Jazz Night

Kurt Ribak (REE-bok, like the shoes) describes his music as “Charles Mingus meets The Meters. They go to Duke Ellington’s house to jam, and Cachao and Thelonious Monk sit in.” Kurt has three albums as the Kurt Ribak Trio and three more as Kurt Ribak. The albums feature his own compositions, which are original yet accessible.

Kurt grew up singing and playing classical music. He began playing jazz while attending UC Berkeley. After a battle with tendinitis, Kurt won scholarships to Berklee College of Music and graduated with top honors.

Kurt has shared the stage with circus performers, preachers, and fire-breathing strippers, but never all three at once. He has performed in venues ranging from SFJAZZ and Yoshi’s to a club where someone surreptitiously stashed a loaded .45 in Kurt’s bass bag while he was playing.

Kurt’s band has sold out Yoshi’s and SFJAZZ. They have also performed at San Francisco Jazz Festival, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, San Jose Jazz Festival, Nor-Cal Jazz Festival, Fillmore Street Jazz Festival, and Blue Note Napa.