Jerry Kosak is a Saint Paul–based guitarist, composer, and educator whose career spans more than four decades of performance, recording, and teaching. With the release of his eighth album, Kid From Yesterday, Kosak continues a creative journey marked by restless curiosity, stylistic breadth, and a deep commitment to musical growth.

Originally conceived as an homage to one of his formative influences, Robin Trower, Kid From Yesterday quickly evolved into something wholly its own. Returning to the power-trio format and the ethereal blues-rock spirit of the early 1970s, the album reconnects Kosak with his progressive rock roots while showcasing a mature, personal voice. Drawing praise for its stylistic range and expressive depth, the Star Tribune called the music “compelling,” while Kevin Barnes of KBEM Jazz 88 noted that Kosak’s playing reflects “a mastery of many different styles.”

This release stands in sharp contrast to Kosak’s four albums for solo acoustic guitar and follows closely on the heels of 2024’s Avian Night Sky, a multidisciplinary collaboration with visual artists MaryBeth Garrigan and Petra Johnita Lommen. Described as a “collaborative exploration of darkness and transition,” Avian Night Sky was inspired by the artists’ paintings, which prompted Kosak to compose thirteen original works. The resulting music reflects themes of nocturnal observation, birds in flight, and the night sky as metaphors for the subconscious journey and inner transformation.

Across his recent recordings, Kosak’s playing continues to evolve both technically and sonically. Unwilling to remain within a single stylistic lane, his work moves fluidly from classical and roots traditions to blues, jazz, and modern progressive forms. His compositions feature rhythmic sophistication, groove-driven bass lines, and thoughtfully angular melodies — hallmarks of his solo guitar writing now expanded for ensemble settings and recorded at MoleHoleLand Studio. Guitarist Don Alder describes the result as “music that displays a great spirit.”

As a performer, Kosak is widely admired for his expressive power and musicality. Billy McLaughlin calls him “a powerful and colorful guitarist who makes me want to practice…or just listen with a big smile on my face.” In addition to his solo acoustic work, Kosak’s projects have included Are You Experienced? (a Jimi Hendrix tribute), The String Trio (string band and early blues), and his current electric trio, Blues Contraption.

Equally accomplished as an educator, Kosak holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance and a Master of Music in Musicology/Guitar Performance. He has taught guitar and music history at the college and university level and served as Head of the Guitar Department at McNally Smith College of Music from 2007 to 2010.

What truly distinguishes Kosak is his versatility. Actively performing, composing, and teaching across roots and blues, rock, classical, and jazz traditions, he has developed an authentic musical vocabulary within each style. His dedication to studying the full continuum of music has allowed him to forge a distinctive and personal voice as both a player and composer.

Kosak was the first two-time recipient of the Zeitgeist Eric Stokes Award and has received Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants in 2019, 2021, and 2022, along with a Jerome Foundation Grant. Maintaining an active performance schedule of more than 80 shows per year, he has released four albums of original solo guitar music — Many Dances, Sounds Like This, Yossarian’s Dream, and New Possibilities. Beyond Avian Night Sky, his collaborative work includes Play The Music with internationally renowned DJ and producer Freddy Fresh (Austin Powers).