George Grydkovets with
Lorin BenedictGeorge Grydkovets is a guitarist, composer, and educator from Kyiv, Ukraine, currently residing in New York City. From an early age, George was playing all over Kyiv’s clubs with his band but eventually began playing music with some of the best Ukrainian jazzmen, such as Dennis Adu. With his Kyiv Trio, he has recorded a debut record, Rise, which was released March 25th, 2022 on Shifting Paradigm Records. During his time in NYC, George completed his studies at The New School for Jazz and has performed with musicians such as Ari Hoenig, Steve Cardenas, Frank Perowsky, Sam Yahel, and others. Among the venues he has played are Nublu, and Stone, as well as the Clifford Brown and Bern Jazz Festivals. He serves as Stanford JW Mentor Fellow for 2026/27, and is visiting the Bay Area for that reason.
Lorin Benedict is an improvisational jazz vocalist (a scat singer, essentially) who co-leads several small groups dedicated to playing highly structured music in a manifestly loose and playful way. This includes the duo Bleeding Vector, the trio The Holly Martins, and duo projects with vocalist
Ron Heglin, and bass player Logan Kane. He has also, over the past two decades, appeared as a sideman in groups led by Howard Wiley and
Sheldon Brown, among many others. He recently released a duo album with drummer Anthony Fung, and is soon to release another duo album with alto saxophonist Caroline Davis.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.
Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.