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Rachel Z

Rachel Z is a keyboardist with a long history of award-winning performances in the worlds of jazz and rock. She co-wrote the Grammy-winning song ‘Tokyo Blue’ with saxophonist Najee. In addition to her 13 albums as bandleader and her work in internationally acclaimed bands such as Steps Ahead, Vertú, the Omar Hakim Experience, and OZmosys, she has played and toured with artists like Wayne Shorter (on the Grammy-winning album High Life), Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Al Di Meola, and Regina Carter. She also co-wrote the Grammy-winning song, 'Tokvo Blue' with saxophonist Najee Rachel came to worldwide prominence in the rock world in the Peter Gabriel concert films Growing Up Live and Still Growing Up Live.

Since 2000, she has been a Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Music Studies at The New School University in New York.

Since 2022 also a Professor of Jazz Studies and Electronic Music at Montclair State University and Cali School of the Arts.


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273
Album Review

Dept of Good and Evil feat. Rachel Z: Dept of Good and Evil

Read "Dept of Good and Evil" reviewed by John Kelman


Pianist Rachel Z revisits her successful deconstruction of (largely) contemporary tunes on Everlasting (Tone Center, 2004) with Dept of Good and Evil. This time, however, the trio's more collaborative nature has compelled Z to release the music under a collective group name, Dept of Good and Evil.

There's a stronger balance struck between contemporary material, original material written by Z (alone or in collaboration with drummer/producer Bobbie Rae) and material from the repertoires of saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson. ...

218
Album Review

Rachel Z: Grace

Read "Grace" reviewed by Stephen Latessa


This should have been easy to avoid. During the recording or planning sessions for Grace, Rachel Z's first vocal album, someone should have had the courage to tell her that she just doesn't sing very well. She has tried many different things over the years, to varying degrees of success, so perhaps she figured that singing would be a nice change of pace. Unfortunately her vocals are a fatal flaw from which the album cannot recover.

It is ...

165
Album Review

Rachel Z: Everlasting

Read "Everlasting" reviewed by Javier AQ Ortiz


If one has little sympathy for the jazzification of popular music, low tolerance for jazzified swinging musicality for its own sake, outright disgust for anything other than scorching tempos or abstraction for its own sake, derision for space and breaths of cooled musical air between the polarities of accessible depth and potent fragility, then one should stay clear from Rachel Z. One has to wonder, however, if Z's craft would get more attention than it does among some of the ...

157
Album Review

Rachel Z: Everlasting

Read "Everlasting" reviewed by John Kelman


Deconstructing popular contemporary songs seems to be the current flavour of the month. From the Bad Plus' rock-heavy interpretations of the Pixies to Brad Mehldau's inventive look at Radiohead, artists are realizing that not only is there a wealth of modern material out there to replace the Great American Songbook, but the approach has resulted in drawing a younger audience. Listeners who are less-than-likely to warm to yet another version of “If I Were a Bell" are happier to hear ...

693
Interview

Rachel Z Shocks the Bunny

Read "Rachel Z Shocks the Bunny" reviewed by Mike Brannon


Ok, quick...name all the artists you can think of with a last name starting with Z. Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet...but they're all in the Zappa family, right? Ok, Zamfir, if you've really gotta go there. Well, now there's another worthy of that elusive 26th letter... pianist/keyboardist Rachel Niccolazzo or Rachel Z, for short.

Numbered among her many accomplishments, the Grammy award-winning artist has recorded and toured with Wayne Shorter, Steps Ahead and is now a fixture on Peter Gabriel's “Growing Up ...

212
Album Review

Rachel Z Trio: Moon at the Window

Read "Moon at the Window" reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins


Rachel Z's tribute to Joni Mitchell has perhaps arrived at just the right time, hot on the heels of Mitchell's decision to never record again. No doubt her die-hard fans will be clamoring for as much original and tribute material as possible, and a good many will find joy in this comfortable instrumental release.

It's impossible not to like the buoyant, loving arrangements that Rachel Z has collected here. However, for as many popular tunes as Joni Mitchell has created ...

207
Album Review

Rachel Z: On The Milky Way Express

Read "On The Milky Way Express" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Rachel Z is a lot shorter than I expected her to be. The former Ms. Nicolazzo, henceforth the ‘Z,’ should be taller, much taller, a height equal to her ambitious sound. The once classical piano student turned jazz pianist, graduated from the New England Conservatory and set about playing music both inside and outside the jazz tradition. That simply means she has led two careers, one in acoustic post bop-oriented jazz and another in jazz-fusion. Playing with such diverse artists ...

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89

Interview

UYS Interview: Sarah Jane Morris & Rachel Z

UYS Interview: Sarah Jane Morris & Rachel Z

Source: underyourskin

Sarah Jane Morris Rachel Z Thess interviews are part of the book/dvd project “Under your skin" which includes Interviews with Ahmad Jamal, Chuck D—Public Enemy, Randy Weston, Greg Phillinganes, Stanley Clarke, Eric Bobo/Cypress Hill, Liu Fang, Malika Zarra, Zap Mama, Les Nubians, Esperanza Spalding, Lydia Lunch, Lee “Scratch" Perry, Rhonda Smith, DJ KutMasta Kurt, Sepultura, Joe Bowie, Korn, Henry ...

229

Recording

The Trio of Oz: New CD by Omar Hakim and Rachel Z Debuts September 7

The Trio of Oz: New CD by Omar Hakim and Rachel Z Debuts September 7

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

Legendary drummer Omar Hakim (Weather Report, Sting, Miles Davis, David Bowie, et al.) has teamed up with pianist extraordinaire Rachel Z, whose work with Wayne Shorter, Steps Ahead, and Peter Gabriel has earned her international recognition and acclaim from her peers and fans alike. This musical partnership features the tasteful virtuosity and sensitivity of these Grammy Awarded musicians as they take you on an exciting journey performing some of the most creative and unique arrangements of chart-topping rock hits from ...

183

Performance / Tour

Steve Kuhn, Vijay Iyer, Rachel Z Celebrate the Music of Bud Powell (Sun. Jazz Brunch) Mary Foster Conklin This Weekend at at the Iridium Jazz Club

Steve Kuhn, Vijay Iyer, Rachel Z Celebrate the Music of Bud Powell (Sun. Jazz Brunch) Mary Foster Conklin This Weekend at at the Iridium Jazz Club

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121 Sets At 8:00 & 10:00PM Effective immediately, minimums are $10/person/set for all Sept. 27-30 THE MUSIC OF BUD POWELL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION BUD POWELL TRIBUTE 'THE AMAZING BUD POWELL' Sep 28 Steve Kuhn Billy Drummond Eddie Gomez Sep 29 Vijay Iyer Piano Stephen Crump Bass ...

68

Performance / Tour

Rachel Z and the Department of Good and Evil Live Internet Jazz Concert June 29, 2007 8:30PM Edt

Rachel Z and the Department of Good and Evil Live Internet Jazz Concert June 29, 2007 8:30PM Edt

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

Doc B Productions Announces Live Internet Jazz Concert Featuring Rachel Z and The Department of Good and Evil When: June 29, 2007 8:30pm EDT Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 151 West 5th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 http://www.jazzincincy.com/ Full streaming video and audio; two full sets; Approximately 3 hours of music. $5 presale, $10 day of show.

Rachel Z and the Department of Good and Evil, (http:// www.rachelz.com/) featured in the June edition of Downbeat magazine, will perform ...

141

Recording

Rachel Z Trio's 'Everlasting' on Tone Center Streets Today

Rachel Z Trio's 'Everlasting' on Tone Center Streets Today

Source: All About Jazz


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TV / Film

Rachel Z to Appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Rachel Z to Appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Source: All About Jazz

Keyboardist Rachel Z -- with a new CD about to be released, and now touring with Peter Gabriel -- will perform (with Gabriel's band) on national television twice today (Friday, September 27).

* The Today Show (NBC) * Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Peter Gabriel's U.S.- Canada "Growing Up" Tour: November Atlanta - 5 Cleveland - 7 Columbus - 8 Wash ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Sensual

Self Produced
2025

buy

Grace

Chesky Records
2005

buy

Everlasting

Tone Center
2004

buy

Moon at the Window

Tone Center
2002

buy

On The Milky Way...

Tone Center
2000

buy

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