Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

ALLISTAIR ELLIOTT, TRUMPET/FLUGEL HORN/VOCALS Allistair Elliott was born just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland. Excelling at the classical side of the trumpet, he performed in London, England and also Vienna, Austria by the age of seventeen. Elliott moved to England where he received his music degree from Leeds Colle...ge of Music, the same school that produced the recent Grammy nominee, Corrine Bailey Rae. His performing credits include The Drifters, The Temptations, R&B legend, Lou Pride, England's jazz giant, John Dankworth, and The Supremes, just to name a few. He has opened for sax great, Joshua Redman, toured with the internationally renowned Decidely Jazz Danceworks and shared the stage with Saturday Night Lives' Lenny Pickett, and rock legends, Honeymoon Suite. He has toured Europe, Australia and Brazil and now resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Locally he has been involved performing with or recording for Tim Tamishiro, Livin’ In Swing, Steve Pineo, Amos Garrett, The Prime Time Big Band, The Big Beat Band, and Barry Shaw, as well as fronting his own group. He has also recorded numerous tv and radio jingles such as working.com and the National Post. Allistair’s writing credits include the movie, Friend of the Family, where he also appeared in the film performing two original tunes. Allistair is currently working on his third cd. Solo Flight was released in 2001 and his second disc Urban Nights was released in 2007 to rave reviews. Urban Nights was nominated for three Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards in 2008. Allistair was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Wind Instrumentalist of the Year. He won the instrumentalist award. There will be an advanced single, "Hide N Seek"' released for radio from the new disc shortly, with the recording available before the end year. JASON GRAHAM/GUITAR Jason Graham began playing guitar at the age of 15 and graduated with honors from the Humber College Jazz Performance program 5 years later. During his time at Humber College Jason studied with Oscar Peterson Band guitarist Lorne Lofsky and after graduating studied with Jazz and Country session guitarist Mike Francis. Throughout his career Jason has toured many parts of Canada, the U.S, Taiwan and China with various acts and artists, including the renowned World Music group Barrage, and has appeared on the CityTV, Star, KSPS and CMT networks. Jason is an "in demand" studio musician and is featured in most Calgary venues running jams as he is an in demand side man in the Calgary music scene. SAUL MOORE, DRUMS/ PERCUSSION, Saul hails all the way from Zimbabwe, Africa. A child prodigy, Saul credits his immense talent to his father, a well respected drummer and band leader in Southern Africa. Saul grew up exposed to music of all styles, from his traditional African“Chimurenga” music to rhythms from Brazil and Latin America, not to mention the enormous influence Funk and Jazz had on the aspiring drummer. With this richM usical back ground, Saul was playing professionally by the age of 15 and was well on his way in the music and entertainment industry. Saul has played in top bands both local and national in Zimbabwe, England, and afterplaying eight years professionally in Detroit, Saul moved to Canada lending his talents to the many outstanding performers in Calgary. EGOR UKOLOFE/Pianist Egor Ukoloff, originally from Russia was born into musician’s family. He received his Masters in Jazz after graduating from Rostov-on-Don Music College and conservatory as a pianist. Egor then was touring Europe with his jazz ensemble while teaching in a college and in 1986 he won a third place in International Competition for the jazz pianists under 30yrs old in Poland. In 1989 Egor receives a scholarship in Banff School for the arts in Banff, AB Canada and studies jazz with such a giants as Dave Holland, Rufus Reed, Ted Dunbar, Steve Coleman, etc. Since then Egor calls Canada his home. Year 1991 Egor decides to go to Vancouver to look for a better opportunities and exactly in a week he gets an offer from the Feldman agency to join Graceland’s tribute to Elvis on tour. The show took him coast to coast across North America and he had a chance to perform at the prestige Imperial Palace and Mirage in Las Vegas. A year and a half later being tired of the road life Egor comes back to Banff, Canada and less than in a half a year starts working at the prestige and renown Banff Springs Hotel where all the Hollywood celebrities and music stars hang out playing in the dance band and as a cocktail piano player. That’s where Egor had an opportunity to take a lessons from Tom Jones’/Tony Bennett’s piano player and back then The Supremes’ musical director Vincent Falcone. That’s where Egor had a chance to sit in with Cuban Irakere and then take a Latin piano lessons form Chucho Valdes. In 1998 Egor felt a need for a bigger city life and moved to Calgary where he quickly became in demand. Thank to his rich cultural background Egor happened to work in all kinds of engagements from playing with Calgary Prime Time Big Band to MTV’s urban soul band Yomozo for which he has done all arrangements and co-wrote and wrote the originals for the self-titled début CD; working with vocalists, duos, trios etc., doing jingles for radio and TV appearances, jazz festivals. Over the years Egor has taught at the several Jazz Clinics for the high school music departments and he also had a few private piano students and has been invited to teach at the Calgary University at the Jazz Department but being a truly performer he never took the job. Life took Egor to perform from Singapore to Bangkok, from Paris to Saigon, from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Dubai and also to Russia with a recent concerts in Moscow and Rostov-on-Don.Egor had a chance to perform with Bill Watrous, Mike Tamaro, Hugh Fraser, Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass’ Guido Basso and Ien MacDugall, PJ Perry and Kenny Wheeler. STEFANO VALDO, B.Sci, M.Mus/Bass Is an experienced Performer, Studio Musician and Music Educator. Born in Northern Italy, he studied classical guitar and double bass at the local Conservatory. While attending the University of Architecture in Venice (Italy), Stefano formed the pop-rock band “CANTON”, who signed a three year contract with Arista Records. During this period, the band released several singles. One of them reached the top-twenty charts in Italy with 250,000 copies sold. In 1990 he moved to Los Angeles to study jazz arranging and composition at the Grove School of Music. After completion of the two-year program, Stefano immersed himself into the L.A. music scene and as a freelance musician for live performances and studio sessions. It was at this time that he joined the Grove School of Music Faculty, assisting noted music educator Mark Harrison in the General Musicianship and Small Group Arranging classes. As Stefano’s reputation as an educator grew, in 1996 he joined Harrison School of Music as Chair of the Bass Department. During his five years at the Harrison School, Stefano wrote the curriculum for the Bass Program. At the same time, he kept refining his instrumental skills by taking private lessons with bassists Miroslav Vitous, Dave Holland, and Jeff Berlin. In 1999, Stefano earned his Master of Music degree from California State University at Long Beach. While at CSULB, he taught theory and ear training classes for the Undergraduate Program and continued to produce, record and perform for numerous independent projects. Among them he produced and arranged a twelve-piece jazz band album entitled, “L.A. Supper Club”, and two CD’s for noted flamenco group, Sarkis Quatro, for which he also served as Music Director. Among top jazz artists Stefano has performed with are: Ed Shaughnessy, Greg Bissonette, Justo Almario, Bobby Shew, Buddy Collette, and Jimmy Smith. Stefano and his family moved to Calgary in 2006 where he keeps a busy schedule performing and teaching jazz theory classes at Ambrose College. Lire la suite