Peter Apfelbaum


Peter Apfelbaum is an American avant-garde jazz pianist, tenor saxophonist, drummer, and composer born in Berkeley, California.

Career

He performed with Carla Bley from 1978–1982 and toured with Warren Smith and Karl Berger. He worked with musicians involved with the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York. He graduated from Berkeley High School in 1978. His main instruments are tenor saxophone, piano, and drums.
He has composed for his 17-piece group, the Hieroglyphics Ensemble, and for Don Cherry. In 1990 he toured and recorded with Cherry in the band Multikulti, playing piano and saxophone. In the early 1990s, he was the opening act for The Grateful Dead. Apfelbaum formed the Hieroglyphics Ensemble with jazz musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area, including Will Bernard, and Jai Uttal.
His band the New York Hieroglyphics released It Is Written in 2005 with members from the original group and with Dafnis Prieto, Josh Roseman, and Abdoulaye Diabate. His work combines world music with experimental jazz.

Discography

As leader

With Trey Anastasio
With Karl Berger
With Steven Bernstein
With Dafnis Prieto
With Jai Uttal
With others