Guitarist, Composer, Arranger
ZACH's BIO
Zachariah avidly studies jazz and classical traditions while remaining true to his roots in blues and rock guitar. Balancing the roles of performer and composer, Zach actively combines elements of all his influences, defying the limits of genre and challenging audiences' expectations of what music can be.
In May 2024, Zachariah graduated from William Paterson University with a master's degree in jazz composition and arranging. While studying at WPU, Zach was selected to play guitar in the jazz orchestra and performed with Joe Lovano and Gary Smulyan. Zach was commissioned by Lovano to write a big band arrangement of Thelonious Monk's composition Work, which Lovano performed with WPU's big band in March 2024. Zach also had the chance to meet and play alongside guitarist and former New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams.
In the spring of 2023, Zachariah had the honor of being asked to join William Paterson University's Afro-Colombian ensemble, led by Dan Neville. This was the first collegiate ensemble in the United States to study Colombian folk styles and combine them with elements of jazz. The WPU Afro-Colombian ensemble performed as a part of William Paterson's Jazz Room series and at Terraza 7 in Queens. Zach was also asked to write for and perform in a student-led big band organized by Canadian composer and arranger Chelsea McBride. Whenever Zach wasn't playing, he was researching and analyzing the big band music of Jim McNeely.
In the fall of 2022 Zachariah moved to Wayne, New Jersey, to join William Paterson University's master's program in jazz composition and arranging. Here he had the opportunity to study with renowned composers Cecil Bridgewater and Ed Neumeister, as well as some of New York's top jazz artists, including Bill Charlap, Russell Malone, Jeremy Pelt, Mike LeDonne, Dana Stephens, Pete McGuiness, and Alexis Cole.
In spring of 2022 Zach debuted his first large ensemble, the Zachariah Lambert Octet. He began composing for this group as a way to challenge himself during the pandemic. The instrumentation of this ensemble is unusual in that there are five horns, yet no piano, creating more space in the music for the performers to explore. The band performed at various venues around the Baltimore area, including Keystone Korner and An Die Musik Live!
In February of 2022, Zachariah had the honor of performing alongside his teachers and mentors from Towson University as a part of Beth El Temple’s first Wednesday concert series. Trumpeter Dave Ballou, bassist Jeff Reed, drummer Mike Kuhl, and Zach used a bill of traditional jazz standards as a launching point for an evening of innovative improvisation.
In August of 2021, Zachariah had the opportunity to attend the Alternative Guitar Summit. This workshop takes place in the isolation of the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York and is host to musicians not only from the United States, but also Canada, South America, and Europe. Here, Zach had the opportunity to study with some of his biggest inspirations: Kurt Rosenwinkle, John Scofield, Julian Lage, Gilad Hekselman, and Tim Miller.
In March of 2021, Zachariah returned to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD to perform a set of his original music. This time the band consisted of a trio with Lambert as the leading voice. While there were no live audiences because of the pandemic, the concert was streamed online.
The year 2020 was a difficult time for live music, but to combat the isolation, Zach held a socially distanced concert outside of Towson University’s Student Union on November 14th—his 21st birthday. Lambert brought together a group of his classmates to perform music that he composed throughout the pandemic. The concert provided an opportunity for friends who had not seen each other since March to reconvene.
In the summer of 2019, Zach attended the School of Improvisational Music at the Brooklyn Conservatory, where he played with a wide-ranging group of international musicians. Zach was also part of the Baltimore production of Voices of Carmen that performed at the Kennedy Center. Prior to this, Zach performed with Towson University’s Big Band at Prism, which is TU’s annual showcase for their music department. Earlier in April, his quartet played at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland, and they will be returning to the Mainstay on March 27, 2020.
In October 2019, he was the featured guest artist for Mainstay Monday where he performed a duo with pianist Joe Holt.
In 2018, Zach became the inaugural winner of The Mainstay Rock Hall Scholarship and as a result was afforded the opportunity to sit in with guitarist Frank Vignola at the Mainstay. He also was invited to play for the Charlie Byrd Society.
In his senior year of high school, Zach was awarded the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, as well as the Woody Herman Jazz Award. Zach also went through training to become a certified instructor for The Warrior Music Foundation, which is an organization that provides music lessons and therapy to veterans and their families. Zach began teaching at Priddy Music Academy where he had previously been a student. In addition to this, Zach performed at local festivals including Eastport-a-Rockin', Frozen Harbor Music Festival, and Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis with his original rock trio 2nd Chair. Other events he performed at are the Anne Arundel County Fair, Burgers and Bands for Suicide Prevention, and The Maryland Food Truck Festival with groups affiliated with Priddy Music Academy.
