Biography

Dave Zinno has been performing professionally since 1980 and is faculty at URI, Salve Regina and Brown University. After studies at Berklee College of Music and The University of Rhode Island, he moved to Seattle Wa. where he worked with Grammy winning vocalist Dianne Schuur for one year. While out west Dave also performed with jazz greats Julian Priester, Hadley Caliman, and studied for a short time with Gary Peacock. From there he moved on to New York City where he studied with bassist Walter Booker Jr. and performed with jazz greats including Jimmy Cobb, Junior Cook, Jimmy Heath, John Hicks, Victor Lewis, John Medeski, Larry Willis and many others. Dave began regular tours in Europe, South America, North
Africa and around the US and was faculty at the Toulon (France)Jazz Festival Workshop for 11 years.

With over sixty recordings, Dave’s discography includes recordings with Greg Hopkins, Mick Goodrick, Hal Crook, Bob Gullotti, Leo Genovese, John Medeski, Shawnn Monteiro, Scott Hamilton, Jay Azzolina, Adam Nussbaum to name a few. He has also released three recordings as a leader on the Whaling City sound label: Dave Zinno Unisphere “River of January” feat Mike Tucker, Eric “Benny” Bloom, Leo Genovese and Rafael Barata (sept 2017), Dave Zinno Unisphere “Stories Told” (2019) and Dave Zinno Unisphere “Fetish” (2021) as well as a new production “Nizinba” (2024) with Marcos Nimrichter, Marcio Bahia and Alma Thomas to be released in 2025. Dave also appears on Jay Azzolina’s “Present Tense” released September 2025 on Truth Revolution Records.

Recent touring and performances include festivals and concerts with Unisphere in Boston, Portland Me. and Rockport Ma., Baptiste Herbin in Rio de Janeiro, Duduka da Fonsecain Rio and a tour with award winning Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas including the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival and concerts in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Ca. In March 2025, Dave was a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in their “Coltrane Legacy for Orchestra” concerts featuring Terance Blanchard.