Zen For Primates    Bio

In 1987, T. Roth saw Mike Krisukas and Mark Golin perform in a Lehigh Valley club and immediately they became friends.  Mutual interest led Roth and Krisukas to form an eight piece Rock-and-Roll Circus called “The Incredible Baby Eddie,” which fully combined Roth and Krisukas’ love of music and theater.

While keeping Baby Eddie on the road, Roth and Krisukas started working with sax player Dave Smith and violinist Mark Golin.  The response to this quartet was so overwhelming that Zen For Primates was born.  The band quickly moved from its Pennsylvania home base to regular engagements in NYC at CBGB’s, Woody’s, The Spiral and China Club.

After finishing work on 13 songs at Minot Studios in New York, Zen played dates in Los Angeles, including two nights of tremendously received performances at the Hollywood China Club.  There they attracted the attention of Triad Booking Agency and started working with producer Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Living Colour, Mick Jagger, Smithereens) who had also produced T's earlier band Another Pretty Face. 

Zen released its first CD “Albatross” in 1992 and shot their first music video the following year.  After years on the road, Zen did their final concert performance in August 1995 and the band members decided to work on their individual projects.

T. Roth reunited with Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres to perform concerts as Another Pretty Face, their cult band from NYC glam-rock scene of the 70’s and 80’s. Mark Golin went off to become a publishing superstar and editor at Cosmopolitan, Maxim and Details magazine. Nice move…!  Mike Krisukas did solo projects, founded Bummer Tent Records and started producing other artists.

In 1997, a call from a Hollywood producer and Zen fan, with the news that Zen’s music was being considered for the Warner Brothers movie “Addicted To Love” – inspired Krisukas and Roth to regroup.  They went back in the studio and released their second CD “Blessed Are The Sheep Herders,” this time joined by a classical ensemble including cellist Jodi Beder and adding long time friend Pete Fluck on sax.. 

In 2002 Zen released their third CD entitled “It’s Polka Time!” bringing T. Roth into the instrumental mix on accordion; adding renowned French Horn player Robert Routch to the band and having Mark Golin return on a few tracks.  With new violinist Shelagh Maloney joining the fold in late 2002, Zen now has its best touring line-up in years.

In  2004 the Alive & Bell CD was released featuring live tracks from various venues covering a cross-section of older material and some songs never     recorded before.

In 2007, with 5 years of  live playing under their belts, the now established band of  T. Mike, Jodi, Pete and Shelagh went into the studio to record their first new CD project together.   Entitled "Mary Ann's Dead Husband Was My Stella Novagratz", The CD featured performances by some new friends of the band.  Bruce Kapler, sax and woodwind player for the CBS Dave Letterman Late Show Band;  Bob Dorough, legendary jazz singer (with Miles Davis and more) and composer of ABC-TV Schoolhouse Rock series;  Bill Goodwin, drummer and Grammy Award winning producer (with Phil Woods, Tom Waits, Gary Burton);  and Rick Chamberlain, Principal Trombone with the New York City Ballet Orchestra at Lincoln Center and others.  With a late 2007 release date anticipated the band plans to play extensively in 2008 and 2009.

Zen For Primates is T. Roth – vocals, Mike Krisukas – guitar and vocals, Jodi Beder – cello, Pete Fluck – sax and harmonica and Shelagh Maloney – violin.