Bio
Fanfare Zambaleta was incubated in the Zambaleta Music and Dance School in San Francisco and has since transformed into a full-fledged juggernaut of a band, featuring some of the Bay Area's most exciting young players and seasoned veterans. Emulating the great Balkan brass bands of the past and present, they play Romani, Serbian, Macedonian and Greek brass band music with passion and dedication. FZ's potent musical concoction of wild improvisation, meticulous ensemble coordination, earth-shaking low brass, thunderous drumming and jubilant vocals will move your feet and lift your soul.
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Band Members
Gregory Masaki Jenkins - bandleader,
alto sax, clarinet, vocals
Joey Friedman - alto sax
Noah Levitt - trumpet
Peter Bonos - trumpet
Max Miller-Loran - trumpet
Corinne Sykes - lead vocals, percussion
Rachel MacFarlane - tenor horn
Larry Leight - euphonium
David Fine - euphonium
Evan Stuart - sousaphone
Ivan Velev - percussion, vocals
alto sax, clarinet, vocals
Joey Friedman - alto sax
Noah Levitt - trumpet
Peter Bonos - trumpet
Max Miller-Loran - trumpet
Corinne Sykes - lead vocals, percussion
Rachel MacFarlane - tenor horn
Larry Leight - euphonium
David Fine - euphonium
Evan Stuart - sousaphone
Ivan Velev - percussion, vocals
Member Bios
Gregory Masaki Jenkins (Saxophone, Clarinet, Vocals) is a Mountain View native known for his passionate expression of Balkan music. He was exposed to the music by his parents, longtime Balkan folk dancers, who brought him to Balkan Camp in Mendocino at age 13, where he learned about Balkan brass music and band-leading from Michael Ginsburg. He made a pilgrimage to the Balkans last year that led him to meet and study with Balkan heavyweights Ferus Mustafov and Dzambo Agusev.
Corinne Sykes (Lead Vocals, Percussion) is a local performer specializing in traditional music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans,. In addition to singing and drumming for Fanfare Zambaleta, she is a member of Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble and Zabava Macedonian Izvorno. She has appeared at home and abroad with such ensembles as Yale Women's Slavic Chorus, Tangled Up In Blue, and Black Sea Surf.
Noah Levitt (Cornet) is a Michigan native who started exploring his deep passion for Balkan brass band music after moving to San Francisco and studying at the Zambaleta school. He is in high demand as a lead player in the style, playing in the great Inspector Gadje brass band in addition to FZ.
Peter Bonos (Trumpet) hailing from Santa Rosa, CA, Peter holds a Bachelor of the Arts from Hampshire College. Currently based in Oakland, CA, he plays trumpet, guitar, bouzouki and euphonium in a variety of musical styles, including Balkan, Klezmer, and Greek music. In addition to playing with FZ, he is the leader of Orchestra Euphonos. Peter is employed by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, serves on the Board of KlezCalifornia and worked with the Jewish Music Festival as Assistant Director and Technical Coordinator during their final 2010-15 seasons.
Max Miller-Loran (Trumpet, Truba) is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He performed extensively in the New England area in both jazz and hip-hop before moving back to his hometown of San Francisco. He studied with Greg Hopkins, Tiger Okoshi and Hal Crook. He currently performs regularly with Blind Willies, The Getback, George Watsky, Kev Choice and many others.
Joey Friedman (Alto Saxophone) has been playing Balkan folk music on sax and clarinet for 14 years with friends he made at the EEFC's Mendocino Balkan Camp. A native of Albuquerque, NM, Joey moved to the Bay Area a few years ago and has since been a regular house bandleader at the Balkan Sundays jam in SF and has made appearances with Will Magid, MC Rai, and Mission Delirium.
Lawrence D Leight (Euphonium) is an East coast child prodigy turned West coast mid-brass maestro. Well known in the Bay Area music scene as a featured Jazz and Blues trombonist, now back to his roots and primary joy of mid-brass musicianship.
Rachel MacFarlane (Euphonium) has been intrigued by Balkan languages, folk music, and domestic arts for most of her life. She has served as the East European Folklife Center's General Manager and Program Director for many years. Rachel played baritone horn for over a decade with the Bay Area's Brass Menažeri Balkan Brass Band before happily joining Fanfare Zambaleta.
David Fine (Euphonium) plays mid brass with FZ and trumpet with Extra Action Marching Band. He's a San Franciscan techie clown leftist weirdo. David may be one of the last normal people on Earth.
Gregory Masaki Jenkins (Saxophone, Clarinet, Vocals) is a Mountain View native known for his passionate expression of Balkan music. He was exposed to the music by his parents, longtime Balkan folk dancers, who brought him to Balkan Camp in Mendocino at age 13, where he learned about Balkan brass music and band-leading from Michael Ginsburg. He made a pilgrimage to the Balkans last year that led him to meet and study with Balkan heavyweights Ferus Mustafov and Dzambo Agusev.
Corinne Sykes (Lead Vocals, Percussion) is a local performer specializing in traditional music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans,. In addition to singing and drumming for Fanfare Zambaleta, she is a member of Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble and Zabava Macedonian Izvorno. She has appeared at home and abroad with such ensembles as Yale Women's Slavic Chorus, Tangled Up In Blue, and Black Sea Surf.
Noah Levitt (Cornet) is a Michigan native who started exploring his deep passion for Balkan brass band music after moving to San Francisco and studying at the Zambaleta school. He is in high demand as a lead player in the style, playing in the great Inspector Gadje brass band in addition to FZ.
Peter Bonos (Trumpet) hailing from Santa Rosa, CA, Peter holds a Bachelor of the Arts from Hampshire College. Currently based in Oakland, CA, he plays trumpet, guitar, bouzouki and euphonium in a variety of musical styles, including Balkan, Klezmer, and Greek music. In addition to playing with FZ, he is the leader of Orchestra Euphonos. Peter is employed by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, serves on the Board of KlezCalifornia and worked with the Jewish Music Festival as Assistant Director and Technical Coordinator during their final 2010-15 seasons.
Max Miller-Loran (Trumpet, Truba) is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He performed extensively in the New England area in both jazz and hip-hop before moving back to his hometown of San Francisco. He studied with Greg Hopkins, Tiger Okoshi and Hal Crook. He currently performs regularly with Blind Willies, The Getback, George Watsky, Kev Choice and many others.
Joey Friedman (Alto Saxophone) has been playing Balkan folk music on sax and clarinet for 14 years with friends he made at the EEFC's Mendocino Balkan Camp. A native of Albuquerque, NM, Joey moved to the Bay Area a few years ago and has since been a regular house bandleader at the Balkan Sundays jam in SF and has made appearances with Will Magid, MC Rai, and Mission Delirium.
Lawrence D Leight (Euphonium) is an East coast child prodigy turned West coast mid-brass maestro. Well known in the Bay Area music scene as a featured Jazz and Blues trombonist, now back to his roots and primary joy of mid-brass musicianship.
Rachel MacFarlane (Euphonium) has been intrigued by Balkan languages, folk music, and domestic arts for most of her life. She has served as the East European Folklife Center's General Manager and Program Director for many years. Rachel played baritone horn for over a decade with the Bay Area's Brass Menažeri Balkan Brass Band before happily joining Fanfare Zambaleta.
David Fine (Euphonium) plays mid brass with FZ and trumpet with Extra Action Marching Band. He's a San Franciscan techie clown leftist weirdo. David may be one of the last normal people on Earth.
