Department of Music

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. There 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 many 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. Widely recorded, Dave’s most recent recordings include UM “Stray Dog” with Hal Crook, John Medeski, Rick Peckham and Bob Gullotti (Rope-a-Dope Records), “Planet Safety” ( Soul Note Records featuring Gullotti and Leo Genovese),”New Stablemates”(Arabesque) with Jared Sims, Eric ”Benny” Bloom and Steve Langone, “Remembering Billie” and “The Music of Jule Styne”(Blue Dutchess) with Scott Hamilton. AGNZ “Chance Meeting” with Adam Nussbaum, Jay Azzolina and Dino Govoni (released in 2016 on Whaling City Sound) reached #17 on the JazzWeek charts. Also on Whaling City John Stein/Dave Zinno “Wood and Strings,” Shawnn Monteiro “To Carmen With Love,” Steve Langone Trio “Breathe” (2017) and Debra Mann “Full Circle” (2018). Two recordings as a leader on Whaling City: Dave Zinno Unisphere “River of January” feat Mike Tucker, Eric “Benny” Bloom, Leo Genovese and Rafael Barata (2017) and Dave Zinno Unisphere “Stories Told” (2019). Doug Olsen Group, Christine Fawson “Sings Jazz” and Mark Walker “You Get What You Give” released in 2019. Recent touring includes festivals and concerts in Italy and Brazil. Dave is an in-demand sideman having performed with the likes of Ann Hampton Callaway, Harry Allen, Dado Moroni, George Garzone, and Hal Crook, to name just a few.