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Peter Zak Quartet at Smalls Jazz Club
by David A. Orthmann
Peter Zak Quartet Smalls Jazz Club jny:New York, NY December 18, 2020 One of a handful of rotating camera angles from Smalls Jazz Club offered a view of Peter Zak's hands on the keyboard of a Yamaha grand. This vantage point spoke volumes about the opening set of Zak's quartet. Despite a fair amount of evidence to the contrary, jazz piano doesn't have to be loud and frenetic to make an impact. Zak's ...
read moreThe Peter Leitch New Jazz Orchestra: New Life
by Jack Bowers
After what Canadian-born guitarist Peter Leitch has been through in the last eight years, it's little wonder he named the ensemble he now leads the New Life Jazz Orchestra. Diagnosed in 2012 with stage 4 lung cancer, Leitch faced the choice of throwing in the proverbial towel or undergoing career-ending cancer treatment. He chose the latter, reluctantly setting aside his instrument of choice and continuing his musical career as a composer, arranger and conductor of an orchestra whose library consists ...
read moreAndy Fusco: Remembrance
by David A. Orthmann
Since 2016 SteepleChase Records has released five discs by alto saxophonist Andy Fusco. This impressive, often stunning body of work goes a long way in raising the profile of a man who had seldom been given the opportunity to record under his own name. While Fusco leads the sessions, he's the antithesis of a star or domineering force. Aside from his prowess on the horn, he possesses an unusual talent for putting together bands of uniquely talented individuals and choosing ...
read moreSteve Fidyk: Battle Lines
by David A. Orthmann
Battle Lines, the inaugural release of Steve Fidyk's Blue Canteen Music label, bears the stamp of a rhythm section capable of adroitly assuming multiple identities. During large portions of three amiable, bop-oriented tracks, “Bebop Operations," “#Social Loafing" and “Sir John," Fidyk's drums, bassist Michael Karn and pianist Peter Zak move the music along without any fuss or extraneous effort. Sometimes it's easy to take them for granted, particularly if your attention is focused on Xavier Perez's tenor sax or Joe ...
read morePeter Zak: The Disciple
by Dan Bilawsky
Peter Zak has put out one strong trio affair after another, yet his work is often overlooked. Maybe it's due to the fact that he hasn't settled on one lineup for an extended period of time, preferring to try out different combinations for his trio recordings; or maybe it's because he doesn't stray far from the straight-ahead path; or maybe it's simply dumb (bad) luck. Regardless of the root cause of said overlooking, it's a real shame that Zak doesn't ...
read morePeter Zak: The Disciple
by C. Michael Bailey
Pianist Peter Zak had a transcontinental shift from Los Angeles to Columbus and Kent Ohio and, finally, to New Your City, where he has remained since 1989. He has released critically well-received CDs for the Danish SteepleChase label: The Eternal Triangle (2012), Nordic Noon (2011) and Down East (2011). He returns with the present trio recording, The Disciple. The jazz market is a small land finicky one. It is really no longer possible to simply put together ...
read morePeter Zak: Down East
by C. Michael Bailey
Block chords, swinging touch, trio setting, full-throated playing: this must be Red Garland. No, its New York City pianist and composer Peter Zak and his loquacious piano style, tasteful and full-bodied. Down East is Zak's sixth release for the Danish Steeplechase label. Zak's piano approach is easily stated, even and uniformly dense. His Ornette Coleman ("Invisible") reveals a connection with Thelonious Monk ("Gallop's Gallop") and a spiritual kinship with Clifford Brown ("Tiny Capers"). “Tiny Capers" was featured ...
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