Max Perkoff
Call Max at (415) 726-6282
An active musician in the San Francisco Bay Area, Max continues to tour the west and east coasts of the USA, including New York City, Los Angeles, Reno, Nevada; and throughout the state of Oregon. Touring in 2007 included New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. 2009 has included New York City at The Iridium Jazz Club with Linda Kosut, The Mammoth Lakes Jazz Festival (Mammoth, CA) with Cami Thompson & The Cosmopolitans, & the Indy Jazz Festival, Indianapolis, Indiana on September 25th with vocalist Amanda King.
Additional venues in New York City have included Jazz At Lincoln Center, The Triad, La Mama Theater, The Encore & The Metropolitan Room, and The Angry Squire. In the Bay Area: Yoshi's in Oakland, Jazz At Pearls, The Filmore, Performances at Six in San Francisco; The Sweetwater, 142 Throckmorton, and many more.
2007 included the release of three recordings: "Infinite Search - The Max Perkoff Band," his sixth as a leader; and two as a sideman: "Drunk With Love, A Tribute To Frances Faye, starring Terese Genecco." "As Long As You're Living, A Tribute to Oscar Brown Jr., starring Linda Kosut," 2008 winner of the BMI Backstage Magazine Bistro Award.
2006 included the release of "Monk's Bones". Perkoff and fellow trombonist Roswell Rudd were guest soloists with the Monk's Music Trio for an album of nine Thelonious Monk compositions. The CD reached #10 on the national jazz radio play list.
The rest of Max Perkoff's discography:
2006 • "Flute Vibes" on Summit Records, Gerald Beckett. #14 on the national jazz radio play list.
2005 • "Amazing Space," duo with Si Perkoff.
2002
• "Oasis Jazz" sampler vol. 7 includeds "Dizzy For President" from "Off The Ground."
• "bigbandjazz.net" The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra.
2001 • "Seminal Avatar - Karen Meredith"
2000 • "Off The Ground," The Max Perkoff Jazz Ensemble.
1999 • "Upsurge - All Hands On Deck"
1995 • "Janet Seiler - It's A Pleasure."
Max has also performed with jazz greats Dave Black, Vicki Burns, Jeff Chambers, Jamie Davis, Bruce Forman, Terry Gibbs, Jon Hendricks, Noel Jewkes, Harold Jones, Calvin Keyes, Vince Latiano, Mel Martin, Renzel Merrit, Bill Perkins, Si Perkoff, David Rokeach, Tom Shader, Phil Smith, Cami Thompson, Mike Vax, Vince Wallace, Kenny Washington, & many more.
Max performed July 12 '06 on NBC Television's "America's Got Talent" with the American Idol Band, in a wonderful horn section backing up Shawn Ryan.
He has also performed with pop/rock artists Johnny Mathis, Bobby Rydell, Lou Christie, John Cippolina (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Sherri Payne, Chris Clark, Linda Clifford, and recorded with Mario Cippolina (Huey Lewis).
As an educator, Max has taught instrumental and vocal music to nursery through high school students; and jazz studies courses to middle school through college students. He has received grants from the International Association of Jazz Educators Artist Outreach Program, the Marin Arts Council, and Kiddo!
Max has also coached students in the Jazz Masters Workshop program with executive director & guitarist Bruce Forman; and played trombone for Adventures In Music, sponsored by the San Francisco Symphony, Dr. Dee Spencer, band leader.
Max Perkoff is a native of San Francisco. Jazz formed the core of his bohemian upbringing courtesy of his father, pianist Si Perkoff and mother, visual artist Sara Goren. His artistry on both the trombone and the piano is sometimes heard on the same concert, something he does increasingly often.
Sitting on the lap of drummer Elvin Jones at two, and getting to play his set; hearing his father rehearse in their apartment, during which time the Perkoff family had recently befriended Thelonious & Nellie Monk, and many more early experiences created quite a jazz-life for the young musician-to-be.
Perkoff graduated from Indiana University School of Music in 1985 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. Jazz teachers included David Baker, Dominic Spera, & Luke Gillespie. Trombone instruction was with M. Dee Stewart, and piano lessons with Edwuard Auer.
Additional teachers who had a great influence were pianists Barry Harris & Hal Galper, multi-reed artist David Liebman, and trombonists Frank Rehak & Conrad Herwig.
After graduation, he lived and worked in the tri-state area of New York, Connecticut, & New Jersey. Gigs at this time include substituting as lead trombonist for the late great Sonny Costanza; playing piano at the Angry Squire, La Mama Theater, trombone with pop star Johnny Mathis and keyboard with fellow 1960's icon Bobby Rydell. A special highlight was in “the purple grotto” for Al “Jazbo” Collin’s WNEW live jazz radio show with fellow trombonist and I.U. alum Eric Storkman.
In 1989 Max returned to the San Francisco Bay Area. From 1992-’95 he played trombone for the Mike Vax Great American Jazz Band in festivals all over the western United States.
Current performance groups include Skin & Bone, The Max Perkoff Band; Amanda King, The Harold Jones Big Band; Linda Kosut, The Three Dimensions + One, and guest performances with Monk's Music Trio.