* En anglais uniquement
Tenor and soprano saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist
Adam Kolker has been involved in contemporary jazz since the mid-'90s, and has proven himself a capable leader and sideman. Born in Manhattan and raised in Philadelphia,
Kolker earned his B.A. degree at the University of Miami-Florida and an M.A. at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He was a member of musical ensembles supporting various Broadway shows both on tour and in New York City, where he eventually moved in 1989.
What thrust
Kolker into the limelight was his fruitful time as a member of
Ray Barretto's
New World Spirit Latin jazz combos from 1994 through 2002, at a time when this band was nominated for two Grammys. Recordings with
Barretto include the 1995 album
My Summertime; the 1997 recording
Contact! for Blue Note;
Barretto's crowning achievement,
Portraits in Jazz and Clave for the RCA Victor group in 1999; and the 2000 CD
Trancedance for the Circular Moves label. He has also appeared with such artists as
Orange Then Blue, the Pittsburgh Collective,
Gunther Schuller, the
Vanguard Jazz and
Maria Schneider Orchestras,
Kenny Wheeler,
Bruce Barth,
Rick Margitza,
Luciana Souza,
Judi Silvano,
David Berkman,
John Hebert,
Peter Herborn,
Ben Sher,
Billy Hart,
Brian Ales,
Allan Chase,
Bobby Previte,
Bruce Saunders,
Frank Carlberg,
Matt Haimovitz,
Marc Cohn,
Lucia Pulido, and others.
As a leader,
Kolker's initial effort, Crazy Bird from 1999 on Challenge/A Records, included
Tim Hagans,
Kevin Hays,
Jeff Ballard, and
Doug Weiss. Two follow-ups on the Satchmo label included Meditaciones from 2003 (co-led by Catalonian drummer Xavi Maureta) and Sultanic Verses in 2004, which included
Barretto. The critically acclaimed 2008 recording
Flag Day from the Sunnyside label featured
John Abercrombie and
Paul Motian. A collective effort, Change of Time for the Omnitone label, concentrated on
Béla Bartók's "Mikrokosmos." From 1999 to 2007,
Kolker worked full-time on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts, and in 2008 was a member of the pit orchestra for the stage play Gypsy. In 2011, he paired with guitarist
Abercrombie for
Reflections, followed in 2014 by the quartet album And Them featuring trumpeter
Scott Wendholt. In 2017,
Kolker delivered the trio effort
Beckon with guitarist
Steve Cardenas and drummer
Billy Mintz. ~ Michael G. Nastos