# David Kikoski

Dave Kikoski (born September 29, 1961) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist.

## Biography

Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Kikoski learned piano from his father and played with him in bars as a teenager. He studied at the Berklee College of Music in the early 1980s, then moved to New York City in 1985, touring and recording subsequently with Roy Haynes (from 1986), Randy Brecker (1986–88), Bob Berg (1988), and Billy Hart (1989). He has also played or recorded with George Garzone, Barry Finnerty, Red Rodney, Craig Handy, Ralph Moore, Didier Lockwood, Joe Locke, Olivier Ker Ourio and Mingus Big Band. Kikoski won a 2011 Grammy Award with the Mingus Big Band for the Best Live Jazz Ensemble Album, "Live at the Jazz Standard". He also had a Grammy nomination with Roy Haynes for the "Birds of a Feather" CD.
Kikoski has been a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey.

## Discography
### As leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 1989 | Presage | Freelance | Trio, with Eddie Gomez (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 1991 | Persistent Dreams | Triloka | With Randy Brecker (trumpet), Cecilia Tenconi (flute), Dave Jensen (tenor sax), Vadim Zilbershtein (guitar), Ed Howard (acoustic bass), James Genus (electric bass), Billy Hart and Ben Perowsky (drums), Alex Acuña (percussion), Vera Mera (vocals) |
| 1994 | Dave Kikoski | Epic | Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 1997 | Inner Trust | Criss Cross | Trio, with Ed Howard (bass), Leon Parker (drums) |
| 1998 | The Maze | Criss Cross | Quartet, with Seamus Blake (tenor sax), Scott Colley (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 1999 | Almost Twilight | Criss Cross | Trio, with John Patitucci (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2001 | Surf's Up | Criss Cross | Trio, with James Genus (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2001 | The Five | DIW | Quintet, with Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Seamus Blake (tenor sax), Boris Kozlov (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2001 | Comfortable Strange | DIW | Trio, with Boris Kozlov (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2001 | Combinations | Criss Cross | With Seamus Blake (tenor sax), Boris Kozlov (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2003 | Details | Criss Cross | Trio, with Larry Grenadier (bass), Bill Stewart (drums) |
| 2005 | Limits | Criss Cross | Quartet, with Seamus Blake (tenor sax), Larry Grenadier (bass), Bill Stewart (drums) |
| 2006 | Lighter Way | Apria | Trio, with Ed Howard (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2008 | Mostly Standards | Criss Cross | Trio, with Eric Revis (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2008 | Live at Smalls | Smalls Live | Trio, with Hans Glawischnig (bass), Obed Calvaire (drums); in concert |
| 2012 | Consequences | Criss Cross | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) |
| 2013? | From the Hip | BFM | Quartet |
| 2016 | Kayemode | Criss Cross | Trio, with Joe Martin (bass), Justin Faulkner (drums) |
| 2019 | Phoenix Rising | HighNote | Quartet with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Peter Washington (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2021 | Sure Thing | HighNote | Duo with Boris Kozlov (bass) |

### with BeatleJazz

* A Bite of the Apple (Zebra, 1999)
* Another Bite of the Apple (Zebra, 2001)
* With a Little Help From Our Friends (Lightyear, 2005)
* All You Need is Love (Lightyear, 2007)

### with Opus 5

* Introducing Opus 5 (Criss Cross, 2011)
* Pentasonic (Criss Cross, 2012)
* Progression (Criss Cross, 2013)
* Tickle (Criss Cross, 2014)
* Swing On This (Criss Cross, 2021)

### As sideman

With Roy Haynes
* True or False (Evidence, 1986)
* When It's Haynes It Roars! (Dreyfus Jazz, 1992)
* Homecoming (Evidence, 1994)
* Te Vou! (Dreyfus Jazz, 1994)
* Praise (Dreyfus Jazz, 1998)
* Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (Dreyfus Jazz, 2001) – Grammy nominated
* Love Letters (Eighty-Eight's, 2002)
With Billy Hart
* Amethyst (Arabesque, 1993)
* Oceans of Time (Arabesque, 1997)
With others
* Richard Baratta, Off the Charts (Savant, 2023)
* Bob Berg, Another Standard (Stretch, 1997)
* Pe De Boi, Power Samba Band (Arkadia Jazz, 1998)
* Craig Handy, Introducing Three for All + One (Arabesque, 1993)
* Toninho Horta, From Ton To Tom (VideoArts Music, 1998)
* Dave Lisik, Bonnie and Clyde (SkyDeck Music, 2017)
* Ralph Moore, 623 C Street (Criss Cross, 1987)
* Pat Martino, Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery (Blue Note, 2006) – rec. 2005
* Alexander Claffy, Standards: What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? (SMK Jazz, 2018)