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Dave Zoller

Dave Zoller began playing the piano at age six and began arranging and composing actively while a student at SMU. Dave has led his own groups, worked as a sideman in various bands and backed such top acts as Kay Starr, Gloria Loring, Diahann Carroll, the Mills Brothers, George Kirby and the Smothers Brothers. In 1985, he became tour pianist and music director for New Orleans jazz & pop trumpet star (and Grammy Award winner) Al Hirt, “an association that lasted three hectic years”, says Zoller. Dave has also appeared in concert with such jazz legends as Clark Terry, Eddie Daniels, Mundell Lowe, Pete Christlieb and Carl Fontana. In recent years, he has performed with such up-and-coming performers as guitarist Steve Masakowski, vocalist Roseanna Vitro and saxophonist Dave Pietro. He has also done recording sessions for pop and country music stars Charlie Pride, Janie Fricke and Marilyn McCoo. These days, Dave stays busy in Dallas and leads two group projects: Daybreak Express/The Music of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn and Evidence: The Music of Thelonious Monk. He also performs regularly in a duo with bassist Jonathan Fisher and with the Shelley Carrol/Brad Leali Big Band. Dave has also been heard with vocalists Carolyn Lee Jones and Drenda Barnett. In 2009, Dave Zoller received the Sammons Center Jazz Artist Of The Year Award.

Awards

Sammons Jazz Artist of the Year 2009


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Album Review

Dave Zoller: Evidence - Music of Thelonious Monk

Read "Evidence - Music of Thelonious Monk" reviewed by Patrick Burnette


Younger readers may not believe this, but there was a time when all-Thelonious Monk tribute albums were a rarity. During most of Monk's lifetime, musicians focused on a few of his best-known tunes ("Round Midnight" was--and remains-- the obvious favorite). But then Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, and other champions of Monk began to devote whole albums to his music and countless jazz musicians have followed in their wake. Now Monk may be the central composer in the jazz canon. Everybody ...

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