Jazz Articles about Peter Zak

Peter Zak: Down East

by Dan McClenaghan
June 23, 2011

Pianist Peter Zak and his superb trio went into the studio to swing on Down East, and swing they did. Opening with Duke Pearson's “Is That So?," Zak displays a light touch and a sparkle and shine not unlike that of Red Garland or Oscar Peterson, with ubiquitous bassist Peter Washington and drummer Rodney Green locking the rhythm into a tight foundational groove for Zak's bright ebullience. On a set of well-chosen standards mixed with lesser-known gems, and with the ...

Peter Zak: Blues on the Corner: The Music of McCoy Tyner

by Joel Roberts
March 6, 2010

McCoy Tyner has justifiably been heralded as one of the most important jazz pianists of the past 50 years, both for his seminal work with the classic John Coltrane Quartet in the 1960s and for the four decades of consistently exhilarating work as a leader that followed. But while his heavily percussive style, unique chord voicings and the sheer emotional force of his playing have influenced countless followers, he has seldom been appreciated for his contributions as a composer. That's ...

Peter Zak: My Conception

by Terrell Kent Holmes
December 22, 2007

Pianist Peter Zak, a heralded talent in the trio setting, flies solo on his excellent My Conception, where he skillfully dissects and reconstructs a roster of originals and standards, giving them depth of character and unrealized poignancy.

Zak's originals are ambitious and diverse. He plays the mercurial “Shala with building emotion and lyricism as his boundless ideas grow exponentially. He deftly explores every harmonic and melodic possibility of the beautiful “Mahmoud's Memory, telling a story that is complex yet uncluttered. ...

Peter Zak Trio: For Tomorrow

by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
October 31, 2006

Consider the minor thrills in life. Six minutes into For Tomorrow, on a romantically titled track, “Plaza de Toros, Peter Zak's robust piano notes rise like smoke and embroider delicate but bold audio patterns into the rhythmic backdrop. Willie Jones III lends his dexterous, almost rocky command of drums to create a mood of urgency and alarm that manages to remain consistent throughout, from Zak's own “The Cream or the Clear to “Wee See, a Thelonious Monk cover. Paul Gill's ...

Peter Zak: Peter Zak Trio

by Terrell Kent Holmes
August 21, 2005

Pianist Peter Zak is something of an unknown quantity to New Yorkers, but on his SteepleChase debut, he makes a considerable first impression. On this disc, which is comprised mostly of originals, he displays a style, which, although clearly touched by his major influences, remains vibrant and singular. During a great gig last month at Smoke, Zak showcased several of the tunes (and one that isn't on the disc, a burner with the hilarious title “The Cream and the Clear, ...