David Rokeach - drummer
PROJECTS - David Rokeach, Drums

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Recording Projects

  • Pandemic Projects

    I was very fortunate to be able to stay active during the pandemic. I learned to record at home. It was not easy for me because I'm really not much of a tech person. But I had some great help from some amazingly talented and generous people. I'm very grateful to the organization Music In Place. They are a nonprofit organization that was formed during the pandemic to help musicians learn all the tech needed to continue working during the pandemic.

    Here are some links to some of my favorite projects that happened during the lockdown, including a full live-streamed concert from Piedmont Piano featuring Jamie Davis, Charles McNeal, Glenn Pearson, and the late, great Jeff Chambers, doing a tribute to Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane, produced by Music In Place.

    I hope that you enjoy some of these recordings and videos.



  • A new recording with Taj Mahal!
    We did the opening track on the new Mose Allison tribute record, "If You're Going To the City". We did my favorite Mose Tune "Your Mind is On Vacation (and Your Mouth is Working Overtime)" with Mark Heshima Williams on bass and Bob Crawford on piano. This tribute album includes a whole lot of other big stars as well. (Some of whom I've never heard of.) :-)

    Here is the press release from the record company:

    Fat Possum Records is proud to present If You're Going To The City: A Tribute to Mose Allison, in stores November 29, a collection of songs celebrating Mose Allison, and the influence and legacy he left behind. The names behind the collection let the project speak for itself: Taj Mahal, Robbie Fulks, Jackson Browne, The Tippo Allstars featuring Fiona Apple, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Raitt, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson, Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin, Anything Mose!, Frank Black, Amy Allison with Elvis Costello. The albums proceeds will be donated to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

    Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides assistance to career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Grant recipients include recording artists, club and session musicians, and composers and songwriters from every musical genre. Since its inception, Sweet Relief has helped musicians with medical and living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and procedures, housing and food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities.

    But wait!... There's more!...
    The CD and vinyl LP also come with the documentary DVD on Mose entitled "Ever Since I Stole the Blues". Paul Bernays' affectionate portrait tells the story of legendary jazz/blues singer, songwriter, and pianist Mose Allison (1927-2016) -- called the "jazz sage" by some, the "William Faulkner of jazz" by others, and a treasure by most everyone -- and his journey from Tippo, Mississippi, to the international stage. Occupying a singular place and influence in the pantheon of greats, among those singing Mose's praises are Pete Townsend, Van Morrisson, Georgie Fame, Loudon Wainwright, Elvis Costello, and Bonnie Raitt. As the Kinks' Ray Davies once said, "When I discovered Mose Allison I felt I had discovered the missing link between jazz and blues."

    Here's Bonnie Raitt talking about the project on NPR.

    I guess this thing is kind of a big deal. ;-) I hope that those of you who are so inclined can check it out.

  • A new recording with the Noel Jewkes septet featuring Kay Kostopoulus on vocals.
    This recording highlights Noel's wonderful arranging talents as well as his abilities as a soloist on saxophone and other woodwinds.
    The recording features Dave Bendigkeit on trumpet, Max Perkoff on trombone, Charlie McCarthy on woodwinds, Keith Saunders on piano, and Chris Amberger on bass. Great players! Great material!

  • A new recording with swinging jazz singer Suzanna Smith. This record is a tribute to Peggy Lee. It features arranger and pianist Lee Bloom, with Gary Brown on bass, Noel Jewkes on woodwinds, and a host of others!

  • Sony Holland's new cd called Soft Power featuring songwriter/arranger Jerry Holland on guitar with Dan Feiszli on bass

  • A new jazz trio cd with the critically acclaimed jazz pianist Debbie Poryes with Peter Barshay on bass. This is my third cd with Debbie. This one was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and has some beautifully creative music on it in my humble opinion ;-)

  • A new cd with critically acclaimed St. Michael Trio

  • A new cd with the award winning social justice singer songwriters Emma's Revolution

  • A new cd with Rockers Charity and the JamBand entitled "Earth".

  • A new cd called "Exotica" with critically acclaimed jazz singer Kay Kostopoulos featuring Noel Jewkes on reeds and Grant Levin on piano.
  • Peace Becomes You a new double cd with Holly Near. This recording is comprised of originals, collaborations, and select covers, featuring many special guests.Holly is a very creative singer/songwriter/activist with a lot of integrity. A real breath of fresh air!
  • Two new recording projects with the Klobas /Kesecker Ensemble featuring Terrence Brewer on guitar.
  • A new cd by the late great Joe Beck. Should be out after the first of the year (2012) on Whaling City Sound. It was recorded live at Anna's Jazz Island and features Joe telling a few stories too. Peter Barshay plays bass on this disc and sounds phenomenal. Joe was Miles Davis first guitarist, playing with his classic quintet on Circle in the Round. He also played with Gil Evans for many years and just about every other jazz great over the past five decades.He was also a great arranger arranging for Sinatra, Esther Phillips, Gloria Gaynor and many others. He was a studio guitarist and arranger for the famed CTI label .Sadly, Joe died of lung cancer in July of 2008. He left behind his wife Marsi and two teenage twin boys. Any income generated from this disc will go to them.
  • A new cd by the Saint Michael Trio featuring pieces by Claude Bolling rearanged for piano, violin, cello, bass and drums. This trio has an amazing ensemble connection.They're also joined by Pat Klobas on Bass.
  • A new cd with inspirational songstress Karen Drucker , produced by guitarist/bassist extrordinaire John Hoy, featuring John R. Burr on keyboards recorded at Fantasy Studios
  • A new cd with the Klobas/Kesecker Ensemble featuring guitarist Terrence Brewer recorded at Fantasy Studios
  • A new cd of originzal jazz tunes by classical flautist Laurel Zucker recorded at Skywalker Studios Jim Martinez on Piano and Paul Klempau on bass
  • A fantastic new record by jazz pianist Debbie Poryes. This is a follow up to her critically acclaimed trio cd A Song In Jazz on Jazzschool Records .(There are a few reviews on this website and lots of reviews on Debbie' s site). The new cd again features myself and bass legend Bill Douglass playing in a trio setting as well as some quartet tunes featuring New York Sax player, Bruce Williamson . The disc features mixture of Debbie's original tunes as well as her unique arrangements of standards, recorded beautifully by Bruce Mishkit. The cd is due out in March of 2010 on Origin Records . Origin was voted Jazz label of the year for 2009 at the Jazz Week awards.This is certainly one of the best Jazz recordings that I've ever been a part of. I really feel that this recording is a gem. I think that even people who don't normally listen to jazz will be able to appreciate the soundscapes that she's created. . Debbie is a true uncompromising artist. I feel very fortunate to be a part of her group. We're hoping that it comes out by the end of the year.
  • The Rubinoos Five tunes for the new kids cd byThe Rubinoos are Jon Rubin, Tommy Dunbar, Al Chan, and Suzy Davis. Individually, these folks are amazing performers. Together, they're even greater than the sum of all of their parts (kind of like the Beatles, only funnier).
  • A couple of tunes on the upcoming Pamela Rose cd .Pamela is a soulful veteran San Francisco singer who lives in that musical world on the border of R&B and Jazz. It's a fun place! The disc, recorded at Skywalker studio, is being produced by Leslie Ann Jones , with arrangements by Matt Catingcub . The tunes I play on include Matt on piano and saxophones, Mike Olmos on Trumpet, Doug Beavers on Trombone, , Danny Caron on guitar, Ruth Davies on acoustic bass, Dewayne Pate on Electric bass, and Wayne De La Cruz on Hammond B3 organ. The other tracks feature many other great players. This is a good one!
  • Four tunes for a new cd by multi instrumentalist, and smooth baritone singer Tony Marcus
  • Six new tunes for TV and Film composer Joel Evans featuring Larry Dunlap on piano and Dan Fieszl i on bass
  • A couple of tunes on new cd with Mike Dewall produced by Oakland producer Pete Elman
  • Two new cd's with amazing singer/actress/writer Carla Zilbersmith. The music features John R. Burr and Jon Evans among others. One is a jazz cd and one is her original music. These recordings are in addition to the cd Extraordinary Renditions, that we recorded in in '07 and '08. Carla was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) while we were in the midst of working on that project. We started the next group of songs with the knowledge that she had this terminal disease and that time was running out for her and for us as a musical unit. I don't think that I can adequately express how important doing her projects have been to me. She is a great artist and still writes a blog that is often poignant, intelligent and hysterically funny. She continues to be an inspiration to countless people. Please check out her music and her blog.
  • New cd with inspirational songstress Karen Drucker.
  • Jazz trio CD with pianist extraordinaire Debbie Poryes featuring bass legend Bill Douglass.
  • recording project with the Klobas/ Kesecker ensemble featuring special guest Zakir Hussain
  • cd with Bay Area Bass Master Seward Mcain and his soulful singing wife Wendy
  • cd with Jazz Singer Extraordinaire Maye Cavallero
  • Calvin Keys new cd: Hand Made Portrait
  • The new cd for Jazz singer Sony Holland
  • New cd with Broadway show singer Clark Sterling
  • New concert DVD with the Calvin Keys Trio
  • New Concert DVD with Jazz singing legend Mark Murphy as well as a new documentary DVD with Mark