ddJazz
ddJazz is David Dykstra's (dd's) jazz trio project consisting of original music he's written throughout his lifetime. Most brought to life with the help of the fine musicians noted below (thanks bros!), the trio is one of dd's favorite formats as it is full enough to bring jazz pieces to life but small enough to be very open, giving each player plenty of space for their own creative expression.
ddJazz is available for gigs anywhere in the world! dd is currently in the Philippines, will be in Europe in August, then possibly Brazil and later in India. If interested, contact dd at dadykstra@gmail.com.
David Dykstra (dd) - composer/keyboards
All of dd's young life he heard music around him as his physicist/audio-engineer/choralist father would every evening play first classical music and then later at night jazz on what he joked was his 'mean stereo'. Taking up the saxophone during his school years under the tutilage of Dr. ('Doc') Jack Scott, dd's foray into jazz really took off when he attended a summer band camp with the Stan Kenton jazz band hosted by the Towson State College musical department then under the direction of Hank Levy (famous for his odd time beat jazz compositions). Around that time dd began sitting at the piano to study how chords and scales worked together which led to his shift to playing keyboards. Ever since he's been composing and performing his own music, as well as building his own recording studio and playing with various bands. It was while gigging around the San Francisco Bay Area that he met Jeff and Eric (see below) who joined him to bring ddJazz to life.
Jeff Young - bass
Jeff started playing bass at the age of 13, beginning lessons with a cool guitar teacher named George Cole. From there, Jeff played in various garage bands until he hooked up with San Francisco Bay Area guitarist Danny Jones and drummer Dave Tweedie. This group won a couple of “Best of the Bay” honors from a local radio station. Looking to further his education, Jeff studied with local jazz bassist Dewayne Pate, then moved to Los Angeles to attend the Bass Institute of Technology (BIT). While in L.A. Jeff gigged with various bands doing various types of music. Upon returning to the Bay Area Jeff has studied with bassist Kai Eckhardt and has been gigging non-stop covering all genres including Country, Jazz, Rock, and R&B.
Eric Engstrom - drums and percussion
Eric is a long time player in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene on drums and percussion. He has played with a wide variety of bands in the area, including the Carlos Herrera Band, Z & the Benders, Dan Hick Bayside Jazz, La Ventana and Key Lime Pie. Eric is a Berklee College of Music alumni and has played in the orchestra for touring Broadway show productions. He also has played drums and percussion for a diverse range of headliners including Bob Hope, the 5th Dimension, Joan Rivers, Don Rickles, the Smothers Brothers, Johnny Desmond and the Ink Spots. Eric is a endorser of Silverfox Drumsticks and Soultone Cymbals.