Ali Sakkal

saxophones, percussion

Born in Kuwait of Iraqi descent, saxophonist Ali Sakkal draws from a dynamic blend of musical influences, from the European classical tradition and Middle Eastern music to the trans-Atlantic avant-garde. Ali has studied with Branford Marsalis, Oliver Lake, John Purcell, Hafez Modirzadeh, Andrew Speight, and classical virtuoso Greg Dufford. As a recipient of the Pone Music Scholarship, Ali spent his undergraduate years at San Francisco State University and had the opportunity to study at Kingston University of London under the tutelage of Duncan Lamont Jr. and the European free-jazz pioneer Evan Parker. An Americorps teaching participant, Ali has spent the past few years as a music educator in New York City public schools. Active in both the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, he has performed with Heftpistole, fAt kiD, the Gabe Stivala Quartet, HAPPYFUNSMILE, and the progressive improvisational quartet FISH KNUCKLE at such venues as the Knitting Factory, Galapagos, the Luggage Store and the Monterey, Umbria, and Montreaux Jazz Festivals.

kioku

Wynn Yamami (taiko, percussion)
Ali Sakkal (saxophones, percussion)
Christopher Ariza (live electronics)