Dan Zemelman

Dan Zemelman is a leader and innovator of jazz music in the San Francisco Bay Area scene. In 1998 Dan participated in the Kennedy Center’s prestigious Jazz Ambassadors program and toured India and Sri Lanka sponsored by the US State Department, representing America’s jazz tradition through teaching and performances. After moving from Chicago to the San Francisco area in 2001, Dan contributed to blues legend John Lee Hooker’s final studio album Face to Face and toured with daughter and blues vocalist, Zakiya Hooker. Dan studied under the tutilege of legendary jazz bassist Richard Davis at the University of Wisconsin and along with winning an award there as Best Jazz Artist in 1998.

In recent times Dan has been performing with acclaimed bassist Jeff Denson and his quartet featuring alto sax jazz legend Lee Konitz. Dan also plays regularly with grammy-award winning violinist Mads Tolling (of Turtle Island Quartet), as well as with former Cirque De Soleil MD & vibraphonist, Christian Tamburr. In the past few years, Dan has had major accomplishments including playing with Lee Konitz, playing for a highly successful Eva Cassidy tribute concert at the Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda, MD and playing regularly for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra.

Dan is currently a successful bandleader, having performed at the acclaimed Yoshi's Jazz Club three times as a leader as well as at festivals such as the Angra Jazz Festival, the Filmore Jazz Festival, the SF Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival and many more. As an in-demand jazz pianist in the SF Bay Area, he plays regularly with top Bay Area jazz icons like Marcus Shelby and Adam Theis as well as his own trio featuring Giulio Cetto on bass and Alan Hall on drums. As a teacher and clinician, Dan has been on the faculty at several major jazz institutions including Jazz Camp West, The Jazzschool and Lafayette Jazz Camp.