Jazz Articles about Alex Skolnick

About Alex Skolnick

Live Review

Brooklyn Guitar FesitvalVarious Artists Brooklyn, NY June 12, 2026 Over the weekend of June 12-13th, the very first Brooklyn Guitar Festival took place and featured appearances from some of the most touted players around today. It was presented by Joel Harrison and Alex Skolnick, two tireless advocates for guitar-related events in the greater New York Area and also highly active performers themselves. The first evening of the festival took place at Warsaw in Greenpoint and was less of ...

Album Review

Alex Skolnick Trio: Prove You're Not a Robot

Read "Prove You're Not a Robot" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
December 29, 2025

Few musicians have leapt the chasm between thrash metal and jazz with the audacity and grace of Alex Skolnick. Having made his name with Bay Area thrashers Testament in their Big Four-era ascent, Skolnick's departure from metal in the early '90s was not burnout, but a transformation fueled by his pursuit of a BFA in jazz performance from The New School. Juggling Testament reunions and his progressive jazz-rock project PAKT, his career has long defied easy labels. The ...

Radio & Podcasts

Roland Heinz, Commoidore, Mr Motaba, Anika Nilles, Lyle Workman, Bob Frye

by Len Davis
October 5, 2025

On today's show, it's the usual eclectic mix of global fusion, jazz, and a few old favourites to wrap things up. We start with German guitarist and synth player Roland Heinz, joined by New York's Adam Holzman, then head to Argentina with jazz fusion band Commodore and to Brazil with Mr. Motaba and their Brazilian-tinged fusion new release. From Germany, drummer Anika Nilles brings her latest track--she's previously toured with the late Jeff Beck and has an Australian tour coming ...

Album Review

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 ...

Radio & Podcasts

Alex Skolnick Trio, Mark Lettieri, Jan Hammer and Erik Escobar

by Len Davis
October 9, 2022

Music from Alex Skolnick, Mark Lettieri and Cory Wong. Jan Hammer, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Steve Khan.Playlist Grafitti “Good Groove" from Good Groove (Lipstick) 00:00 Alex Skolnick Trio “Key Of Sea" from Conundrum (Palmetto) 06:03 Mark Lettieri “Magnetar" from Deep: The Baritone Sessions (Leopard) 12:18 Cory Wong “Concrete" from Power Station (Self Produced) 18:26 Jan Hammer-Jeff Beck “Drive" from Drive (Miramar) 24:35 Jan Hammer “Midnight" from Beyond The Minds Eye (Miramar) 30:46 Erik Escobar “Taffa" from Erik Escobar (Self ...

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 ...