“Jazz Group of the Year” Nominee

September 2024 — Colorado-bred, LA-based keyboardist Lao Tizer embodies what it means to be a 21st-century musician inhabiting the jazz sphere ⎯ that being one who embraces musical diversity and has no fear of crossing boundaries.

A self-described “child of East Coast Jewish hippies,” Lao was influenced by his parents’ extensive music collection. “My dad had classical, all this world music, plus all the Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Elvis, Janis Joplin, and Motown of the boomer era.” Tizer studied classical piano as a child, but it was a couple of random selections from the Columbia House mail-order club that turned him toward jazz.

From there, Tizer applied his classical piano skills to jazz and released his first self-produced solo keyboard album while still in high school. After graduating from Boulder High, Tizer moved to LA and studied with legendary piano guru Terry Trotter for about two years, forgoing formal music education for the lessons of the bandstand. “Instead of going to music school, I just got my butt kicked on the bandstand.”

“When I got into listening to The Pat Metheny Group in the late ‘90s, they had that “formula” that definitely spoke to me ⎯ great, through-composed music with a lot of room for improvisation. That’s the formula that I love.”

In the ensuing years and through various incarnations, The Lao Tizer Band has flown by that directional compass, and the six albums he has released as a leader have seen Tizer steadily grow as a keyboardist, composer, and bandleader.

They have been a steady presence at LA hotspots like The Baked Potato as well as entertaining audiences at premier jazz festivals around the world. Milestones among these were The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival, and Atlanta Jazz Festival.

In 2018, The Lao Tizer Band released critically acclaimed Songs From The Swinghouse, a different kind of project that included fresh, sophisticated takes on a number of vocal-oriented covers.

Now, with his 2024 album, Amplify, Tizer evolves again by bringing original vocal-oriented songs into his mix of smart instrumentals. “A big part of the concept for Amplify is to cross over, with flavors of Jazz, R&B, Funk, and World Music. The album is nine songs – five vocal, four instrumental – all original, no covers. The project was recorded and filmed all LIVE at legendary East West Studios in Hollywood with simultaneous 7-camera video shoot and a legendary cast of musicians.

The band has attracted many top players to its ranks ⎯ GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea), Emmy-winning guitarist Chieli Minucci (Special EFX), Senegalese bassist Cheikh N’Doye (Baaba Maal), violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs (Stanley Clarke), GRAMMY-winning drum phenom Gene Coye (Hiromi) and legendary GRAMMY-winning percussionist Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder). This newest album adds a few new faces: saxophone and flute wunderkind Danny Janklow (MONKestra), Rolling Stone 2022 ”Bassist of the Year” nominee Anthony Crawford (Erykah Badu), and American Idol star Elliott Yamin.

The Lao Tizer Band featuring Karen Briggs, makes their return to Middle C Jazz on Friday, October 11 in support of their brand-new album & video release AMPLIFY. TICKETS HERE.

Learn more about Lao Tizer:
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
LISTEN TO SHADES OF LIVE, FROM AMPLIFY
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK