BIOGRAPHY
Who's Kurt Ribak?
Kurt Ribak (pronounced REE-bok, like the shoes) grew up in Berkeley, CA. He's the band's bassist, the leader of the trio and composed all the tunes on the CD. Early musical experiences included singing in the San [+]BIOGRAPHY
Who's Kurt Ribak?
Kurt Ribak (pronounced REE-bok, like the shoes) grew up in Berkeley, CA. He's the band's bassist, the leader of the trio and composed all the tunes on the CD. Early musical experiences included singing in the San Francisco Boys Chorus. In grade school Kurt began studying the cello. Kurt later studied with several major cellists, including Bonnie Hampton, Susie Napper, and Elisabeth LeGuin.
While a student at UC Berkeley Kurt began playing electric bass, buying his first good bass with money made working as a janitor. At Cal he continued to play classical music and studied jazz under Neal Heidler and Jeremy Cohen while playing in the UC Jazz Ensembles. Kurt also studied West African drumming with C.K. Ladzekpo and spent summers teaching at Cazadero Music Camp, where he played with trombonist Julian Priester, guitarist / composer Paul Dresher, and steel drummer Andy Narell, as well as working in the local early music scene.
Tendinitis temporarily stalled Kurt's career, but he subsequently earned a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. He graduated with top honors, studying bass with Whit Browne, Bruce Gertz, and John Repucci. Kurt spent many hours transcribing and absorbing the styles of bassists Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, and Charles Mingus, but also spent hours dissecting the compositions and arrangements of African bandleader Fela Kuti and R&B giant James Brown. He first learned of his love of composition while at Berklee College of Music. His early tunes often reflected a strong Thelonious Monk influence, while others reflect his love of the great bassists/composer/bandleader Charles Mingus, whose music he studied intensively at Berklee. Later tunes bring to mind the South African composer Abdullah Ibrahim a.k.a. Dollar Brand, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Cannonball Adderley.
After graduation from Berklee Kurt returned to the San Francisco Bay area. Kurt has been playing with a variety of bands in the Bay Area, including local big band legend Junius Courtney and ex-Whispers saxophonist Herbie Mims. Drummer Bryan Melvin, formerly with the great electric bassist Jaco Pastorius, said Kurt plays bass "the way it should be played." R&B legend Johnny Otis sought him out to say Kurt's playing reminded Otis of th
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