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| Canadian Pianist/Composer François Bourassa At The Jazz Gallery Pianist/composer François Bourassa, leader of one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz ensembles for the past 22 years, will make a rare New York appearance performing in a trio with saxophonist André Leroux and bassist Miles Perkin on Wednesday, Nov. 9th at The Jazz Gallery. Bourassa’s music is distinguished by a pronounced European sensibility and approach to harmonics, improvisation and performance that links him stylistically closer to Paul Bley than to other Canadian jazz pianists with a more blues-oriented sound like Oscar Peterson, Oliver Jones and Diana Krall. Bourassa, who is based in Montréal where he was born on September 26, 1959, holds a BA in performance with “Distinction and Honors in Composition” from McGill University and an MA with “Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance” from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with composer George Russell and pianist Fred Hersch. Hersch observes that Bourassa “…has developed a distinctive compositional voice…This is interesting, exploratory and passionate music that is well worth spending time with.” Bourassa has released six critically acclaimed recordings since winning the 1985 Montréal International Jazz Festival New Talent Competition including the JUNO Award-winning CD Live in 2001 and the JUNO-nominated CD Indefinite Time in 2003 which also received a coveted Choc! du mois from France’s Jazzman Magazine and is the first and only album by a Québec jazz artist to receive a 4-star review. Bourassa’s recordings and concerts are notable for an open-ended approach to ensemble playing and a group dynamic reflecting a level of interaction bordering on the telepathic. A January 2005 All About Jazz review of Indefinite Time praised his “…forward-looking and contemplative music [that is] … incredibly suave… [and] morphs from pure ‘60s modal bop to a new millennium groove.” Bourassa regularly tours throughout Canada -- his annual performances at his hometown Montreal International Jazz Festival always sell out – and has appeared at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Yokohama Jazz Festival and the Nanjing Jazz Festival among other international jazz events as well as in Russia, Mexico and the US. His ensemble was the only jazz act invited by Canada’s Governor General to appear in a star-studded 50th Anniversary gala aired live on the CBC/Radio-Canada television network in 2002. Bourassa’s ensemble has opened for Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Holland, Abbey Lincoln, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck and Wayne Shorter, among others. After opening for Shorter at a concert in Calgary, the saxophonist encouraged Bourassa to “keep on doing that s..t that you’re doing!” Bourassa in turn composed “WS parts 1 & 2, ” beautiful, heartfelt tributes to one of his musical heroes, that appear on the CD Indefinite Time. He cites John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Herbie Nichols, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and fellow Canadian Oscar Peterson as other artists that are important influences and inspirations. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |