Kurt Ribak-bass
Greg Sankovich-keyboards
Lincoln Adler-sax
"The sound we go for is this: Charles Mingus meets the Meters. They play at Duke Ellington's house, and Thelonious Monk sits in once in a while."
A graduate of UC Berkeley and Berklee College of Music, Kurt has played with many prominent musicians. Among them are jazz/blues vocalist Faye Carol, new music composer Paul Dresher, Broadway singer Lillias Brooks, JC Hopkins (writer and former bandleader for Norah Jones), guitarist Adam Levy, sideman with Tracy Chapman and Norah Jones, and with Ralph Carney, best known for his work with Tom Waits. Kurt’s also played with prominent non-jazz musicians, including Danny Carnahan of Wake the Dead and Eric and Suzy Thompson, who have received international acclaim for their performances of bluegrass and Cajun music.
Kurt has had his compositions played by a variety of groups, including Section 8 Project, Make A Circus, and others. Since 2001 he has been leading his own group under his own name. His critically acclaimed CDs, "Kurt Ribak Trio" and "more" feature Kurt's unique compositions. They get regular airplay on KCSM.
"You play bass the way it's supposed to be played." - former Jaco Pastorius sideman Bryan Melvin
"Your playing reminds me of my favorite bassist, Curtis Counce." - Johnny Otis, legendary R&B and jazz bandleader and DJ
"Delicious" - Contra Costa Times
www.ribak.com
Greg, a dynamo on the keys, has been performing on keyboards and producing music since he was twelve years old. He began with classical studies when he was five years old. Later he studied with some of the finest jazz and Latin pianists and educators in the Bay Area. His musical inspirations included Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Keith Jarrett and Chuck Leavell.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Greg moved to Japan with jazz-fusion group, Taikun, and lived in Tokyo for over ten years performing and composing for many top Japanese artists.
Greg produces dance music, some currently in Europe’s Top Ten, and performs regularly in the SF Bay Area. He performs with many groups, including bassist/composer Kurt Ribak’s original groups, jazz-funk band Times 4 featuring sensational saxophonist Lincoln Adler, jam band Ten Ton Chicken, R&B band Blue Sky Band, and various jazz projects.
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Lincoln Adler started on the piano at age five before picking up the clarinet in grade school. In high school, inspired by Grover Washington Jr.’s classic Mr. Magic, he traded in his clarinet for the tenor saxophone, and began studying the playing of the jazz masters. In college, he became a vital part of the jazz ensemble at UC Berkeley, touring Japan, Northern Europe, Poland and Scandinavia. Adler studied privately with several teachers, including legendary sax man Joe Henderson. A move to Los Angeles led to numerous musical opportunities, including an ongoing gig with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, featuring actor/pianist Jeff Goldblum. He has amassed an exciting resume as a composer, performer, producer and arranger for a wide variety of recording artists. In addition, he has written numerous scores and soundtracks for film, as well as commercial jingles for TV and radio. Besides the ‘Nita Whitaker hit “Love Me Down Slowly,” his songs have been recorded by ASAP (“The Girl Who Could Fly,” a Japanese release that sold over 300,000 copies), Javetta Steele, Denitria Champ, Motown Recording artist Ronee Martin, the TerpsiCorps Dance Company, and Rain-bo Tribe.
Adler has performed on albums by artists such as kd lang, Olivia Newton-John, and The Jets. He was the featured sax soloist on the theme song for the TV show The Newz. Some of his soundtrack work includes a tune on Fox TV’s “New York Undercover,” the score for the film “On The Edge” and the tune “Read My Lips” from the film “Rich Girl.”
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