Drori Mondlak Jazz Drummer

Jazz greats like Joe Williams, Ernestine Anderson, Frank Foster, Don Friedman, Danny Mixon and Lynn Seaton have employed Drori Mondlak for his exceptional skills as a creative accompanist and soloist.

A presence on the New York City jazz scene since the mid 1980’s, he has now made Cologne, Germany his second home, in order to participate more fully in the European creative music scene.

Drori’s touch, subtlety, feel and interactive approach to the music, have brought him international critical acclaim on stages worldwide as well as performing and recording opportunities with many musicians, including: John Hicks, Bill Charlap, Lew Tabackin, Wycliffe Gordon, Karolina Strassmayer, Ralph Lalama, Chris Potter, Eric Person, Sam Newsome, Mark Vinci, Randy Sandke, Ron McClure, John Goldsby, Steve LaSpina, Warren Vache, Phil Markowitz, Dave Stryker, Vic Juris, Bucky Pizzarelli, Henry Johnson, Cary DeNigris, Fritz Pauer, Joachim Schoenecker, Sunday Night Jazz Orchestra, Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Bach, Blech & Blues, Tony Lakatos,
Lutz Haffner, Barbara Dennerlein, Greetje Kauffeld, Ferdinand Povel and many more.

He has performed in many New York jazz clubs such as Birdland and The Blue Note, toured throughout the United States, Japan and Europe, appearing at international jazz festivals, including: JVC, Newport, Montreux, Copenhagen, Graz, Bern, Salzburg, and Mexico City.

He has also performed for Jazzmobile, Shea Center for the Performing Arts, Princeton Jazz Festival, SS Norway Floating Jazz Festival, Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado, The Jazz Cruise, MOMA Jazz series, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC., Stamford Center for the Arts, Grove Street Music Festival in Michigan, Jazz Arts Music Society, Gainesville Friends of Jazz and Blues, S.W. Oklahoma Jazz Festival, U.N.T. Jazz Festival, NC Jazz Festival, Midland/Odessa Jazz Society, the WDR in Köln, Outreach Jazz Festival in Schwaz, Dellbrück Jazzmiele, Hildener jazz-tage festival, Nürnberg International Sacred Music Festival, Bingen Jazz Festival and Marianne Mendt Jazz Festival in St. Pölten.

“Wake-Up Call” is Drori’s debut CD release as a leader of his group, Straight Circle. It features original works and arrangements of standards.

"Point In Time" is Drori's brand new recording with his quartet. It is soon to be released on Lilypad Music. It was recorded in NYC in March of 2008 at Avatar studios. It features original compositions written for the date from Drori, Cary DeNigris and Karolina Strassmayer who also play on the recording along with bassist Steve LaSpina. The CD was recorded live to 2 track by James Farber.

"Adventures" is a brand new recording from saxophonist, Karolina Strassmayer and her quartet, KLARO! This recording will soon be released as well on Lilypad Music. It features Karolina's wonderful writing in a selection of her newest compositions. It was recorded in NYC in March of 2008.

His work can also be heard on bassist, Lynn Seaton’s newest trio CD release"Zoom Blewz" with pianist Stefan Karlsson, guitarist Cary DeNigris’s CD release, “Between The Lines” and saxophonist, Karolina Strassmayer’s debut CD release, “KLARO!”

Drori Mondlak also conducts workshops on jazz drumming and improvisation, teaches privately and is a contributor to jazz publications in the US and Europe, such as “Drums & Percussion” and “Modern Drummer”.

DRORI MONDLAK