune writes that Zach Brock is a violinist “whose every phrase argues for the instrument’s value in 21st century jazz.” Neil Tesser echoes, “Zach Brock is the pre- eminent improvising violinist of his generation.”

2013 is proving a landmark year for Brock as he tours as co-leader with renowned pianist/composer Phil Markowitz, appears in festivals with the Stanley Clarke Band, and premiers new classical works by Laurie Altman and Preston Stahly. In August Brock was named “2013 Rising Star Violinist” by Downbeat Magazine.

Zach’s debut recording for the Dutch label Criss Cross Jazz, Almost Never Was, was listed as one of The Chicago Tribune’s Top 10 Jazz Recordings of 2012 and features Brock with pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland in a set of new originals, standards, and contemporary classics. While Criss Cross’ considerable catalog of renown jazz players stretches back to 1978, Almost Never Was is the first to be led by a violinist. In December 2012 the quartet played to a capacity audience for the album’s release at NYC’s Jazz Standard and were also featured in a live broadcast for WNYC’s Soundcheck with John Schaefer.

In 2010, alongside longtime collaborator Matt Wigton on bass and Frederick Kennedy on drums, Zach recorded The Magic Number. The trio made their international debut at the 2010 Toronto Jazz Festival and in 2012 they represented the U.S. Department of State as Arts Envoys to the Solomon Islands.

Zach’s first band, The Coffee Achievers, after recording two CDs on Brock’s Secret Fort label, performed at Carnegie Hall in 2005 at the invitation of trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas. Later that year they were invited to perform at the Ouro Preto Jazz Festival in Brazil by recommendation of MacArthur Grant recipient Patricia Barber.

As a sideman Zach has performed and recorded with many notable artists such as bass legend Stanley Clarke, brass virtuoso Wycliffe Gordon, the neo-funk band Snarky Puppy, bassist/ composer/Greenleaf recording artist Matt Ulery, and singer- songwriter/cellist Ben Solle.

Born in Lexington, KY, Zach grew up in a family of musicians and was performing publicly by the age of six. From a background in classical and folk music, Zach became serious about studying jazz while in high school. He moved to Chicago with the dual goal of furthering his classical studies at Northwestern University, while embracing the city’s rich jazz scene. He relocated to New York City in 2005.

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Awards

2013 Downbeat Critics Poll Winner - Rising Star, Jazz Violin

2005 to 2011 Downbeat Reader’s Poll “Rising Star” Violin Category

2005 Dave Douglas Residency at Carnegie Hall

2002 Betty Carter’s “Jazz Ahead” Residency at Kennedy Center

2000 National Endowment For The Humanities and The Smithsonian Institution Grant

Gear

Thomastik-Infeld, AER, Ithaca Stringed Instruments, Coda Bows

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10
Album Review

Brock, Lanzetti, Ogawa: Drawing Songs

Read "Drawing Songs" reviewed by Mike Jacobs


Encountering new additions to the Snarky Puppy musical diaspora is always interesting. Some members' solo efforts are more direct stylistic offshoots of the mother band while others branch out in very different directions, but it is a safe bet that they will showcase the musicianship which got them into the burgeoning collective in the first place. Drawing Songs, by long-time SP bandmates Zach Brock, Bob Lanzetti and Keita Ogawa, is one of these which is a refreshing musical ...

23
Album Review

Bobby Kapp: Synergy

Read "Synergy" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The subtitle of Synergy is “Bobby Kapp plays the music of Richard Sussman," which is true to some extent. To be more precise, drummer Kapp is at the heart of a septet, conducted by Scott Reeves, that features composer Sussman at the piano. So, while “Bobby Kapp plays" is technically correct, it does not represent the whole picture. What is more, this is a group with a rather unusual front line of violin, clarinet, tenor sax and French ...

2
Album Review

Snarky Puppy: Empire Central

Read "Empire Central" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


A diciotto anni dalla nascita, gli Snarky Puppy sono tornati a Dallas —luogo d'origine della formazione— per registrare un nuovo album scegliendo l'approccio preferito: quel “live in the studio" con pubblico in sala che ha caratterizzato le loro opere migliori. Quindi otto notti alla Deep Ellum Art Company per mettere a punto 16 nuovi brani, ora pubblicati in doppio album, in triplo vinile. Il disco privilegia il ritorno ai valori musicali originari: una fusion ...

17
Album Review

Snarky Puppy: Immigrance

Read "Immigrance" reviewed by Josh Deakin


Three years after their last release, Snarky Puppy's thirteenth studio album Immigrance makes a statement as a standard for jazz fusion that all modern artists should take note of. The opening track, “Chonks," sets the tone of the record with a fierce drum fill from Larnell Lewis which is reminiscent of reggae tones, an aesthetic which Snarky Puppy enjoy teasing on occasion. The record keeps pace as it weaves together the collection of songs which gives the illusion ...

8
Album Review

Andrew Green: Dime Dancing: The Music Of Steely Dan

Read "Dime Dancing: The Music Of Steely Dan" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


It is not hard to imagine jazz versions of Steely Dan songs, as they are rich in knotty harmonies and dark lyrics that belie their mainstream pop success. But you would probably have to be guitarist Andrew Green to imagine them arranged for chamber ensembles dominated by woodwinds and strings (as well as vocalist Miriam Waks and Green's guitar). Ironically, Green's dramatic departure from the iconic recordings grew out of his love for them: he was convinced that no rock ...

2
Album Review

Matt Ulery: Delicate Charms

Read "Delicate Charms" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Nuovo album del contrabbassista chicagoano Matt Ulery, che riunisce in quintetto alcuni suoi frequenti collaboratori per realizzare un lavoro di brillante e articolato jazz moderno. La formazione vede il leader affiancato dal pianista Rob Clearfield e dal batterista Quin Kirchner, mentre la front line è composta dal sax contralto di Greg Ward e dal violino di Zach Brock, che con Ulery ha recentemente pubblicato l'ottimo Wonderment. L'ora abbondante di musica, tutta del contrabbassista, si suddivide in sette brani ...

1
Album Review

Zach Brock, Matt Ulery, Jon Deitemyer: Wonderment

Read "Wonderment" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Trio classico, ma con la particolarità di avere un violino come prima voce, questa formazione raccoglie tre musicisti che collaborano in varie forme da quindici anni e che operano in modo totalmente paritetico, a cominciare dalla titolarità dei dodici brani, composti quattro a testa. Dei tre il violinista Zach Brock è probabilmente il più noto, in virtù del suo esser parte (ancorché in modo non continuativo) degli acclamati Snarky Puppy, ma il contrabbassista Matt Ulery e il batterista ...

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Performance / Tour

Off Tour With Sting, Laila Biali Is In Residency At Subculture May 10, 24 & 31 With Guests John Ellis, Jo Lawry And Zach Brock / The Requestomatic Audience Challenge

Off Tour With Sting, Laila Biali Is In Residency At Subculture May 10, 24 & 31 With Guests John Ellis, Jo Lawry And Zach Brock / The Requestomatic Audience Challenge

Source: JANLYN PR - Jana La Sorte

Award-winning Canadian pianist, vocalist and songwriter Laila Biali has toured with Grammy award-winners Suzanne Vega, Chris Botti and Paula Cole and has recorded with and supported pop icon Sting. Laila has an acute awareness and appreciation for pop and rock that she combines with her jazz training to create thrilling arrangements. Her recent CD, Live in Concert, captures the intimacy and excitement she generates on stage and the range of music she makes her own from Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, ...

Radio

Zach Brock Quartet Featured On WNYC Soundcheck December 10

Zach Brock Quartet Featured On WNYC Soundcheck December 10

Source: JANLYN PR - Jana La Sorte

Violinist and composer Zach Brock will be at WNYC FM studios in New York City on Monday, December 10 for an interview and performance on the show SOUNDCHECK with host John Schaefer. The session will stream live and air in early January. Catch Zach and his quartet the next day, December 11, at their debut at Jazz Standard. Zach Brock’s first release on the European label Criss Cross Jazz features top-rank musicians Aaron Goldberg on piano, Matt Penman on bass ...

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Performance / Tour

Acclaimed Jazz Violinist Zach Brock to Tour Canada and U.S. in Support of His New CD the "Magic Number" Wednesday, March 23rd - Saturday, April 16th

Acclaimed Jazz Violinist Zach Brock to Tour Canada and U.S. in Support of His New CD the "Magic Number" Wednesday, March 23rd - Saturday, April 16th

Source: Buzzword PR

New York, NY—Brooklyn-based jazz violinist and composer Zach Brock will perform a series of East Coast and Midwest concert dates from Wednesday, March 23rd—Saturday, April 16th. Heralded as “the great bright hope for jazz violin" by the Chicago Tribune and as “the new cat" that has “the stuff" by jazz legend Stanley Clarke, Zach is joined by bassist Matt Wigton and drummer Fred Kennedy as they debut songs from The Magic Number, the fifth CD of his brand of American ...

169

Performance / Tour

Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers March '07 Tour & Recording

Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers March '07 Tour & Recording

Source: All About Jazz

Brooklyn-based jazz violinist Zach Brock, who has been described by Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Patricia Barber as “the one on whom to place your bets in jazz", will tour parts of the East Coast and Midwest from March 7 to March 20. Zach Brock is joined by his group, The Coffee Achievers, which includes Sam Barsh on piano, Matt Wigton on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums. Jazz fans worldwide know Sam Barsh for his tenure in the recent groups of ...

140

Performance / Tour

The Rob Scheps/Zach Brock 5tet continues Midwest Tour

The Rob Scheps/Zach Brock 5tet continues Midwest Tour

Source: All About Jazz

Saxophonist Rob Scheps & 5 String Violinist Zach Brock continue their tour with 3 more shows this week. Having already played well received shows in Kansas City, St. Louis & Lexington, KY, the group will appear Thurs. Oct 21 at Nebraska City High School from 1 pm - 2:30 pm in a concert/jazz clinic; Thurs. night Oct. 21 at P.O. Pear's in Lincoln, Nebraska from 7:30 - 10 pm ; and at the venerable showplace Katerina's on W. Irving Pk. ...

102

Performance / Tour

Rob Scheps/Zach Brock Quintet October US tour

Rob Scheps/Zach Brock Quintet  October US tour

Source: All About Jazz

Stellar saxophonist Rob Scheps ( George Russell, Gil Evans Band,Joey Calderazzo) and wunderkind Zach Brock on 5 -string Violin will tour the Midwest in October, 2004. Confirmed dates include : Sat. October 16 Blue Room, KC, Missouri Thurs. October 21 P.O. Pear's Lincoln,Nebraska ---------- Chicago,Des Moines & Nebraska City are being confirmed. Joining Scheps & Brock are a superb young rhythm section ( all 22 to 24 years old) : Jordan Baskin(piano);Matt Ulery ( bass & tuba) ; and Morgan ...

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Event

The Rob Scheps/Zach Brock 5tet --Midwest Tour in January 2004

The Rob Scheps/Zach Brock  5tet --Midwest Tour in January 2004

Source: All About Jazz

Saxophonist Rob Scheps teams up with new star, Chicago jazz violinist Zach Brock at the helm of their Chicago based Quintet for a Winter tour. Among the confirmed concerts as of this date: Jan. 15 or 16 Oshkosh, Wisconsin Sat. Jan. 17 NY Mills, Minn. James Mann Performing Arts Center Wed. Jan. 21 Nebraska City, NE Thurs. Jan. 22 Lincoln, NE P O Pear's Rounding out the group: Jordan Baskin (piano) Josh Abrams (bass) Morgan Childs ( drums) www.zachbrock.com www.robscheps.8m.net ...

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Music Industry

Chicago Violinist Zach Brock Launches Site

Chicago Violinist Zach Brock Launches Site

Source: All About Jazz

Zach Brock Web site: http://www.zachbrock.com E-mail: [email protected] Booking: Contact J. Love, 5A Arts & Entertainment, 312-455-1262 Chicago is world renowned for it’s unique flavor of Jazz, dating back nearly a century ago when cities were still roaring, cognac was rich, and excitement came with a cigar. Modern Chicago is currently in a Jazz revival with fresh and young faces on the scene. Zach Brock, a violinist, has definitely ...

Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune "Violinists always have been marginalized in jazz, notwithstanding the silken beauty of Stephane Grappelli's work and the historic contributions of Joe Venuti, Eddie South, Ray Nance and others. For this reason, and others, we should give thanks for the deepening contributions of Brock, whose every phrase argues for the instrument's value in 21st century jazz. Though Brock commands plenty of technique and a vibrantly attractive sound, it's the substance of his musical ideas that commands the most attention. You can hear as much on every track of "Almost Never Was," from the sprightly pizzicato passages of his "Common Ground" to the atmospheric effects of Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus," from the soulful utterances of "You've Changed" (you'd swear he was playing a viola) to the gorgeous melody line of the title track, a Brock original. The violinist partners effectively with pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland, but it's Brock's soaring lyricism that defines this recording."

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Primary Instrument

Violin

Willing to teach

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

You Remind Me

Whaling City Sound
2024

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Synergy

Self Produced
2023

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Drawing Songs

GroundUP Music
2023

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Empire Central

GroundUP Music
2022

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Dime Dancing: The...

Shifting Paradigm Records
2020

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Wonderment

Woolgathering Records
2019

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