Ryan Oliver With Strings (February 4, 2022 Cellar Live)

About the artist:

A Juno-nominated, Victoria-based saxophonist, Ryan Oliver honed his craft on Canada’s west coast before moving to Amsterdam, Toronto and New York. Since returning to Vancouver Island, he has maintained a busy schedule as one of Canada’s most in-demand saxophonists. His 2012 album, “Strive” features legendary jazz drummer Victor Lewis. Oliver has toured Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe and the United States with the legendary eclectic jazz group, The Shuffle Demons. He is also a member of Juno award winning blues/rock performer Derek Miller’s group. The band has traveled throughout North America, including performances at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Aboriginal Achievement Awards (broadcast on CTV), and Toronto’s Dundas Square. Oliver was featured in the horn section on “Derek Miller and Double Trouble”, featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn’s heralded rhythm section Double Trouble and musical icon Willie Nelson.

The recording was nominated for a Juno in 2011. Oliver was also a member of the house band for Miller’s television series The Guilt Free Zone airing on the Aboriginal People’s Television Network. The Cookers, a group Oliver co-leads and toured extensively throughout Canada, appearing on numerous recordings and broadcasts, including a live video broadcast for CBC. He has received numerous Canada Council and Toronto and Ontario Arts Council grants for touring, recording and education and was nominated for the 2013 Prix De Jazz for the Montreal Jazz Festival. Oliver’s debut recording, “Convergence” was selected by CODA Magazine as one of the top 10 Canadian jazz releases of 2007.

Oliver holds a Masters degree in music from Rutgers University, where he led the undergraduate big band, and has taught saxophone and ensemble clinics at universities throughout the world for over 20 years. He currently teaches saxophone to students throughout Vancouver Island and instructs student and adult jazz combos in Victoria. Oliver has worked as an adjudicator for the Fraser MacPherson Scholarship (which he also received in 1998) and the Victoria and Powell River Jazz Festivals. In 2017, Oliver took over as the Executive Director for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC), Canada’s longest running music camp.

Here's what Ryan says about the album:

To say that this recording is a collaborative musical effort is an understatement. Mark Crawford’s sophisticated and thoughtful arrangements elevated my original compositions to new heights; the incredibly talented 12-piece string orchestra breathed life into those ideas; and Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson and Bernie Senensky formed an incomparable rhythm section, lending a level of heavy-hitting artistry than can only come from a prolific career forged in the tradition of jazz music. The compositions represent almost cinematic snapshots of people, places and experiences that influenced my life and music, from the birth of my daughter, celebrated in the up-tempo triadic Blues for Josie Rose to the western landscape of the Cariboo where I grew up, captured in the haunting strings of The Ballad of Buffalo Bill. Hearing 16 musicians performing this music together, live off the floor, was a dream come true. Recorded at a time when the arts need more than ever to be nurtured and recognized as an important part of our world, to me this album represents the excitement of creativity and the power of collaboration - I hope you enjoy it! 

1. The Ballad Of Buffalo Bill

2. For You

3. Blues For Josie Rose

4. MacBeth

5. Tango For Astor

6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

7. Eddie

8. Shorter Mornings

9. Arrival

10. Walk Up On The Road

Ryan Oliver – tenor saxophone

Bernie Senensky – piano

Neil Swainson – bass

Terry Clarke – drums

Violin 1

Andrea Siradze

Colleen Venables

Elyse Jacobson

Llowyn Ball

Violin 2

Ken Lin

Molly MacKinnon

Jitendra Beairsto

Madeline Hocking

Viola

Genevieve MacKay

John Kastelic

Cello

Finn Manniche

Doug Gorkoff

Arrangements by Mark Crawford

Recorded at The Warehouse Studios on July 31st, 2021

Engineered mixed and mastered by Sheldon Zaharko

PRE-ORDER

Bernie Senensky - Don't Look Back (January 14, 2022 Cellar Live)

A previously unissued recording of legendary Canadian pianist Bernie Senensky, featuring saxophonist Bob Mover and trumpeter Sam Noto

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1944, pianist Bernie Senensky has been a stalwart member of the Canadian and international jazz scenes for over 50 years. He has toured with a multitude of his own ensembles over the years, and has played with a diverse array of internationally celebrated jazz artists, from Chet Baker to Moe Koffman, and from Elvin Jones to Pharoah Sanders (to name but a few). Senensky continues to play and tour extensively. Despite his kind and soft-spoken personality, his asser tive keyboard style and consummateN melodicism has ensconced him as a lynchpin of the current jazz scene.

Senensky fits smack dab in the middle of the hard bop tradition. For those looking for a delightful romp through some new tunes in the style of the masters, you could do worse than to try out the Bernie Senensky Quintet. Bernie's style sparkles with a lightness and playfulness that makes his solos so easy and fun to listen to. You don't have to reach for anything; it’s all there.

Don’t Look Back will be released worldwide on

January 14th, 2022 by Cellar Live.

1. Don’t Look Back 9:05

2. I Hear a Rhapsody (J. Baker, D. Gasparre) 8:49

3. Floating 6:35

4. Together 6:02

5. May in June (B. Mover) 6:07

6. The Mover 6:24

7. Jump for Joe 7:31

8. The Latest (H. Mobley) 4:33

9. Danse Encore 6:48

10. One is Enough 6:26

11. Who Cares? (G. Gershwin) 6:17

All songs composed by Bernie Senensky unless otherwise noted

Bernie Senensky - Piano

Bob Mover - Alto Saxophone

Sam Noto - Trumpet

Neil Swainson - Bass

Barry Elmes - Drums

PRE ORDER

Shannon Gunn - "On A Mountain" (Friday, October 15th 2021 on Cellar Live)

On July 31st 2020, the world lost a brilliant vocalist and composer. Shannon Gunn had been a fixture on the Canadian jazz scene for decades up until her untimely passing. Her reputation as a musician’s musician ensured a particular kind of reverence from her fans, fellow artists and several generations of students. Although her work was well known to her enthusiastic live audiences, she had never released an album of her own. On A Mountain, recorded in 2002, should go a long way toward filling this gap and allowing the world to get a rare glimpse of this compelling artist at the top of her form.

Shannon grew up in Vancouver where she studied classical piano. As her musical direction shifted to jazz she developed a successful singing career in Western Canada. She subsequently moved to Toronto where she drew the attention of many of that city’s top musicians. Shannon’s work as an educator had always paralleled her performing career. She was as gifted a teacher as she was a singer and made a huge impact on the many students who crossed her path in both cities.

Shannon’s singing demonstrated incredible facility and expressiveness, as well as a deep awareness of the musical interplay in a band. She honed a highly personal style that hearkened to the great jazz singers yet was unquestionably her own. Renee Rosnes, who served as pianist and producer for this recording, comments, “Shannon had a vulnerability that came through in her singing which translated to an emotional, truthful rendering of the lyric.”

The choice of material and musicians are a reflection of Shannon’s impeccable taste and high standards. Rosnes brought a wealth of experience and a long association with the singer: “My friendship with Shannon goes back to my late teens when we both lived in Vancouver. We shared many memories together on and off the stage. She was smart, talented, beautiful, humble, empathetic and genuine: a person who communicated from her heart with no pretense.”

Along with Rosnes, this this group contains many of the world’s top jazz musicians, all of whom were ideally suited to communicating Shannon’s vision. Swainson says, “Those qualities of empathy, honesty and courage were all there in her music. She was a fantastic musician.” Adds Turner, "I always loved playing gigs with Shannon because she would always have new material, beautiful, sometimes complex arrangements.”

On A Mountain will be released worldwide on Friday, October 15th 2021 on Cellar Live

1. From You (S. Gunn) 6:19

2. Carla’s Blues (C. Bley, N. Winstone) 5:35

3. In The Moment (R. Rosnes, S. Brown) 6:00

4. Wild Is Love (R. Rasch, D. Wayne) 6:42

5. I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face (F. Loewe, A.J. Lerner) 3:32

6. On A Mountain 4:55

7. A Felicidade (A.C. Jobim, V de Moraes) 4:28

8. Mean Joe (S. Gunn) 4:53

9. Everything I Love (C. Porter) 4:41

All arrangements by Renee Rosnes, except 2 by Brian

Dickinson and 8 by Brad Turner

Shannon Gunn - Vocals

Renee Rosnes - Piano

Neil Swainson - Bass

Billy Drummond - Drums

Brad Turner - Trumpet (2-4, 6, 8)

Pat Labarbera - Tenor Saxophone (2, 4, 6, 8, 9)

Rick Lazar - Percussion (7)

Cellar Live Website

Al Muirhead Quintet - Live From Frankie's & The Yardbird (February 19, 2021 Chronograph Records)

The first recording trumpeter Al Muirhead was ever involved in was recorded in 1953. He was 18 years old, playing in a small dance band at the Waterton Lakes Dance Hall in southern Alberta. A gentleman at the venue had just purchased a new direct to disc recording unit, and asked if he could record the concert.

Al still treasures that live recording experience to this day. Now here we are, 67 years later, as Muirhead releases his first vinyl LP as a bandleader – recorded live to disc at two of Canada’s finest jazz clubs. As Al recalls, LP’s were his preferred way to listen to music in his younger days, and he is happy to see them gaining in popularity again.

After such a long and storied career, it was high time to capture Muirhead’s playing – and the music he loves – live in concert. The idea was to plan a setlist of jazz standards ahead of time, while also allowing for organic, real-time improvisation and in-the-moment decision making – after all, some of jazz history’s best performances have been spontaneous, single takes! And with his 2020 JUNO-nominated quintet on hand, the sessions were sure to include more than a few magical moments.

This recording project speaks to the concept of legacy. It captures the organic nature of live jazz, where each performance is unique from one night to the next. This is a live on the bandstand recording that couldn’t be replicated in a studio. There is no option for overdubs or retakes here. It’s a pure representation of the musicianship that Al and his bandmates have brought to the Canadian cultural landscape for so many years. What you are hearing on this recording is the result of two evenings from that 2018 tour at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta and at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Al Muirhead: bass trumpet & trumpet

Kelly Jefferson: tenor saxophone

Reg Schwager: guitar (2-4, 9)

Jim Head: guitar (1, 5-8)

Neil Swainson: bass

Jesse Cahill: drums (2-4, 9)

Ted Warren: drums (1, 5-8)

1. Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:10

2. Joy Spring (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:34

3. Intermission Song (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 00:26

4. A Tune For Cal (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:38

5. Mona Lisa (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:05

6. Emily (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:19

7. Four Brothers (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:48

8. Tenor Madness (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:21

Al Muirhead - Undertones (CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS September 28, 2018)

2016 JUNO-nominated trumpeter Al Muirhead is excited to present his most intriguing project to date; Undertones. Recorded in mid February 2018, the album features Muirhead on the rare bass trumpet with his new Canadian Quintet. 

The album highlights musicians he has admired over the years, including Canadian jazz heavyweights Kelly Jefferson (sax), Reg Schwager (guitar), Neil Swainson (bass) and Ted Warren (drums).

With a 70-year career in music, Muirhead is a true expert at what he does – and every time he steps on stage or into the studio, something special comes out of his horn. He is one of the few masters in the world on the rare bass trumpet, and Undertones showcases its mellow and deep tones. 

The album is a collection of standards that he and his quintet selected in studio, along with two tribute pieces composed by Muirhead. “A Tune For Cal” is a post-bop celebration for his late and eldest brother, a magnificent musician and one of Canada’s finest copyists. “Take It To The Bank Tom” pays homage to his life-long friend and collaborator, Tommy Banks, who passed away weeks before this recording.

Al Muirhead has long been an iconic figure on the Canadian jazz scene. And the trumpeter, composer, arranger, sideman and recording artist has been making listeners take notice for longer than jazz fans might realize. Born in Regina in 1935, he was playing in the Regina Symphony and dance bands by age 12. Muirhead began to take notice of greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. While Muirhead’s playing is infused with the indelible influence of the jazz giants, his flowing, melodic sound is his own — and has become influential in its own right. He unleashes melodies that are incredibly inventive and utterly timeless.

Muirhead has worked with legends such as Diana Krall, Paul Anka, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Mills and Dizzy Gillespie. In recent years, Al has been honoured with the American Federation of Musician’s Citation Award and the Western Canadian Music Alliance’s Heritage Award for his mentorship and industry-building. He’s also earned a 2016 JUNO Award nomination, the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival’s Special Recognition Award, a two YYC Music Awards, and has charted #1 in Canada and #3 in the US.

Undertones will be released worldwide on Friday, September 28th, 2018 on Chronograph Records.

Joani Taylor - In A Sentimental Mood (CELLAR LIVE 2018)

Vocallist Joani Taylor returns with a wonderfully melancholy set of songs.

After a series of serious life setbacks, Joani Taylor really didn't think nor was in the frame of mind to think about singing any of the beloved standard songs that were rooted deeply in her long music career. The prodding of Canadian legend, alto saxophonist PJ Perry paid off and the resulting album is a as honest a statement from a vocalist as you'll ever hear.

Features an all-star Canadian band including PJ Perry, Neil Swainson and Miles Black.

A beautiful collection of some Great American Songbook songs.

Some of the most honest, heartfelt jazz singing on record in many years.

Joani Taylor - Voice

PJ Perry - Alto & Tenor Saxophones

Miles Black - Piano

Neil Swainson - Bass

Executive Producer: Cory Weeds 

Produced by Cory Weeds 

Recorded at Warehouse Studios, Vancouver, BC, November 15, 2017 

Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Sheldon Zharko 

Photography by Ashley Gesner 

Design and layout by Perry Chua

1. This Can't Be Love 06:27

2. In A Sentimental Mood 04:57

3. Embraceable You 04:19

4. Alfie 05:24

5. Undecided 03:46

6. Sentimental Journey 03:14

7. Lover Man 07:01

8. Love Walked In 05:23

9. A Ghost Of A Chance / I Can't Get Started 03:57

10. More Than You Know 06:43

11. Be My Love 06:41

12. I Just Had To Hear Your Voice 05:19