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PAKT

PAKT is made up of fretless bass guitarist Percy Jones, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, and drummer Kenny Grohowski. They are all very experienced players. Skolnick is best known as the lead guitarist in the thrash metal band Testament; he went on to freelance work, playing jazz with his Alex Skolnick Trio, and experimenting with World Music. Motzer has a long background in free improvisation as well, including the bands Bandit65 (with fellow guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel) and Orion Tango, plus many other recorded collaborations for his 1k Recordings label. Welsh bassist Jones (long time a New York resident) is known for his tenure in the jazz fusion group Brand X, collaborations with Suzanne Vega, as well as extensive studio work (especially with Brian Eno). Grohowski's recent associations include Imperial Triumphant, John Zorn, Brand X, Felix Pastorius & the Hipster Assassins.

PAKT: No Steps Left To Trace

Read "No Steps Left To Trace" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 29, 2024

When four highly regarded musicians like Percy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski and Tim Motzer join forces, expectations run high for an album like No Steps Left to Trace--and it delivers, effortlessly blending daring and organic soundscapes. PAKT's 2024 release defies easy classification, weaving progressive rock, jazz fusion and avant-garde experimentation into a tapestry of sound as unpredictable as it is mesmerizing. The first CD features studio recordings, while a second captures live performances in Buffalo, New York ...

Liner Notes

Percy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski, Tim Motzer: PAKT

by Mark Sullivan
May 13, 2023

It was the Plague Year, and musicians denied the ability to tour and play in front of a live audience quickly began to pivot to virtual concerts. As early as April performances from musician's homes started (including one large series that was titled Live From Our Living Rooms). By August some conventional performance venues had gotten into the act, including the Village Vanguard and Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. But this ShapeShifter Lab concert felt like a real ...

Album Review

Jones / Skolnick / Grohowski / Motzer: PAKT

by Mike Jurkovic
September 13, 2021

Recent internal polling serves to prove that most actively conscious homo sapiens are seriously seeking out a few more hours of headspace a day. With that comes the need to fill it with anything but blinks, tweets, notifications or the incessant slate of current events. And with that comes a soundtrack: equal measures invention, noise, humor, daring. With that in mind, MoonJune Records presents this twin-disc set from guitarists Alex Skolnick, Tim Motzer (who kindly handles electronics), drummer Kenny Grohowski ...

"PAKT recalls the fearless attitude and daring approach that originally defined progressive music: where the magic of the moment always triumphed over preconception. Templates be damned ... this music blazes its own path! This is truly exquisite fare, serving as a reminder to aficionados of what initially drew them to this most creative, visionary of genres."

MoonJune Records