picture of Jerry Z
Jerry Z
As a child growing up in New York City, Jerry took up the organ and discovered a love for classical music. In his teens he found himself exploring Blues, Rock and Jazz, and playing his first professional gigs around New York City before enrolling in the Purchase Conservatory of Music. While studying Composition and Studio Engineering Jerry was recruited by the head of Purchase's burgeoning jazz department, guitarist Doug Munro. He would continue playing with Munro after graduating, touring and cutting his first two albums Blueness and Up Against It with Doug's organ trio.
 
During the late nineties Jerry was, in his words, "an apprentice in the Blues workshop of the late great blues guitarist Little Melvin. We had a residency at Terra Blues and toured all over the Northeast. I was heavily submerged in the blues in those days". In 2003, Jerry developed a radically funkier, more soulful approach to the organ trio which led to a collaboration with drummer Jim Payne and guitarist Bill Bickford. The Jim Payne Band (JPB) collaboration proved fruitful, several national tours and a number of notable appearances at jazz festivals.
 
Following his work with JPB, he began working with soul jazz pioneer Melvin Sparks. In 2006 he began working with drum legend Mike Clark and his Prescription Duo/Organ Trio. Clark has described Jerry as the "consummate organ player" with "one of the best grooves and bass lines I have ever played with".
 
Jerry's work with Clark led to an invitation to join the Headhunters from 2007-2010, recording the live album On Top and accompanying the group on several national and international tours. In 2008 he toured Australia with the Headhunters, which featured his own funky adaptations of Headhunters classics for organ trio. Also that year he performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center with legendary guitarist Hiram Bullock.
 
Since 2007 Jerry has been a staple of cutting-edge guitarist Oz Noy's band that regularly perform at the Bitter end in NYC. In addition to those artists mentioned above Jerry has worked with: Fred Wesley, Bernard Purdie, John Scofield, Donald Harrison, Keith Carlock, Mark Whitfield, George Porter jr, Adam Nussbaum, Will Lee, Vinnie Colaiuta and many others.
 
Jerry has performed at most major jazz festivals including the Gathering of the Vibes festival, the Berlin Jazz Festival, the Corsica Jazz Festival, the Anguilla Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, Blue Note, Billboard Live Tokyo, Sweet Rhythm, CBGB's, Chicago Blues, the Bitter End, Joe Zawinul's Birdland, Siberia Jazz Fest, Moscow House of Music, Leverkusener Jazztage, BB Kings, and Dizzy's Club at Lincoln Center. Jerry toured Russia in late 2016 with his own band the Jerry Z Organ Trio, which featured saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and drummer Andrew Atkinson.
contact: organjz@gmail.com
homepage: www.jerry-z.com
on tour Click on the logo to see Jerry's tour dates.

 

Discography
Up Against It
Chase Music Group CMD 8066
recorded in Mamaroneck, NY/USA
Doug Munro, guitar
Jerry Z, organ
Jason Anderson, drums
This Is It!
Savant Records SCD 2065
recorded in USA
Melvin Sparks, guitar
Justin Tomsovic, drums
Jerry Z, Hammond organ
Cochemea Gastelum, sax
Jennifer Hartswick, trumpet
Groove on Up
Savant Records SCD 2070
recorded December 2005 in Paramus, NJ/USA
Melvin Sparks, guitar
Jerry Z, Hammond organ, keyboards
Paul Wolstencroft, Hammond organ, keyboards
Eric Bolivar, drums
Eric Kalb, drums
Jun Saito, drums
Tom E.Ted, tablas
Nikki Armstrong, vocals
Oscar Wright, vocals
Anomaly
Abstract Logix AbLx 22

Lenny White, drums, keyboards, percussion
Donald Blackman, organ, piano
George Coleman, organ
George Colligan, keyboards
Vince Evans, keyboards
Jerry Z, organ
Bernard Wright, keyboards, piano, synthesizer
David Bendeth, guitar
David Gilmore, guitar
Tom Guarna, guitar
Jimmy Herring, guitar
Nick Moroch, guitar
Victor Bailey, bass
Stanley Clarke, bass
Charles Fambrough, bass
Richie Goods, bass
Tim Ouimette, trombone, trumpet
Danny Walsh, alto sax, tenor sax
Mike Clark, drums
Twisted Blues Volume 1
Abstract Logix ABLX 032
recorded November 2010 in Austin, TX and Stamford, CT/USA
Oz Noy, guitar
Eric Johnson, guitar
Jerry Z, organ
John Medeski, organ
Reese Wynans, organ
Allen Toussaint, piano
Roscoe Beck, bass
Will Lee, bass
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums
Anton Fig, drums
Chris Layton, drums
Ralph MacDonald, tambourine
Twisted Blues Volume 2
Abstract Logix ABLX043
recorded January 2013 in Austin, TX, Stamford, CT and New York City/USA
Oz Noy, guitar
Lew Soloff, trumpet
Giulio Carmassi, flute
Warren Haynes, guitar
Eric Johnson, guitar
Greg Leisz, guitar
Chick Corea, Fender Rhodes
Allen Toussaint, piano
Reese Wynans, organ
Jerry Z, organ
John Medeski, organ, Fender Rhodes
Grégoire Maret, harmonica
Roscoe Beck, bass
Will Lee, bass, harmonica, tambourine, vocals
Keith Carlock, drums
Anton Fig, drums
Chris Layton, drums
Dave Weckl, drums
Who Gives a Funk
Abstract Logix ABLX 052
recorded September 2015 in Brooklyn, NY/USA
Oz Noy, guitar
Ian Hendrickson-Smith, sax
Chris Potter, sax
Clark Gayton, trombone
Fred Wesley, trombone
Randy Brecker, trumpet
David Guy, trumpet
Joe Bonamassa, guitar
Dweezil Zappa, guitar
Robben Ford, guitar
Jerry Z, organ
Reese Wynans, organ
John Medeski, piano, organ
Roscoe Beck, bass
Will Lee, bass, vocals
Rocky Bryant, drums
Anton Fig, drums
Chris Layton, drums
Steve Wolf, drums
Daniel Sadownick, percussion
Corey Glover, vocals
Prick Of The Litter
Hot Shot Records HSR 001
recorded in Brooklyn, NY; Franklin, TN; Austin, TX/USA
Delbert McClinton, harmonica, vocals
Jim Hoke, sax
Roy Agee, trombone
Tim Ouimette, trumpet
Quentin Ware, trumpet
Al Anderson, guitar
Bob Britt, guitar
Kevin McKendree, guitar, Hammond organ, piano, vibes
Jimmie Vaughan, guitar
Jerry Z, Hammond organ
Michael Joyce, bass
Jack Bruno, drums
Mike Clark, drums
Lou Ann Barton, vocals

 
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