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Jacob Sacks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jacob Sacks
At the Moers Festival 2015
At the Moers Festival 2015
Background information
OriginMichigan, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentPiano
Years activeLate 1990s–present
Websitejacobsacks.com

Jacob Sacks is an American jazz pianist and composer.

Life and career

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Sacks is originally from Michigan.[1] He met drummer Dan Weiss at the Manhattan School of Music.[2] Sacks was a finalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, aged 22.[1] Sacks was part of bassist Eivind Opsvik's quartet.[3] Sacks has for a long time played in a trio with the bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Dan Weiss, and in a duo with vocalist Yoon Sun Choi.[4] Sacks has also played and recorded with harpsichord and other keyboard instruments.[5]

Playing style

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Nate Chinen of The New York Times commented that Sacks is "drawn to the subtler, deeper mechanics of harmony and form."[4]

Compositions

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Sacks "isn't averse to succinctness or simplicity as a composer".[4]

Discography

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An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

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Year recorded Title Label Personnel/Notes
2005 Two Miles a Day Loyal / Yeah Yeah Quartet, with Mat Maneri (viola, violin), Eivind Opsvik (bass), Paul Motian (drums)
2008 Imagination: The Music of Joe Raposo Yeah Yeah Duo, co-led with Yoon Sun Choi (vocals)
2013* No Man's Land Yeah Yeah Quintet, with Andrew Bishop (clarinet, tenor sax), John Wojciechowski (tenor sax), Tim Flood (bass), Dan Weiss (drums)

As sideman

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Year recorded Leader Title Label
2010* David Binney Aliso Criss Cross Jazz
2010* Dan Weiss Timshel Sunnyside
2010* Jacám Manricks Labyrinth Manricks
2012* Jon Irabagon Unhinged Irabbagast
2012* Eivind Opsvik Overseas IV Loyal
2014* Dan Weiss Fourteen Pi
2014* Mike McGinnis Road Trip RKM
2017* David Binney The Time Verses Criss Cross Jazz
2020* Okkyung Lee Yeo-Neun Shelter Press

References

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  1. ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (October 19, 1999) "A Contest Befitting Monk". The New York Times. pp. E1, E4.
  2. ^ Panken, Ted (August 2010) "Dan Weiss – Tabla-Informed Concentration". Down Beat. p. 22.
  3. ^ Margasak, Peter (September 2009) "Eivind Opsvik – Nordic Grit Meets Neil Young". Down Beat. p. 24.
  4. ^ a b c Chinen, Nate (May 30, 2014) "A Pianist Stands Out As a Leader by Fitting In with the Group". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Drouot, Alain (July 2012) "Eivind Opsvik – Overseas IV". Down Beat. p. 48.
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