Townsite Jazz Festival 2024: Dwyer/Perry/Turner Quintet

Schedule

Fri Apr 12 2024 at 06:30 pm

Location

Max Cameron Theatre | Powell River, BC

Canadian jazz heavyweights combine forces on multiple instruments for this one-of-a-kind performance.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
9:30 PM
The Blue Room (Dwight Hall basement)
Tickets $25, available at townsitejazz.eventbrite.com
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Phil Dwyer – Saxophones/Piano
Originally from Canada’s West Coast, Phil Dwyer burst on the jazz scene in Canada, and internationally, in his late teens as a saxophone prodigy and by his early 20s was, to quote former Globe and Mail journalist Mark Miller, “startling jazz audiences with his unprecedented command of both tenor saxophone and piano” and with his “extraordinarily authoritative playing….set the country on it’s ear”. His full time music career started in 1985 and from 1989-2004 Dwyer lived in Toronto, where he was a key fixture in the major jazz clubs, concert halls and recording studios. During that time Dwyer led his own various groups, and co-led bands with bassist Dave Young, multi-instrumentalist and composer Don Thompson, and pianist/organist Doug Riley. Bassist Young, well known for his long tenure with Oscar Peterson had this to say about working with Dwyer…..”Phil Dwyer, in my estimation, is one of the great tenor players of jazz. We worked together in several groups while Phil lived in Toronto and he always brought fantastic energy and creativity to the musical setting we were involved in. He is a complete musician – a pianist and composer/arranger as well as a reed player. It would be difficult to over estimate the natural talent and commitment of this artist.”
While keeping a busy schedule as a performer and ‘first-call’ studio musician in Toronto scene Phil also found time to travel and perform across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia, including tours with pop music icon Gino Vannelli, trumpet star Ingrid Jensen and with his own groups.
In the mid-1990s Dwyer began developing his craft as a composer and arranger, studying composition and orchestration with the eminent composer Michael Colgrass. Subsequent to those studies Dwyer’s work was commissioned and recorded by the Gryphon Trio, Amici, Roberto Occhipinti, CBC Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Hard Rubber Orchestra, the Art Of Time Ensemble and Duke Trio. A 2010 commission from Mark Fewer and McGill University led to the creation of a major work “Changing Seasons”, a 40 minute concerto for jazz and string orchestras accompanying violin soloist Fewer. The 2011 recording of that piece, featuring Fewer with the Phil Dwyer Orchestra, won a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Among other Juno winning recordings in Dwyer’s discography are collaborations with Guido Basso, Don Thompson, Molly Johnson, Hugh Fraser, Joe Sealy, Terry Clarke, Diana Panton, and Dave Young.
As evidenced by his Order of Canada citation, Dwyer has also been active as an educator. In addition to his work from 1989-2001 as a sessional instructor at York University in Toronto he has also been a guest lecturer/clinician for leading music music programs in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. From 2005-2014 he owned and operated the Phil Dwyer Academy Of Musical And Culinary Arts on Vancouver Island. This innovative program brought together some of Canada’s top young music students with an illustrious faculty comprised of many of the leading names in contemporary jazz music.
In the spring of 2017 Dwyer graduated from the Faculty of Law at University of New Brunswick. He continues to remain active as a musician and also as an advocate for increased public awareness of mental health issues.
PJ Perry – Saxophones
PJ Perry has shared the stage with countless jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Michel LeGrand, Pepper Adams, Kenny Wheeler, Tom Harrell, Rob McConnell, Slide Hampton, Herb Spanier, Bobby Shew, Fraser McPherson, Tommy Banks, Joe LaBarbera, Clarence “Big” Miller, Red Rodney and many more talented artists, too numerous to list here. Recently, he was a featured soloist on the hit 2010 Broadway production of Come Fly Away, highlighting the songs of Frank Sinatra and the choreography of Twyla Tharpe.
In 2007 PJ was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Alberta.
In autumn of 1999 Justin Time Records released a JUNO-nominated recording of PJ and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. PJ Perry has become recognized by critics, colleagues and listeners as being one of North America’s premier saxophonists.
Winner of a 1993 JUNO Award for Best Jazz Recording for his album My Ideal, PJ has received Jazz Report magazine’s Critic’s Choice Award for Best Alto Sax for a record-breaking seven years; from 1993 to 1999.
In 2016 PJ Perry was awarded the Order of Canada by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada.
Brad Turner – Trumpet/Piano
Brad Turner is a trumpeter, pianist, drummer and composer who is one of Canada’s most in-demand and highly esteemed jazz musicians.
After receiving his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas in 1992, Turner returned to Vancouver, and was hired as an instructor of trumpet at Capilano University (then Capilano College).
He has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Kenny Wheeler, John Scofield, Michael Moore, Reneé Rosnes, Harold Mabern, Jimmy Greene, Ingrid Jensen, Peggy Lee, Dave Douglas, Mike Murley, Seamus Blake, Kenny Werner, Mino Cinelu, Roy McCurdy, Russell Malone and Ernie Watts. Turner’s groups have opened for McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Diana Krall, Ahmad Jamal and Tony Bennett.
As a leader, Turner has released ten albums, eight as a trumpeter with the Brad Turner Quartet, and two as a pianist with his trio. As a founding member of the multiple juno award winning group Metalwood, he has released six albums.
Steve Wallace – Bass
Steve Wallace is one of Canada’s foremost jazz bassists. He was born in Toronto in 1956 and began studying the double bass in 1973 while in high school. He attended the music program at Humber College from 1975-1976 and began his professional career in 1977.
Steve has played with a dazzling array of jazz artists in clubs, at jazz festivals and on tour. These include a veritable “who’s who” of Jazz: Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Pepper Adams, Herb Ellis, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Ray Bryant, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Scott Hamilton, Barney Kessel, Clifford Jordan, Red Rodney, Curtis Fuller, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, George Coleman – the list goes on and on.
In 1981, Steve toured the Soviet Union with Vancouver-based saxophonist, Fraser MacPherson. The success of this tour resulted in two more Soviet tours in 1984 and 1986. In 1983, he joined Rob McConnell’s acclaimed big band “The Boss Brass” and has recorded and toured with them extensively. He was also a member of McConnell’s Tentet from its inception in 1998.
In 1985, he replaced bassist George Duvivier on a tour of Europe, Japan, and Australia with the “Woody Herman All-Stars”, which included Al Cohn, Buddy Tate, Harry “Sweets” Edison, John Bunch and Jake Hanna.
Steve toured Japan again in 1987, this time with the “Concord All-Stars” (Scott Hamilton, Warren Vaché, Red Holloway, Dan Barrett, Dave McKenna, Ed Bickert, and Jimmy Smith). While in Tokyo, this band recorded two live albums.
In 1988-89, Steve again toured Japan, Europe and the U.S.A. as a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio. He played the Cork Guinness Festival in Ireland and toured Spain in 1989 with the trio of pianist Oliver Jones.
Steve has recorded over 75 albums with artists including Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, The Boss Brass, (winning the 1983 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Album of the Year), Ed Bickert, Scott Hamilton, Oliver Jones, Fraser MacPherson and many others. He currently resides in Toronto, maintains a busy playing schedule and has recently accompanied such artists as Lee Konitz, Ann Hampton-Calloway, Guido Basso, Eric Reed, Lew Tabackin, and Carol Sloane. In 2015, he was part of the Toronto band (along with Kevin Turcotte, David Braid and Terry Clarke) which played the soundtrack composed by Braid for “Born To Be Blue”, a Canadian-U.K. film about Chet Baker, starring Ethan Hawke.
Steve has been, or is currently, a member of many Toronto-based groups including The David Braid Sextet (winner of the 2004 Juno for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year), The Mike Murley Trio (winner of the 2002 and 2013 Juno for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year), The Rob McConnell Tentet, (winner of the 2001 Juno for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year), The Mark Eisenman Trio, The Barry Elmes Quintet, and The Phil Nimmons Quartet. He is also the bassist of choice for many fine singers, including John Alcorn. Steve occasionally leads his own sextet “Lesterdays”, which is devoted to playing the music of Lester Young and features Mike Murley and Perry White on saxophone, Mark Eisenman on piano, his son Lee Wallace on guitar and John Sumner on drums.
Since 2012, Steve has been active as a writer about jazz and other subjects on his blog, “Steve Wallace: jazz, baseball, life, and other ephemera”, available at wallacebass.com.
He has written a number of articles on jazz for WholeNote magazine and the Duke Ellington Society of Sweden have published three of his articles – about Johnny Hodges & Lawrence Brown, bassist Billy Taylor, and Ben Webster – in their quarterly newsletter.
Joe Poole – Drums
Drummer Joe Poole is gradually gaining an international reputation. Since earning his degree in Jazz Performance under the guidance of Oscar Peterson, Joe has been steadily honing his craft. His tasteful playing, sense of groove, rhythmic fluidity and creativity have led him to accompany many top musicians from the U.S.A, Europe and Canada, including: Ernestine Anderson, Curtis Fuller, Marcus Belgrave, Red Holloway, Houston Person, Don Thompson, Lew Tabackin, Guido Basso, Terell Stafford, Phil Dwyer, Brad Turner, Nick Brignola, Russell Malone, Bob Mover, Denzal Sinclaire, Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Richard Underhill, Jeff Healy, Champian Fulton, John Stetch, Jeremy Pelt, Danny Grissett, Dayna Stephens, Ned Goold, Taylor Eigsti, Dee Daniels, Jens Winther, Oliver Gannon, P.J. Perry, Tony Foster, James Danderfer, and Dmitri Shapko.

Where is it happening?

Max Cameron Theatre, 5400 Marine Ave, Powell River, BC V8A 2L6, Canada,Powell River, British Columbia

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Host or Publisher Townsite Jazz

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