Zak Keith - BIO

from front cover of Andersen Consulting (Accenture) magazine
where he worked as an IT-management consultant

"One of the ... most versatile world-class unknowns..." Accenture, Jul 2002

Whether performing with his own band Zak&Frenz or backing up artists such as Julius Green of The Platters, Zak radiates an aura of confidence, energy & musical mastery.

Zak began performing on TV at the age of 10, playing simple classical piano pieces on a weekly children's program. As a teenager, Zak took up guitar, the forbidden instrument, and became a self-taught guitarist. Starting out with Rock music, Zak landed his first recording contract with Warner at 17. Later he played in Funk and Disco bands, did R&B club circuits, moved on to Cocktail Jazz, and somehow found time for Country music in between.

At the age of 21 he did a stint as a Musical Director for a youth radio program, churning out freshly written Folk/Gospel songs for broadcast every week. Zak's versatility has enabled him to work not only as a sessionist, but an instructor for music colleges, and brought him on tours throughout Scandinavia, Europe, the Far East and Australia. Music legends of our time have labeled him "part funk, part jazz, part blues, or purely any of them" and "always playing from the heart."

Among others, Zak has toured or shared the stage with: Rev. Calvin Bridges (a.k.a. James Medell of Curtis Mayfield fame), Julius E. Green of The Platters, Bernard Purdie (world's most recorded drummer), the late Master Henry Gibson (world's most recorded percussionist), Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Pete York (Spencer Davis Group), Percy Duke, O'Donel Levy (Count Basie, George Benson), Jane Kitto, Eric Bibb, Bob Manning & The Soul Enterprise, Tony Ellis, "Animal" (Men at Work), Joyce Hurley, Evan Lee (Taj Mahal), Michael Baretto (Taj Mahal), Little Jenny, Douglas Pashley ... He has also been an opening act for &/or done stage management &/or sound-engineering work for: Stevie Wonder, the late Wilson Pickett, Michael Jackson (Bad Tour, Australia), Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Pink Floyd, John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes...etc

Zak's recent forays into World Music genres have led to festival and TV appearances in the Middle East, and multiple live recordings and performances with Algerian artist Khaled Habib, and Zakaria from Kurdistan. In addition to his earlier influences, Zak now borrows from African guitar, Flamenco, and Arabic music.

• Joyce Hurley (cached)
  
• Kultur-Kontakt Kulturen der Welt (cached)
• Pete York Gallery (cached)
• HelaGotland.se (cached)
• Stampen