Zazen

"Zazen explores musical ideas in contemporary Jazz improvisation. Based on formats explored by groups in the 50's, 60's and 70's, Zazen gives an update this continuum"

Musicians:

Greg German: Drums

Greg came to the drums at the ripe age of 23 when he suddenly found himself drumming in a rock band on a dare. He had previously played tenor sax, guitar, piano and marimba, but knew that he had found his home when he started drumming. His newfound instrument and his burgeoning love of jazz combined to launch him on a journey of discovery that continues to this day. He credits most of what he knows to just listening to the jazz masters: Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and Art Blakey to name a few. He has also studied with Eddie Marshall, Pete Magadini and Alan Hall.

Greg has worked with various performers and groups such as Benny Rietveld (Miles Davis, Santana), Walter Savage, Oakland Jazz Choir, Ben Stolorow, Mingus Amungus, Terrence Brewer, the Fillmore Jazz Preservation Big Band and the San Francisco Experimental Ensemble. Greg can currently be heard performing with Bay Area artists such as Muziki Roberson, Mark Wright, Stephanie Crawford, John Watson, Vince Khoe, Jim Grantham, Who We Are New Jazz Trio and The Grassroots Composers' Workshop.

Georgianna Krieger: Soprano, Alto and Baritone Saxophones

Georgianna began playing saxophone at age 9 and just kept playing. Influenced by college radio, Gerry Mulligan and a North Texas State University philosophy professor, Georgianna sees a connection between jazz improvising and drawing but is unlikely to ever bring it up. While studying figurative sculpture, she earned a bachlors degree in Jazz and Commercial music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia... When she's not playing saxophone, sculpting or parenting Georgianna dreams of summer and loose leaf tea.

Cory Squaglia: Double-Bass, Fretted and Fretless Electric Bass

Cory is originally from the San Francisco/Bay Area California. Cory started playing bass in High School and studied Larry Epstein(San Francisco Symphony)with Dave Dunaway and Frank Sumares, with Jazz studies at local colleges. Cory started gigging around the Bay Area as a teenager, as well. Over the years, he as been included in touring gigs, including performing with various college classical chamber ensembles, in the San Francisco/Bay Area. Other genres of music, that Cory has played is funk, pop and rock. Cory has played with such artist as Frank Martin and Pee Wee Ellis. Some of Cory’s influences are Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Weather Report and Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis.

Stephen McQuarry: Piano and Celesta

Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator and Keyboardist, Stephen, has studied at the Eastman School of Music, University of Colorado at Denver, Berklee School Of Music, University Of California San Diego and Alexander University. He is an active member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the performance rights organization, Broadcast Musicians, Inc. (BMI), the Electronic Music Foundation (EMF), the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), the Society For Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) and Chamber Music America (CMA). Stephen has performed with distinguished artists such as the late Dizzy Gillespie, Clare Fischer, Louie Bellson, Red Rodney (Charlie Parker), Tom Scott, the late John Cage, Laurie Anderson, Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa), Nathan East (Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Bob James), Bill Rich(Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles, Taj Mahal) and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Stephen is currently working on performing and recording on his indie label, Mandala Records, with his Jazz ensembles, Resonance, Pangaea and Zazen, the Electronica groups, Synsor and RendeVu and the new age group, Agharta.