ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO LIVE PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING AT THE IRIDIUM, NYC

On Sunday, October 25th, Alex Skolnick Trio will perform their final show of 2026 at New York’s historic Iridium night club, an intimate setting where Les Paul played every Monday night since the ‘80s, occasionally with surprise guests including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Paul McCartney.

Sunday’s concert will be recorded for a future live release. Kicking things off will be Alex’s friend, seven-string guitarist Ron Jackson, who’ll perform in duo with Alex and then came out later to sit in with the trio.

PROVE YOU’RE NOT A ROBOT (2025/Flatirion Records) is the sixth LP by Alex Skolnick Trio (AST). The album spans a rich palette of sounds and textures with its mix of dazzling guitar work (on instruments ranging from a vintage 1935 Gibson L-00 acoustic to a pristine Sadowsky archtop to Alex’s signature ESP line) and genre-bending arrangements. The album solidifies them as one of the most original voices in contemporary jazz crossover.

Alongside originals, AST reimagines classics with their trademark inventive touch, which over the years have included bold interpretations by the likes of Scorpions, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne and their latest album’s first single, a haunting, odd-time swing rendition of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown.”

To quote Bill Milkowski for Downbeat: “He (Skolnick) adopts a flamenco mode on ‘Armondo’s Mood,’ a clever mashup of Yes guitarist Steve Howe’s ‘Mood For A Day’ and Chick Corea’s ‘Armando’s Rhumba.’ The angular ‘Infinite Hotel,’ catches the trio in metal-bop mode, with Peck and Zebroski each turning in whirlwind solos along with Skolnick, who is deep in a John Scofield bag. The challenging and interactive title track is a throwback to Pat Metheny’s ‘Bright Size Life.’ Alex’s trio shows draw jazz aficionados and metal fans alike. With global festival appearances, critical acclaim from outlets like Billboard, Downbeat, and Jazziz, and endorsements from artists such as Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ulf Wakenous, Metallica and more, AST continues to expand the boundaries of what a modern jazz guitar group can be.”

AST is:

Alex Skolnick – Guitar

Matt Zebroski – Drums

Nathan Peck – Bass

About Alex Skolnick:

Alex Skolnick initially rose to fame as a teen prodigy with the thrash metal band Testament in the early ‘90s, bringing an unprecedented level of technique and harmony to the genre. He later studied jazz at The New School in Manhattan, earning a BFA and cementing his reputation as a versatile and independent-minded “guitarist’s guitarist.”

In other Alex Skolnick news:

Earlier this year, Hal Leonard published his debut guitar method book, Jazz-Rock Guitar Improvisation (co-written with educator Dave Rubin).

Alex’s first film score can be heard in the dark comedy/horror “Traction Park Massacre” directed

by Douglas DiMonda and Adam Dubin. This week it was released on various platforms including the following:

Amazon https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0N3PHJF5VV145PJVGO6QKFJNWO

Apple TV https://apple.co/4BtFU7m

And next month, Alex and Testament head to Mexico and South America for a month long tour with Immolation and Municipal Waste.

But first, Alex and Testament vocalist Chuck Billy will be part of a special lineup of Metal Allegiance (along with Troy Sanders, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi and Phil Demmel) in support the final show of Brazilian greats Sepultura on November 7th in São Paolo.

The following day, Alex will give a guitar clinic at Rooftop Galeria do Rock.

As 2027 is shaping to be a busy tour year, including a Spring European jaunt with Megadeth and Black Label Society and a North American support tour close to being announced (you won’t want to miss this), Sunday night will be the last chance to catch Alex and the trio for some time. If in the NY Tri-State area, they hope to see you!

Check out the trio here: