Rob Mitzner Biography
New York-based session drummer Rob Mitzner has recorded for Billboard Top-10 charting albums, films, and Broadway shows, and performed at Lincoln Center, The Smithsonian, Caesar’s Palace, The Blue Note, Boston Symphony Hall and for President Obama in his hometown of Washington D.C. He recently released the best-selling book “Drumming in a Band: Stuff You Can Use” through publisher Hudson Music. He has been featured in national publications such as Downbeat magazine and Modern Drummer, and his credits include over 50 commercially available albums across many genres. As a tribute to his late teacher Bob Gullotti, he live-streamed a 3-hour performance of the entire Charlie Parker Omnibook, playing the melodies and transcribed sax solos around the drumkit. He was also recently featured on the national TV show “Trending Today” on Vice, and regularly appears on Drum Talk TV. Rob holds a B.A. in Music and Political Science from Brown University, and is a proud endorser of Paiste Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, Hendrix Drums and Drumdots.
Alex Weiss- saxophonist, composer
Alex began playing the alto saxophone when he was twelve years old. At the age of fifteen, he began performing regularly with The John Payne Saxophone Choir through his first teacher, Duncan Martin, at the Tam O'Shanter in Harvard square Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Alex went on to study music at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and in 1995, Alex relocated to San Francisco and began performing with local groups like One Nation Underground, The Unknown Giants, and The Dutch Falcone Orchestra.
During this time Alex studied with Roberto DeHaven, minister and musician for the Saint John's Orthodox church, also known as the John Coltrane church. In 1996, Alex took the first alto chair in the Glen Spearman/Marco Ineidi Creative Music Orchestra and recorded with such luminaries as Wadada Leo Smith, Bertram Turetsky, and Jackson Krall. At this time, Alex began doubling on tenor saxophone and formed his first quartet under his own name. This group included DeHaven on saxophones, Ben Pfeuffer on bass and Paul Spina on drums. In 1997 the group recorded its first album, Make Your Own Lightning.
In 1998 Alex went to Denmark with the Lords of Outland, a jazz quintet headed by Rent Romus on saxophones and George Cremaschi on bass. It was during this visit to Denmark that Alex met and performed with the great Danish saxophone player, John Tchicai. Later that year, he and Tchicai reunited in California to collaborate on a collection of compositions titled, So It Goes. During this time, he was also part of a quintet called Little Giant, comprising Bay area musicians Ara Anderson on trumpet, Patrick Moorehead on piano, and Safa Shokrai on bass.
In late 1999, Alex moved to Madrid where he met and performed with the group MOJO, going on to tour Spain with them. While in Spain, he also formed his own quintet, Gallo Pinto. After nearly four years in Europe, Alex moved back to the Bay Area in 2003 and began playing with the Brazilian funk outfit, Brazuka Brown. Alex also co-founded the saxophone quartet Space Invaders with fellow horn players Eric Drake and Charlie Gurke. Charlie and Alex later formed the bass- and drums-driven quartet, Outhead, an original composition-based band whose first album is called Quiet Sounds for Comfortable People. Outhead is currently about to release a second album called Send This Sound to the King. Weiss’ quintet called Fighter Planes and Praying Mantis combines original jazz composition and improvisation with rock and roll sensibilities and the self titled album was released on Outnow recordings in 2013. The quintet performs regularly in and around the nyc area.
In 2007, Alex moved back East to New York City and since his return, he has performed and recorded with musicians and groups such as Ches Smith, Wadada Leo Smith, Dan Blake, Eyal Maoz, Rick Parker, Paul Banks, Nate Wooley, Abraham Gomez Delgado and his group El Gallo Bueno (Montreal Jazz Festival 2009), Sam Mickens Music Review, John Tchicai's Five Points (Nubop records 2009), and many others.
Alex Weiss is now finishing another recording with his new quintet; Glad Iris featuring Dan Blake soprano saxophone, Dmitry Ishenko bass, Yana Davydova guitar and Ches Smith drums.
Alex lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Dmitry Ishenko- Bass
Dmitry Ishenko is a versatile and in demand New York City bass player. He has performed and/or recorded with such jazz greats as Steve Lacy, John Tchicai, Dave Liebman, Kenny Werner, Eric Harland, Terri Lynn Carrington, Ches Smith, Kenny Wollesen, classical virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and Paul banks (Interpol), among others. Dmitry has youred all over the world appearing at the NYC CareFusion festival, Blue Note Jazz Festival, Boston beantown Jazz festival, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, The Blue Note and major venues. Some of the record labels he recorded for include Warner Bros., Matador and Sunnyside records.
From July 2018 until January 2020 Dmitry held the bass chairfor the award winning revival of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.