The Zen Tricksters are: Jeff Mattson-lead guitar, vocals Klyph Black-bass, vocals, dobro, lap steel Tom Circosta-guitar, vocals, piano Joe Ciarvella-drums The Zen Tricksters can do it all. They are a superbly talented Rock/Jam band who play in both electric and acoustic formats and they are once again touring as a four-piece electric band. The Tricksters have a huge working repertoire that ranges from their tuneful and well-crafted original pieces to traditional bluegrass and hillbilly jazz classics, to Grateful Dead, Dylan, Neil Young, and inventive interpretations of any and all songs that catch their fancy. The Zen Tricksters are not only renowned for the trademark jamming ability they have displayed for over two decades, but also for their inspired songwriting. This band will rock you, psychedelicize you, make you cry, and pick it with the best of them! The Zen Tricksters have three studio CDs of all original material. Their most recent release, Shaking Off the Weirdness, (2003), features some newer titles such as High Horse and Sleepwalking, as well as staples of their live shows, Light of Life and The One, and boasts a colorful roster of special guests including former Trickster and current member of The Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends, Rob Barraco, Buddy Cage (New Riders of the Purple Sage), and Jason Crosby (former ZT, now with Susan Tedeschi and Oteil & the Peacemakers). The band's other two CDs are The Holy Fool, recorded in 1996, and A Love Surreal, 1999. When he heard A Love Surreal, Phil Lesh was so impressed with the band's ability to jam in the studio that he tapped two members to be part of his Phil & Friends collective. In an interview with Kenny T of radio station KGLT in June of 2000, Phil said, 'The Tricksters are more than just a cover band. They have their own stuff and they are brilliant, their stuff is brilliant. They are great players!' The Zen Tricksters are the quintessential jamband. Based in New York, they play nearly 150 dates a year while touring throughout the United States and Canada. They have also toured in Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo with Relix Japan and it is generally safe to say that the Tricksters are 'currently on tour' somewhere in the United States or elsewhere. The Zen Tricksters are into their third decade as a performing band. Their performances have included: * Big Apple Bluegrass Festival * Seattle Hemp Fest * Oregon's Country Fair and Pig Nic * New York's Gathering of the Vibes (all 8) * California's High Sierra Fest * Eugene Hemp Fest * Pocono's Gathering on the Mountain * New York's Wetlands Preserve (played more than any other band) The Tricksters have performed with: * David Nelson Band * Peter Rowan * Vassar Clements * Derek Trucks * Mike Gordon * Tom Constanten * String Cheese Incident * Kenny Kosek * Melvin Seals * Vince Welnick * Dark Star Orchestra * Stanley Jordan And have shared the stage with: * Jerry Garcia Band * Suzanne Vega * The Jefferson Starship * David Grisman Quintet Founding member and lead guitarist of the Zen Tricksters, Jeff Mattson grew up under the influence of the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, and music in general. His style is very melodic yet energetic, eclectic, and with solid roots in rock & roll, blues, bluegrass, country, jazz, and folk, with a healthy pinch of psychedelia. As adept on acoustic (fingerpicking and flatpicking) as he is on electric, he also delivers heart-wrenching emotional vocals. Jeff loves to access new territory and he gives free reign to his band mates to travel anywhere musically that they can. Jeff was asked to audition for Phil Lesh & Friends in the fall of 1999 and in October, 1999 Jeff and then Trickster keyboard player, Rob Barraco, played three shows with Phil & Friends at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco. He also co-wrote featured track, Leave Me Out of This on Phil & Friends new Sony CD, There and Back Again. Klyph Black is a huge and seasoned talent. As Trickster Trio bass player and vocalist, he brings a driving backbone rhythm and pulse to the band Also adept at slide guitar and dobro, Black
