Zach Brock has been heralded by Blue Note recording artist and MacArthur Grant recipient Patricia Barber as "the one on whom to place your bets in jazz." Zach's artistry, both as a performer and composer, places him in the company of today's leading young Indie jazz innovators.

Born on August 2, 1974, in Lexington, Kentucky, Zach grew up in a family of musicians. Performing from a young age with his parents led to an early passion for improvisation. Zach moved to Chicago in 1992 to continue classical training with Myron Kartman at Northwestern University, and access to Chicago's thriving culture allowed him opportunities to study with local and touring jazz masters. An appearance with Orbert Davis at the 1997 IAJE convention launched Zach's professional jazz career.

In 2002, Zach was chosen to participate in Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead residency at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. During this residency, Zach met keyboardist Sam Barsh and bassist Matt Wigton. They convened in Chicago later that summer and with local drummer Nori Tanaka, recorded Zach's debut CD, "Zach Brock and The Coffee Achievers." This self-produced CD created a stir in both the jazz and college markets, and The Coffee Achievers began touring in support of their effort.

Zach released his second CD, "Chemistry," in February '05 and in April '05, Dave Douglas invited Zach Brock and his band to a prestigious small-group residency sponsored by the Weill Music Institute that culminated in their first performance at New York's legendary Carnegie Hall. Shortly after that, Down Beat Magazine listed Zach in the "Rising Stars" column of the Critics Poll and featured him in the "Players" column of its October '05 issue.

In January '06, Brock performed on the soundtrack for the documentary film
"Black Gold." Written and directed by brothers Nick and Marc Francis, with a musical score composed by Andreas Kapsalis, the film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released nationally in the fall. In the spring of '06, the film aired on the PBS series "Independent Lens." Zach relocated from Chicago to Brooklyn in February '06, and The Coffee Achievers performed for the film's closing night celebration after its inclusion in the New York International Human Rights Film Festival at Lincoln Center in June '06.

On September 23, 2006, Zach Brock and The Coffee Achievers made their international debut at the 2006 Tudo e Jazz Festival in Ouro Preto, Brazil, as part of an impressive roster of international jazz artists that included Dave Holland, Kurt Elling, Jason Moran, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Toninho Horta. Playing all-original material from their 2005 release "Chemistry," as well as material from their debut release, "Zach Brock and The Coffee Achievers," the band was received with an enthusiastic ovation. Later that October, Zach had the honor of performing with Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, Drew Gress, Reggie Workman, and Jack DeJohnette as part of Mrs. Coltrane's final concert. Zach appears on Ravi Coltrane's forthcoming recording of music from that concert.

In March '07, Zach Brock and The Coffee Achievers made their third recording and their first live recording at The Jazz Factory in Louisville, KY. The new CD, recorded over two nights, features a mix of new and previously recorded material and is the first Coffee Achievers CD to showcase their exhilarating live energy.

October '07 will see Zach's documentary film debut and first solo performances in Europe as part of "Passion," a new documentary film about legendary Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert.