Artists Registry

John Kolivas

Honolulu HI United States

http://www.honolulujazzquartet.com
View
597551_3825.jpg

Following the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11, former New York City musician John Kolivas composed "Remembrance" from his home in Honolulu. Later, lyrics were added by Robert Pennybacker. Kolivas lived in New York from 1982 - 1990, and he and his wife Deanna, were married in NYC in 1989. Deanna used to work in the World Trade Center at the law-firm Brown & Wood. Happily, all of her former workmates got out safely, by running down the stairs with the other survivors. However, seeing the horrific images on TV early that morning in Honolulu, struck a chord of deep sorrow in the Kolivas family. As a result, John wrote "Remembrance". His jazz group, which was formed only a few months before the 9/11 attack, decided to record the song along with vocalist Anita Hall. The tune was originally released a few months after the attack, with a portion of the proceeds from the recording going to the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund. John received a "thank-you" letter from Governor George E. Pataki dated December 7, 2001 with the encouraging news that the money from the fund was directly benefiting the families of the victims of the disaster.

John Kolivas - musician: bassist, composer, instructor, musical director

John grew up in a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1982, at the age of 21, he decided to move to New York City to seek opportunities to study on the bass and to perform his favorite music, jazz. In the process, he ended up playing bass for The Tap Dance Kid on Broadway and had an opportunity to play with many fine musicians and performers in New York and Hawaii including: Benny Golson, Robin Eubanks, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Makoto Ozone, Don Grusin, Eric Marienthal, Wayne Newton, Lea Salonga, Keola Beamer, and many others. In 1997 John successfully passed an audition to play bass in the Honolulu Symphony (now the Hawaii Symphony) and has had the opportunity to perform with Yo-Yo Ma, Tan Dun, Denyce Graves, Andre Watts and Pinkas Zukerman.

In 2001, John formed the Honolulu Jazz Quartet. The group has several recordings out including Remembrance - a musical tribute to the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy (2001), Sounds of the City (2003), Tenacity (2007), Remembrance / Live at The Triple Door (2011). Legendary jazz critic and author Nat Hentoff wrote: "The Honolulu Jazz Quartet is ready to be recognized in jazz scenes throughout the world."

John resides in Honolulu with his wife, Deanna, and their two children.