Dear Live Music Fan,
The nationally
acclaimed Honolulu
Jazz Quartet has
been thrilling
audiences since its
formation in 2001.
Members John Kolivas
on bass, Tim
Tsukiyama on
saxophones, Dan Del
Negro on piano, and
Adam Baron on drums
present a sound that
reflects the
diversity of their
talents and a broad
spectrum of
influences and
interests.
These four musicians
have explored the
jazz tradition as
sidemen with some of
the jazz genre's
most distinguished
artists. The
Honolulu Jazz
Quartet offers
listeners a mix of
jazz standards and
original
compositions that
demonstrate the
individual and
collective
virtuosity of its
members, as well as
their proven
dedication
to the craft of
music.
Bandleader,
composer, and
bassist John
Kolivas is a
Hawaii native who
has performed on
both acoustic and
electric bass in a
myriad of musical
situations, and with
countless jazz
luminaries,
including Larry
Coryell, Makoto
Ozone, John
Pizzarelli, Don
Grusin, George
Benson, John
Clayton, Robin
Eubanks and Eric
Marienthal. After
high school, Kolivas
traveled to New York
City to study, and
while there gathered
valuable experience
as the original
bassist for the
Broadway show The
Tap Dance Kid. He later joined the
company of Big
River, and also
toured with The
Pirates of Penzance
and The Gregory
Hines Show. As a
classical player,
Kolivas has been a
valued member of the
Honolulu and Hawaii
Symphony bass
sections, and is
equally at home
performing Hawaiian
music in concert and
on recordings with
Hawaiian slack key
guitar master Keola
Beamer and
Grammy-nominated
artist Keali'i
Reichel. John
Kolivas teaches
double bass,
electric bass, and
jazz improvisation
at his alma mater,
Punahou School,
where he also
assists with the
orchestras. He has
taught clinics as
faculty of the
Hawaii International
Jazz Festival and
the Hawaii
Contrabass Festival.
(photo: Michi Moore)

Pianist/composer
Dan Del Negro
hails from the south
side of Chicago,
where he worked with
jazz icons Herbie
Mann, Vinnie
Colaiuta, Tiger
Okoshi, and Nestor
Torres, among
others. He has
extensive experience
in musical theater,
having performed
with touring
companies of Les
Miserables, Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat, and
Miss Saigon.
Berklee
College of Music
alumnus Tim
Tsukiyama plays
soprano and tenor
saxophones in the
quartet and is a
member
of the Royal
Hawaiian Band. He
has shared the stage
with Dee Dee
Bridgewater, Bunky
Green, John
Pizzarelli, and the
Hawaiian band
Kalapana, among
others.

Kansas City native
Von Baron
began playing drums
at age 15. He later
studied at the
University of
Missouri
Conservatory of
Music and the
Berklee College of
Music. His
professional
collaborations
include those with
Jovino Santos Neto,
Shelly Berg, and
Carlinhos de
Oliveira.
Unbeknownst to many,
Mr. Baron also holds
a degree in cultural
anthropology from
the University of
Washington.
The Honolulu Jazz
Quartet has
developed
a much loved
signature sound
colored by the
influence of jazz
forbears such as
Miles Davis, John
Coltrane and Wayne
Shorter as well as
innovative
techniques and the
wide-ranging musical
experiences of its
members.
HJQ's debut
recording, Sounds
of the City, was
released nationally
in 2004 and
spent several weeks
on JazzWeek's
National Jazz Radio
Top 50 Chart.
A second CD,
Tenacity, was
released in March
2007;
the most recent
recording, Remembrance/Live at
the Triple Door
was released in 2011
to celebrate the
group’s 10th
anniversary.
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