Jazz greats like Joe Williams, Ernestine Anderson, Frank Foster, Don Friedman 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: Danny Mixon, John Hicks, Bill Charlap, Lew Tabackin, Warren Vache, Randy Sandke, Wycliffe Gordon, Bucky Pizzarelli, Karolina Strassmayer, Ralph Lalama,
Chris Potter, Eric Person, Mark Vinci, Ken Peplowski Ron McClure, Phil Markowitz, Dave Stryker, Vic Juris, Cary DeNigris, Henry Johnson, Fritz Pauer 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, Bern, Copenhagen, Graz, 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, The Jazz Cruise, MOMA Jazz series, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Stamford Center for the Arts, Grove Street Music Festival, 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 and the WDR in Germany.
“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. His work can also be heard on bassist, Lynn Seaton’s newest trio CD release 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”.
