David Kikoski

David Kikoski, July 2001

Dave Kikoski (born September 29, 1961, New Brunswick, New Jersey) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist.

Kikoski learned piano from his father and played with him in bars as a teenager. He studied at the Berklee College of Music in the early 1980s, then moved to New York City in 1985, touring and recording subsequently with Roy Haynes (from 1986), Randy Brecker (1986–88), Bob Berg (1988), and Billy Hart (1989). He has also played or recorded with George Garzone, Barry Finnerty, Red Rodney, Craig Handy, Ralph Moore, Didier Lockwood, Joe Locke, Olivier Ker Ourio and Mingus Big Band. Kikoski won a 2011 Grammy Award with the Mingus Big Band for the Best Live Jazz Ensemble Album, "Live at the Jazz Standard". He also had a Grammy nomination with Roy Haynes for the "Birds of a Feather" CD.

Discography

As leader

• Presage (Freelance, 1989)
• Persistent Dreams (Triloka, 1991)
• Dave Kikoski (Epicure, 1994)
• Inner Trust (Criss Cross, 1998)
• Maze (Criss Cross, 1999)
• Almost Twilight (Criss Cross, 2000)
• Surf's Up (Criss Cross, 2001)
• Comfortable Strange (DIW, 2002)
• The Five (DIW, 2002)
• Combinations (Criss Cross, 2002)
• Details (Criss Cross, 2004)
• Lighter Way (Apria, 2006)
• Limits (Criss Cross, 2006)
• Mostly Standards (Criss Cross, 2009)
• Live at Smalls (Smalls Live, 2010)
• Consequences (Criss Cross, 2012)

As a sideman

• Roy Haynes: True or False (Evidence, 1986)
• Pe De Boi: Power Samba Band (Arkadia Jazz, 1998)
• Billy Hart: Amethyst (Arabesque, 1993), Oceans of Time (Arabesque, 1997)
• Roy Haynes: Homecoming (Red Baron, 1992)

As co-leader

with Opus 5

• Introducing Opus 5 (Criss Cross 2011)
• Pentasonic (Criss Cross 2012)
• Progression (Criss Cross 2013)

References

• Mark Gilbert, "Dave Kikoski". Grove Jazz online.
• Discography at Allmusic