Zen Tricksters
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| Zen Tricksters | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Long Island, New York |
| Genre(s) | Rock |
| Years active | 1980s – present |
| Website | www.zentricksters.com |
| Members | |
| Jeff Mattson Klyph Black Tom Circosta Dave Diamond |
|
| Former members | |
| Rob Barraco Jennifer Markard Joe Chirco Pete Levin Alan Lerner |
|
The Zen Tricksters are an American rock band.
For almost thirty years, the Zen Tricksters have been playing Grateful Dead derived jam band music. The band started out as the Volunteers, playing small venues around New York's Long Island. At its core, the band has been comprised of Jeff Mattson on lead guitar and vocals and, for most of its history, Tom Circosta on rhythm guitar and vocals.[1] Over the years, the Zen Tricksters have gone through several lineup changes, which have included female singers. One of their former members, keyboard player Rob Barraco, has gone on to play with such groups as Phil Lesh and Friends, the Dark Star Orchestra, the Other Ones, and the Dead. Their current line up, in addition to Mattson and Cicosta, includes Klyph Black on bass and vocals and Dave Diamond on drums.
They are now touring with former Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay as Donna Jean and the Tricksters.
Contents |
[edit] Music
Known to their fans as the Tricksters, the band generally plays a mixture of their own music, a healthy dose of Grateful Dead related music, and an eclectic mix of what they describe as "any song that catches their fancy". In the past this has included music by Neil Young, Traffic, Bob Dylan, as well as traditional blues.[2]
[edit] Venues
Playing relatively small venues around the North Shore of Long Island, such as Theodore's in Oyster Bay and New York Ave in Huntington, the band grew in popularity to become one of the leading Grateful Dead bands in the New York metro area. In time they found themselves playing New York City clubs such as the Wetlands, a club dedicated to the jam band genre. In the early 1990s the band increased the range of their touring to locations from Maine to North Carolina. Their popularity increased following the death of Jerry Garcia, when a broader audience saw the band and attended Dead themed festivals like the Gathering of the Vibes.
[edit] Discography
- Holy Fool (1998)
- A Love Surreal (1999)
- Shaking Off the Weirdness (2003)
- For Rex: The Black Tie Ball (2007)
- Donna Jean & the Tricksters (2008)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Weinstein, Brian. "The Zen Tricksters Celebrate their 25th Anniversary at the Downtown", Long Island Entertainment News, October, 2004
- ^ "Trickster History (Trickstory)" on ZenTricksters.com
[edit] References
- Zen Tricksters on the All Music Guide
- Fricke, David. Donna Jean & the Tricksters review, Rolling Stone, March 14, 2008
- Dunsky, Joshua. Concert review: Zen Tricksters and Nomadic Design at the Stone Pony, Jambands.com, February 12, 2002
- Nielson, Bob. Concert review: Zen Tricksters at the Downtown Club, JamBase, January 17, 2002
- "Artists Too New to Know... for Now", Relix, May 19, 2004
- Budnick, Dean (2003). Jambands: The Complete Guide to the Players, Music, & Scene, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0879307455, p. 239
