"The astounding drum work of Amir Ziv may convince even the most ruff-neck kids that they're in the hands of a master." URB - Chris Muniz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EARLY YEARS Born Tel Aviv, Israel, began playing drums at age 9. At 13 started accompanying belly dancers on percussion. By 18, played on numerous records with top Israeli artists performing on national Israeli television and radio. At 19 relocated to Hollywood, CA to study drum set performance with Efrain Toro, Joe Porcaro and Ralph Humphrey at the Percussion Institute of Technology. After graduating with honors moved to New York City, received BFA in jazz composition and performance from the Mannes/New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. While in school lived and apprenticed with master-drummer & woodstroke guru Kenwood Dennard and did independent-study with orchestral percussion master James Priess. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AS A SIDEMAN Recorded, toured and/or performed with a wide range of artists including but not limited to: Cyro Baptista, (have been the drummer for Cyro's Beat The Donkey for past 8 years), Trey Anastasio (Phish), Medeski Martin Wood, Adam Holzman (Miles Davis), Matthew Garrison (Zawinul Syndicate), Sean Lennon, Yossi Fine (David Bowie), Mark Feldman, Evan Lourie (The Lounge Lizards), David Broza, Pizzicato Five, Cibo Matto, Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Carl Craig, Tim LeFebvre, David Watson, Romero Lubambo, Sergio Brandao, Nillson Matta, DJ Spooky, Dave Samuels, Glenn Valez and Graham Haynes amongst many others. collaborated with Kenwood Dennard at the Modern Drummer Festival. Other credits include work on feature films, HBO movies, TV commercials and jingles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEADER In 1997, at the height of NYCs underground live drum n bass movement, started Droid (w/Tim LeFebvre, Jordan McLean & Adam Butler) and quickly became known as a leading force and innovator on the scene. Two years later Shadow Records signed the group for its first record deal. Following the events of 9/11, invited Marc Ribot, Cyro Baptista & Shahzad Ismaily to join and play a community benefit concert in my Lower East Side loft. This led to the formation of KOTKOT and a full series of loft concerts and Tonic shows. With KOTKOT, I blend the members American, Brazilian, Pakistani and Israeli musical influences in an improvisational setting. a sort of hellish surf-jazz... hahaha :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN EDUCATION Faculty member at the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program for past 7 years - teaching (and writing curriculum for) advanced sight-reading, theory & performance drum lab and private lessons. also created and conduct the Electronica / Live Drum 'n' Bass Ensemble at the New School. Musicians have come to study privately in my NYC home studio from as far away as Japan, Switzerland, Ecuador, Germany, Israel and Spain. also i have been involved in presenting master-classes, workshops, clinics and private lessons worldwide in drum schools, universities & public venues. Most recently, I and my wife (Meagan Shapiro) have started running week long “live-on-the-land†intensive drumming and art apprenticeships at our upstate house. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ENDORSEMENTS Paiste cymbals & Vater drumsticks – these companies have been SO supportive and nice to me over the years and I can truly say they make superb products! THANK YOU!!! :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHEN I'M NOT WORKING AND MAKING MUSIC I enjoy spending time with my family in our upstate NY "barn" house, chopping wood with my beloved medieval axe, shooting my Howard Hill “Owl†longbow, making fires, cooking and lying in my hammock and reading or sleeping or day dreaming............ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
!!!!THIS APRIL!!!! new release on AWDR/LR2 - BOUNDEE RECORDS - JAPAN AMIR ZIV presents... KOTKOT Alive @ Tonic starring: Marc Ribot - guitar Cyro Baptista - percussion & voice Shahzad Ismaily - bass Amir ziV - drums~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~