Musicians Gallery
Michel Donato
Michel Donato (bassist) was born in Montreal on August 25th, 1942, into a family drenched in musical tradition. His grandfather was an accomplished violinist, while his father juggled the saxophone, flute and piano, and his cousin, like Donato tested his wares on the acoustic bass. At the ripe age of ten, Donato began his musical training on the accordion. Shortly thereafter, he shifted his studies to the piano, and finally to the bass at age fourteen. Under the guidance of Roger Charbonneau, Donato studied for three years at the...
read morePhil Dwyer
Phil Dwyer (alto and tenor saxophonist, pianist) was born December 17, 1965 in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. A critically acclaimed composer, arranger, and musical director, as well as gifted perfomer on both saxophone and piano. Dwyer has been a force on the international jazz scene for over two decades as one of the busiest studio musicians and performers on the Toronto club and recording scene for 15 years before returning to his west coast roots on Vancouver Island in 2004. Working from that base, he continues to perform, record, and...
read moreDave McMurdo
Dave McMurdo (trombonist, composer, arranger, conductor, teacher) was born March 4, 1944 in Isleworth, England, and passed away on June 13, 2011. He spent his early life in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where he studied music at the University of British Columbia. It was there that he began composing music and playing in a variety of bands including the famed Bob Hales Big Band. In 1969, Dave moved to Toronto where he became a respected sideman with Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, and lead trombone player in Nimmons ‘n’...
read moreKieran Overs
Kieran Overs (bassist) was born on December 22, 1950 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has been active on the Canadian music scene since 1970, first on guitar and electric bass and for the past 30 years on acoustic bass. He is a B.Mus. graduate of the Humber/BCOU Music Program and holds a Masters Degree from McGill University in Montreal. He has studied bass with renowned Danish bassist Neils-Henning Orsted-Pederson and arranger Rick Wilkins. Working in Toronto as a sideman with such artists as Zoot Sims, Chet Baker, Sonny Fortune, Dewey...
read moreGary Williamson
Gary Williamson (pianist) was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. His grandmother, Doss Williamson, also a pianist, began his early musical education. From the age of 4 to 16, he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto.Williamson began playing in small bands at age 12, and began playing professionally at the age of 20. At this time he began studies in harmony and arranging with Gordon Delamont in Toronto.Williamson worked in Toronto from 1964-68, performing in a wide variety of concert venues and nightclubs, including several...
read moreDenny Christianson
Denny Christianson (trumpeter, flugelhornist, arranger, composer, bandleader, educator) was born September 12, 1940 in Rockford, Illinois, U.S.A. He moved from Los Angeles to Montreal in 1980, and has been a Canadian citizen since 1991. Famed as leader of the 18-piece Denny Christianson Big Band which has remained at the pinnacle of the Montreal jazz scene since he established it more than twenty years ago. He is an acclaimed musician, arranger, composer, conductor, bandleader, and (since 2001) Director of Music Studies at Toronto’s...
read moreBarry Elmes
Barry Elmes (drummer) was born in Galt, Ontario. Barry has occupied a position of prominence on the Canadian jazz scene since the 1980s and has become internationally-respected over the years since, not only as one of Canada’s most talented drummers, but for parallel accomplishments as a composer, producer, band leader, recording artist, and dedicated educator. His award-winning work has been documented on over 70 jazz CDs and he has performed all over the world with many renowned jazz artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan,...
read morePat Collins
Pat Collins was raised in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia. He began taking piano lessons at the age of six, and at the age of thirteen, through the encouragement of his high school band teacher Bill Cave, turned to the electric bass. Pat continued playing electric bass throughout high school, forming a trio with pianist/saxophinist Phil Dwyer and drummer Rich Cave. The trio received many accolades, performing at many music festivals across Canada. Upon completing high school, Pat began learning the acoustic bass, which was a natural...
read moreMichael Stuart
Michael Stuart (tenor and soprano saxophones) was born in Jamaica , W.I. After graduating from high school there, he attended the Jamaica School of Music for two years studying saxophone, music theory, and flute. Moving to Toronto, Canada in 1969, he enrolled at the Brodie School of Music where he studied Classical Saxophone, also studying privately with jazz saxophonist Alvin Pall. In the ‘80s, Stuart studied piano briefly with Frank Falco, and in the early ‘90s, studied eighteenth century counterpoint with Nick Deutsch in the early...
read moreKevin Turcotte
Kevin Turcotte (trumpet, flugelhorn) was born in 1964 in Ottawa, Ontario,Canada, but raised in Sudbury, Ontario. He is universally recognized as one of Canada’s major trumpet talents with an impressive list of recording and touring credentials as a prominent player with the elite of Canadian jazz ensembles including time Warp, The Mike Murley Quartet, Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, The Dave McMurdo Orchestra, Hemispheres New Music Ensemble, The Barry Elmes quintet, the Jazz Report All-Stars, The Kieran Overs Quintet, Andrew...
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