Amir Ziv

composer / Drummer / producer / educator

“Combining jazz, electronic, free, and Brazilian styles, the intriguing New York avant-everything drummer proves there are always new worlds to conquer—in his playing, and in his clinics, classes, and drum-centric getaways. Only the fearless need apply.” – Ken Micallaf, Modern Drummer

TEACHING

Founder & Executive Director of Living Arts Apprenticeship Program (LAAP).

Principal Drum/Percussion Faculty Member at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music Program, since 1998.

Amir has presented master classes around the world, spent six years as a resident artist in NYC public schools to improve Bronx and Harlem students’ access to the arts, and is a visiting artist at NYC’s Drummers Collective.

Amir’s former students have been hired by such artists as: Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, Oliver Lake, Joe Lovano, Gregory Porter, Brand X, Lonnie Plexico, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkle, George Benson, Q-Tip, Kendrick Lamar, Dave Douglas, Aaron Parks, Bobby McFarrin, Jojo Mayer, (bassist) Avishai Cohen, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Bobby Hutcherson, Dee Dee Bridgwater, Joe Chambers, Jason Moran, John Mayar, Vernon Reid, Roy Haynes, Bilal Oliver, David Gilmore, Anthony Braxton, Greg Osby, Robert Glasper, Ari Hoenig, The Mingus Orchestra, William Parker, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Cassandra Wilson, Christian McBride, and the Broadway musicals Beetlejuice, and Hamilton.

COLLABORATIONS

  • Co-founder of the group & co-producer of the album NEW VOCABULARY, with Ornette Coleman, Jordan McLean, Adam Holzman.

“New Vocabulary is a valuable addition to Ornette Coleman’s extraordinary discography.” – Martin Johnson, The Wall Street Journal

“Everyone should listen to this!” – Bill T. Jones (choreographer, MacArthur fellow, Obie and Tony award winner, National Medal of Arts)

  • Founder of the group KOTKOT, with Marc Ribot, Cyro Baptista, and Shahzad Ismaily.

“There is nothing superfluous about this [Alive At Tonic] cd.” – Downtown Music Gallery

  • Co-founder of the band DROID, with Adam Holzman, Jordan McLean, Tim LeFebvre / Yossi Fine.

“The astounding drum work of Amir Ziv may convince even the most roughneck kids that they’re in the hands of masters.” – Chris Muniz, URB

  • Founder of the percussion group POP IT!, with LAAP faculty & students.

“This is the most imaginative and compelling percussion-based music I’ve heard in many years; innovative and adventurous.” – Joe Chambers (Wayne Shorter, M’Boom, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis)

  • Co-founder of the group DIRECTORS, with Sahr N’gaujah, Jordan McLean, Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, and Ricky Quinones.

“A distinct global statement.” – Mike Greenhaus, editor-in-chief, RELIX

  • Founder of the group RHYTHMOS, with Billy Martin, and Cyro Baptista.

“An album to die for. ” – Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama

  • As a sideman, Ziv was invited to perform and/or record with some of the world’s most noted musical artists, including Lauryn Hill, Trey Anastasio, Greg Ward, John Zorn, Pizzicato Five, Efrain Toro, Erik Friedlander, Cyro Baptista, Medeski Martin & Wood, Grace Jones, David Watson, Kenwood Dennard, Sean Lennon, Mark Feldman, Wayne Krantz, Cibo Mato, Carl Craig, DJ Logic, DJ Spooky, Evan Lurie, David Broza, Bennie Rietveld, and many others.

SOLO

TYMPANUM, released in 2013, marked Amir’s first solo album comprised of through-composed “songs” for the drum-set, honoring drum innovators Baby Dodds and Papa Jo Jones. Hailed by some of today’s most established and celebrated authorities on the drums. 

“The execution and time feel are of the highest level.” – Joe Porcaro (Frank Sinatra, Joe Cocker, Toto, Star Wars, Star Trek)

NOTABLE Venues

Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Blue Note, Modern Drummer Festival, Central Park Summer Stage, Kennedy Center, Bonaroo festival, Joe’s Pub, Dizzy’s, the Woodstock Reunion Festival,The Public Theater, The Ritz, Carre Theater – Amsterdam, Festival d’Agadir – Morocco, Guggenheim Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

TV/radio appearances, magazine features, and reviews

WGBH (La Plaza), WNYC (Sound Check), NPR (Fresh Air), Modern Drummer, Downbeat, Relix, Time Out NY, The Wire, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Fort Worth Star Telegram, London Financial Times, The Denver Post, Haaretz, AP, BPM, URB, Future Music

LABEL

Co-founder of System Dialing Records – An artist-run record label founded in 2010 in NYC. SDR shifts the experimental frontiers toward the center of mainstream discovery. System Dialing Records is distributed by The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

ENDORSEMENTS

Vater, Paiste, Remo, Keith McMillen Instruments, Moog Music, Sonoclast, Bome Software, and Disaster Area.