Zvonimir Tot

Zvonimir Tot (z-VON-e-mere TOTE) is a jazz guitarist, composer and arranger with a style deeply rooted in the jazz tradition but flavored by his European origin. He holds too many university degrees. Tot has performed in the United States, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, and Spain. He has performed and/or recorded with many world-renowned musicians, including:

- Saxophonists Chris Potter, Scott Hamilton, Billy Harper, Jamey Aebersold, Chip McNeill, and Peter King
- Violinists Johnny Frigo and Stefan Milenkovich
- Drummers Ernie Adams, Paul Wertico and Byron Landham
- Bassists Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and John Clayton
- Pianists Larry Novak and Larry Vuckovich
- Harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy
- Guitarists Philip Catherine, Henry Johnson, and Paulinho Garcia
- Organist Joey DeFrancesco, and Bobby Floyd
- Vocalists Patricia Barber, Jackie Allen, and Carmen Lundy

Zvonimir Tot was a university professor of music in Chicago for 20 years, having taught jazz guitar, improvisation, jazz combo, harmony, and ear training. Tot has recorded seven CDs as a leader: Balkan Roots (Groove Art Records, 2022) Sarabande Blue (Groove Art Records, 2021), Standards Live at the Jazz Showcase (Groove Art Records, 2016), Eloquent Silence (Chicago Sessions, 2009), Unspoken Desire (Groove Art Records, 2007), Blue Quest (Groove Art Records, 2007), and Travels and Dreams (Groove Art Records, 2004), as well as numerous CDs as a sideman. Tot is also the author of the book Jazz Guitar Harmony – The Melodic Approach, published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz in 2016. Zvonimir Tot has been appointed as Fulbright Specialist in 2018. He is an endorsing artist for Godin electric/MIDI guitars, Taylor acoustic guitars, D'Addario strings, Acoustic Image amplifiers, and Raezer's Edge speakers. Zvonimir Tot is based in Xalapa, Veracruz, México.

Website: http://www.zt-music.com

SHORT QUOTES - full-length reviews at https://www.zt-music.com/reviews

“With this brilliant and enthralling album Tot has crafted a genre defying work that is both intimate and cinematic. The delightful and mesmerizing Sarabande Blue, ultimately, is a paean to the universality of the musical experience.”
Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine

“All of it carries the elegant gleam of top-level musicianship and meticulous tune-smithing on a set of (almost) all Tot originals.” (4 out of 5 stars)
Dan McClaneghan, All About Jazz

“As for Zvonimir Tot, his music and solos blend together melodic and bluesy jazz with his classical background and his East European heritage. His fluent solos are full of adventure, his interplay with Kassinger is always stimulating, and his acoustic guitar plays off of and sometimes flies above the other strings.”
Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene

(Tot’s) haunting reading of guitarist Luis Bonfá’s masterpiece “Black Orpheus” shimmers with lyricism as his strings sparkle in the expectant silent pauses.
Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine

(…) Zvonimir Tot (is) an exceptional jazz guitarist. The fluidity of his technique, the bent-note expressiveness of his pitch and the sleekly melodic quality of his improvisations have earned him wide admiration.
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

When he improvises, Zvonimir evidences many things, from the intensity of a conservatory virtuoso to the serene patience of a Zen guru, and always, the love of lore that characterizes griots and troubadours the world over.
Neil Tesser, jazz critic; Grammy winner; author, Playboy Guide to Jazz

Zvonimir Tot (…) has a cool tone, a fluent style, and is a subtle improviser who hints at a great deal of inner heat.
Scott Yanow, jazz critic and author

Tot keeps one-upping himself with every disc he puts out, and Eloquent Silence is a fantastic example of just how brilliant a guitarist, writer and arranger he is.(from the CD review of "Eloquent Silence")
…Blue Quest is always grooving, from first note to last. (…) All in all, this is a spectacular disc…
Paul Abella, Chicago Jazz Magazine

Tot's compositions spin a web of musical eloquence that is both engaging and intellectually provocative. (His) virtuosic chops and strong sense of melody shine throughout.
Dr. Matthew Warnock, AllAboutJazz.com

His “Lady Agatha,” (…) has a deliberate delicacy, a ballad that unfolds at a measured pace, with Tot's playing glowing with a beautifully ethereal quality.
Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

…Tot throws out some greasy guitar licks that are simply fantastic.
Dan Bilawsky, Jazz Improv Magazine

(Z.T.) …is an extrovert soloist who plays from the heart. He improvises with a typical Balkan singing quality, an intense feeling for the blues, rich imagination, and unbelievably fast fingers.
Jeroen de Valk, Dutch jazz critic, Het Parool, Amsterdam

Zvonimir Tot's rapid fire guitar sets the pace in this fine ensemble. His ballad style also highlights this recording with soulful elegance. (…) 4 stars.
John Gilbert, ejazznews.com