Laila Biali, Zach Brock

"It is the ultimate task given to the musician, whether as singer or instrumentalist, to create a unique signature or fingerprint that is instantly recognisable as their own. What is surprising and delightful in Laila Biali is that both as vocalist and pianist she accomplishes this with equal aplomb. She is an exciting and unique talent, and I admire her greatly." - Sting

Award-winning Canadian Jazz pianist, vocalist and songwriter Laila Biali has toured with Chris Botti, Paula Cole and Suzanne Vega, and recorded with and supported Sting. She takes the best of pop, rock, classical, world and soul, informs it with her expertise in Jazz, and weaves it into her musical arrangements. Laila has presented her music at prestigious venues spanning five continents including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Tokyo's Cotton Club, Peru's El Festival Internacional de Lima, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Her latest studio recording, Tracing LightI, received a JUNO nomination for "2011 Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year" and her most recent release. Live in Concert, recorded live at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada, captures the spirit of live performance so essential to Jazz. Live in Concert was in rotation at 73 radio stations in North America and received an enthusiastic four-star review from DownBeat Magazine. Laila is also a member of the all-female New York based neo-Classical crossover quartet, Rose & the Nightingale, whose members tour with Grammy award-winner Esperanza Spalding. Her accolades include "SOCAN Composer of the Year" and "Keyboardist of the Year" at Canada's National Jazz Awards. She currently divides her time between New York City and Toronto.


One of the most virtuosic and emotive voices of contemporary jazz violin, Zach Brock has followed a path which embraces not only jazz, but also classical, world, and popular music. From critical acclaim as a bandleader to international exposure in collaborations with Stanley Clarke, Snarky Puppy, and Phil Markowitz, Zach continues to gain admiration from both jazz purists and music enthusiasts alike. Zach's repertoire includes re-workings of songs by John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, and Zbigniew Seifert, in addition to an evolving catalogue of his own compositions. His debut on Criss Cross with Aaron Goldberg, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland offers a telling glimpse of why Zach is being heralded as'the pre-eminent improvising violinist of his generation.' (Neil Tesser, Chicago Examiner.com)