Zen Dog

Julie Klein fronts Zen Dog as lead vocalist and bassist, her striking stage presence heightened by an eye-catching figure and naturally curly auburn hair. Donna Acierno handles keyboards and supplies backup vocals while contributing her own visual appeal. Peter Charles maintains an extraordinary level of intensity on drums, having previously powered Ram Jam’s hit single “Black Betty” to the summit of the pop charts. Martin Lara’s guitar playing imparts a mysterious soulful character to the band’s sound, and his backing vocals deepen their melodic harmonies.

The promising ensemble has attracted meaningful support throughout the industry. Criteria Studios, a facility long associated with the elite of the music business, contributed recording time to Zen Dog’s 1999 release It Is What It Is. Engineer Mike Couzzi, whose credits include work on Carlos Santana’s 1999 smash Supernatural, brought his expertise to the project and shaped its striking sonic result. The professional cover design was likewise donated in support of the music.

“It moves me that so many people believe in us,” Julie Klein has remarked. “I’m so excited that now all their believing, all their time, talent and cash invested are paying off big time.” While she envisions platinum sales, sold-out tours, and multi-million-dollar movie-soundtrack placements, she understands these milestones as practical necessities. “The only way you can make a living playing is to have some measure of fame,” she observed. “One of the things that ties us together in Zen Dog is that our dream and our love is to play.”

After the release of It Is What It Is the band experienced personnel shifts that ultimately left Klein as its sole original member. Guitarists Al Gavett and Larry Ellington together with Mack Preston on drums and backup vocals now comprise the refreshed lineup of this south Florida party-rock group.