Zach Brock

Heralded by Patricia Barber as "the one on whom to place your bets in jazz" and dubbed "the great bright hope for jazz violin" by the Chicago Tribune, Zach Brock's performances have a reputation for combining instrumental virtuosity with an emotional connection that transports his audience beyond the concert hall. Brock's own music has been described as both "classic American jazz with one eye on the fringes" and as "Jean-Luc Ponty meets Chuck Palahniuk in Fight Club." Two years ago, when Jean-Luc Ponty was asked by Stanley Clarke to recommend the "new cat" that had "the stuff," Ponty recommended Zach Brock.

Born in Lexington, KY in 1974, Brock grew up in a family of musicians and was performing publicly by the age of six. He became serious about jazz while in high school and moved to Chicago to continue his classical studies with the ulterior motive of participating in the city's jazz scene. As a sophomore in college, Brock was in a serious car accident that sidelined him for three years. By the time he was able to finish his degree, Brock had already launched headlong into his professional career.

In 2005 The Coffee Achievers, Brock's first quartet, made their Carnegie Hall debut at the invitation of trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas. Six months later they played at the Ouro Preto Jazz Festival in Brazil. Zach moved to New York a few months later and the second chapter of his early career began.

Currently, Zach is performing with an all-acoustic trio that includes bassist Matt Wigton and drummer Fred Kennedy. Their new recording, "The Magic Number", was funded entirely by fans' donations made through a micro-funding website called Kickstarter. The trio makes their international debut at the 2010 Toronto Jazz Festival in July.

Zach Brock also performs and tours with a diverse roster of artists that includes Stanley Clarke, Bob Dorough, Frank Vignola, Snarky Puppy, The Mahavishnu Project, and the gypsy-punk band Mad Juana.