Zen Tricksters

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Zen Tricksters


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Long Island, New York
Genre = Rock
Years_active = 1980s – present
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URL = [http://www.zentricksters.com/ www.zentricksters.com]
Current_members = Jeff Mattson
Klyph Black
Tom Circosta
Dave Diamond
Past_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, for most of its history, Tom Circosta on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Klyph Black on bass and vocals. [Weinstein, Brian. "The Zen Tricksters Celebrate their 25th Anniversary at the Downtown", "Long Island Entertainment News", October, 2004] Over the years, the Zen Tricksters have gone through several lineup changes, which have included female singers. Both Jeff Mattson and one of their former members, keyboard player Rob Barraco, was called to play with Phil and Friends for three shows in October of 1999, and Rob continued to play with Phil Lesh and Friends, and with such groups as the Dark Star Orchestra, the Other Ones, and the Dead. Their current line up, in addition to Mattson, Circosta, and Black includes Dave Diamond on drums.

They are now touring with former Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay as Donna Jean and the Tricksters.

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. [ [http://www.zentricksters.com/temp/history.html "Trickster History (Trickstory)" on ZenTricksters.com] ]

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.

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)

Notes

References

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?sql=11:3bfyxq9jldke Zen Tricksters on the All Music Guide]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/03/14/frickes-picks-zen-tricksters/ Fricke, David. "Donna Jean & the Tricksters" review, "Rolling Stone", March 14, 2008]
* [http://www.jambands.com/ShowReviews/content_2002_02_12.00.phtml Dunsky, Joshua. Concert review: Zen Tricksters and Nomadic Design at the Stone Pony, Jambands.com, February 12, 2002]
* [http://www.jambase.com/Articles/Story.aspx?StoryID=1884 Nielson, Bob. Concert review: Zen Tricksters at the Downtown Club, JamBase, January 17, 2002]
* [http://www.relix.com/Content/On_the_Verge/_Artists_too_new_to_know..._for_now_200405191648.html "Artists Too New to Know... for Now", "Relix", May 19, 2004]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=-mI5nl3hyB8C&pg=PA239&dq=%22zen+tricksters%22&sig=mnubi9qDX9gt3c7Yux7o2P1cWO4 Budnick, Dean (2003). "Jambands: The Complete Guide to the Players, Music, & Scene", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0879307455, p. 239]

External links

* [http://www.zentricksters.com/ Zen Tricksters official website]
* [http://www.donnajeanandthetricksters.com/ Donna Jean and the Tricksters official website]