John Taylor

I’ve been very saddened hearing of the passing of the great pianist John Taylor.

Some favourite albums are his work with Azimuth, the Peter Erskine Trio and Kenny Wheeler.

I had the pleasure of presenting a concert at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and making a recording of one of my projects with him in 2005. No matter what I had composed John always made it his own with his unique touch and time-feel. It was also an amazing learning experience playing with one of the best accompanists and a true improviser – on the pieces we had multiple solo takes it was near impossible trying to decide which one to use on the record. I also remember from the session that he was in good spirits as he had reconnected with his high school sweetheart (his future wife) and whenever there were breaks on the session he’d head outside to text with her. After the day’s recording we would end the eve off with a hang at the pub – we found a decent English pub near his hotel. A very friendly and warm soul, it was great to hear stories and his thoughts about working with Kenny and others.

Several years later we reconnected at The Sound Symposium in Newfoundland where he was playing a solo concert. Not only was the music sublime, but the hang afterwards over several pints was also as welcoming as ever.

I’m very glad I had an opportunity to work with him. I’m thinking about his music and playing, reminiscing about my session and wishing his family my condolences.

The Guardian obituary here.
The Ottawa Citizen obituary here.

QN Trio w/ Penderecki String Quartet

Back in NYC after a really fun couple of concerts with Dan Weiss and Mark Helias with The Penderecki String Quartet. Everyone played beautifully and the hang was great!
At the final concert at The Rex this past Sunday it was a pleasure to play for such an attentive audience (and to see so many friends and colleagues.)
Looking forward to more playing with this configuration in the future!

Quinsin Nachoff Trio (feat. Mark Helias and Dan Weiss) – Sunday, May 31st, 2015 – The Rex – Toronto

Quinsin Nachoff Trio featuring Mark Helias and Dan Weiss – Saturday, May 30th, 2015 – The Rex – Toronto

Quinsin Nachoff Trio (feat. Mark Helias and Dan Weiss) and The Penderecki String Quartet – Friday, May 29th, 2015 – Rehearsal at The Registry Theatre – Kitchener

Quinsin Nachoff Trio (feat. Mark Helias and Dan Weiss) with the Penderecki String Quartet

Mary Whitaker

It is with shock and great sadness to learn of the sudden and tragic death of violinist Mary Whitaker. I had the great pleasure of working with her on my violin concerto demo this past January. In addition to being a great player she had such a positive, warm and encouraging attitude. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends.
Photo by Asuka Kakitani at our rehearsal in January 2014.

Violin Concerto

Finally finished up the editing and mixing of my Violin Concerto demo commissioned by Nathalie Bonin. We recorded it in January at Systems 2 in Brooklyn with a great ensemble.
Many thanks to the amazing musicians involved!

Here’s a short preview and some photos from the session.

(Photos by Asuka Kakitani)

The musicians are all exceptional artists based in NYC:

Ben Kono – Soprano Sax, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo
Sam Sadigursky – Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Flute
Alden Banta – Bass Clarinet, Bassoon

Dan Urness – Trumpet I
Matt Holman – Trumpet II
Mike Boschen – Trombone
Jeff Nelson – Bass Trombone

Joyce Hammann – Violin I
Mary Whitaker – Violin II
Lois Martin – Viola
Robert Burkhart – Cello

Patricia Franceschy – Vibraphone
Mark Helias – Bass
Satoshi Takeishi – Drums, Percussion

JC Sanford – Conductor

This demo was recorded January 27, 2014 by Mike Marciano at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY.
Editing and Mixing by David Travers-Smith at Found Sound, Toronto, Canada.

This work was commissioned through the generous support of The Canada Council for the Arts.

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Interview

A few months ago I did an interview for composer and pianist Earl McDonald which is available here. We were both part of the BMI Jazz Composer’s Workshop this year.