Aug 19, 2017
Rob Piltch
ROBERT (ROB) PILTCH (guitarist, composer) was born on December 25, 1956 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After early study with several leading music teachers including Eli Kassner, Gordon Delamont and Sam Dolin, he began playing in bands professionally at the age of 17, his late father’s Bernie Piltch Quartet among them. He joined the famed Blood, Sweat, and Tears in 1979, touring North America and recording with them for the next two years. Returning to Toronto, he settled into a busy career as a session player, working in various musical genres with Canadian artists including Hugh Marsh, Kim Mitchell, Shirley Eikhardt, Marc Jordan, Guido Basso, and Rob McConnell.In the early ‘80s he released his debut album, Bells (Umbrella Records) in partnership with Canadian jazz virtuoso Don Thompson, and followed it in 1988 with a self-titled solo album (Rob Piltch) for Duke Street Records. Both recordings include several of his own compositions.
Rob Piltch appears as both a soloist and sideman on many recordings by other leading musicians, and has played guitar on numerous television shows. He was also featured on the sound tracks of major feature films ‘Crash’ and ‘The Blue Planet’. He is one of the remaining original members of the band Nick Buzz who recently (2008) released their second recording. He performed in a total of seven “Sound of Toronto Jazz” Concerts at the Ontario Science Centre between 1978 and 2004 with artists and ensembles including the Rob Piltch/Mike Malone Duo, Emilie-Claire Barlow, the Kathryn Moses Quartet, the Dave Young/Phil Dwyer Quartet, the Glen Hall Octet, The Barlow Group, and the Alastair Kay Quartet.
Awards: 1993 – JUNO Award winner for work with Dave Young and Phil Dwyer
Avery Raquel
Her passion for singing quickly grew from that, and has led to an impressive list of career accomplishments on her musical resume. She has earned audience acclaim, critical kudos and peer respect as a vocalist of rare talent, and is now poised to write an exciting new chapter in her developing success story, this time as a songwriter.
In collaboration with Juno-winning, noted Toronto producer/songwriter/musician Greg Kavanagh, Avery has written accomplished new songs that will appear on her second solo album, Without A Little Rain, scheduled for release in Spring 2017.
Stylistically, the new record will incorporate some fresh new elements, as Avery explains, “I see this album more as having an RnB/Blues style with a kick of Jazz, opening doors to new audiences, while retaining a jazz sound. I think of it as a really nice blend of different styles and genres.”
Assisting in this evolution, performing on the album, is a group of A-list Toronto musicians, including bassist Ross McIntyre, jazz pianist Adrean Farrugia, Guitarist Ben Lemma, and drummer Joel Haynes, among others.
Avery already had a strong working relationship with Joel Haynes, as he had co-produced her debut album, Life Lessons, released in early 2016. That record featured both standards and fresh jazz-inflected interpretations of pop songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, and was even nominated for ‘Jazz Recording of the Year’ at the 2016 Hamilton Music Awards. The album has received critical acclaim and airplay on major stations across the country including CBC Radio One and JazzFM.
Avery Raquel has also garnered numerous vocal awards over the years, and has excelled on the festival circuit too, delivering winning performances at The Oakville, Brantford, TD Niagara, and South Coast Jazz Festivals and sharing the stage with the likes of Matt Dusk, Lou Pomanti, Holly Cole, and other prominent Canadian artists.
Avery has also taken the stage at some famed New York City clubs including Birdland, as well as top Toronto venues The Jazz Bistro, Koerner Hall, Lula Lounge and Hugh’s Room, to name a few. Some of those performances have been as the featured vocalist with the Jazz.FM91 Youth Big Band, which she is once again a member of this season.
Avery has a very mature head upon her young shoulders, something confirmed by her compassionate outlook towards those less fortunate. She regularly performs at charity events, and explains that “we are working on putting together a music fund that will provide music lessons to students who can’t afford them.”
Avery Raquel has clearly learned her own life lessons very well. An exciting future awaits.
Mark Kelso & the Jazz Exiles
Originally hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Canadian drummer Mark Kelso has made Toronto, Canada his home for quite some time. Not only is he a skilled musician who plays drums and percussion, but he is also a singer, producer, composer and band leader as well. Mark has also been the Head of the percussion dept at Humber College in Toronto since 2005.
Mark’s ability to play a wide variety of musical styles has helped him become one of Canada’s most sought after drummers. An all around player, he has worked/recorded with a wide array of artists such as Pat Metheny, Donny McCaslin, Laila Biali, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Michael Bublé, Changuito, David Clayton-Thomas, Holly Cole, Larry Coryell, Eliana Cuevas, Paquito D’Riveria, Hilario Duran, David Foster, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Olivia Newton John, Molly Johnson, Chaka Khan, Pat LaBarbera, Donnell Leahy, Natalie MacMaster, Bob Mintzer, Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), Donny Osmond, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Jovino Santos Neto, NOJO, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Schneider, John Scofield, Ron Sexsmith, Mike Stern, Soul Stew, James Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Ian Tyson, Gino Vannelli, Carol Welsman and his own Juno award nominated band, The Jazz Exiles. Mark runs “Groovy Drums Studio” where he records drum tracks for many artists around the world. To date he has played on over 285 recordings.
Aside from playing many TV and radio jingles and movie soundtracks Mark has also been featured in Drums ETC, Canadian Musician, Drumhead, Drum Scene and Modern Drummer magazines. Mark has also been a featured clinician/performer at the Montreal Drumfest, IAJE, Musicfest, KOSA, Percussive Arts Society, Regina Drum Festival, The Stickman drum experience, Whack Bam Thudd festival, Victoria Drum Festival and the Cape Breton Drum Festival.
Mark recently released his first instructional drum DVD entitled, “Musician First, Drummer Second” to great acclaim.
Mark endorses and is a featured clinician for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drum heads, Headhunters drumsticks and Plunge Audio in-ear monitors.
Colin Hunter & Joe Sealy Quartet
Colin Hunter – Vocals
Joe Sealy – Piano Paul Novotny -Bass Alison Young – Sax Daniel Barnes – Drums
While some people spend their whole lives dreaming of becoming a star, others make it happen in addition to enjoying meaningful careers. This is Colin Hunter‘s story: a singer who soared to extraordinary heights in his business career and now shines brightly in the entertainment industry.
Colin Hunter is the Chairman and founder of Sunwing Travel Group. In 2005, to commemorate the launch of Sunwing Airlines, he recorded his first Big Band CD “Come Fly with me”. Since then he has recorded 12 CD’s: Six with Big Band leaders Anthony Terpstra in Ontario and Roland Martel in Quebec City, and six with the Joe Sealy Quartet in Toronto. Colin performs regularly in Ontario and Quebec and at Jazz Festivals in Montreal, Quebec City, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Dubai. In addition his schedule includes regular gigs at his own Jazz Bistro, in Toronto.
An Officer of the Order of Canada, JUNO-award winning artist Joe Sealy has enjoyed a highly successful career as a musician, composer, recording artist and radio broadcaster. His 1997 Juno Award winning Africville Suite inspired Ron Foley MacDonald of The Halifax Daily News to write; “This may be the most important jazz album released in Canada this year”. Joe has presented “The Africville Suite” in concert venues and at music festivals across Canada as well as Denmark, Norway and the USA. As a pianist, he has toured with “Blood Sweat and Tears” and performed with such artists as Joe Williams, Milt Jackson, Veronica Tennant, and Timothy Findlay.
Paul Novotny knows how to make the bass talk. Singers like Jackie Richardson, Holly Cole, Carol Welsman and Molly Johnson would all agree. They have called upon Paul for his melodic and rhythmic style. Paul’s production of Joe Sealy’s Juno Award-winning (1997) “Africville Suite” helped to establish him as one Canada’s best record producers. Paul is also an established Film/ TV composer and has written and produced music for many national radio and TV commercials. As a jazz bass player Paul has performed with Cedar Walton, Geoff Keezer, Junior Mance, Don Thompson, Tommy Banks, and others. Paul is also a professor at Humber College, School of Creative and Performing Arts in Toronto.
Drummer, composer, producer and singer Daniel Barnes was born into an artistic family in the central hub of downtown Toronto, Canada in 1965. His recordings are available through major retail outlets, at itunes.com and through www.danielbarnes.net. Daniel was nominated “Drummer of the Year” at both the 2003 and 2007 National Jazz Awards while his work with others has thrice been nominated for Juno awards with a win in 1996 for Joe Sealy’s “Africville Suite”.
A relatively new force to reckon with in the Toronto music scene,
Alison Young is from Ottawa where she honed her craft playing in local blues and R&B bands. After studying at the University of Toronto with Canadian sax greats Mike Murley and Kirk MacDonald, Alison has emerged as one of the Toronto music scene’s hottest and most sought after reed players. Alison plays all kinds of music and has toured Canada with pop group Kelly and the Kellygirls and with the one and only Big Rude Jake
Also Featuring
The Latin Jazz Ensemble of the Royal Conservatory
Sharp Dogs
Thom Adkins
Humber College Musicians
Mohawk College Musicians
Go Dog Go
Route 6
Hannah Dolson and more * Schedule subject to change