Allison Au Quartet - Wander Wonder (January 11, 2019)

"...engaging, carefully crafted jazz.”

- Glen Hall, Exclaim! Magazine

"Canada has found a new jazz ambassador!

- Lance Liddle, Bebop Spoken Here

Featured on the list “10 Rising Female Instrumentalists You Should

Know”

- Rusty Aceves, SF Jazz

Wander Wonder opens with ‘The Valley,’ a lush sonic amuse-bouche that features keyboardist Todd Pentney front and center on the Prophet Rev2 while the other band mates attentively weave in and out of the background. The following track, ‘Future Self,’ begins with a hypnotic vamp that eventually blossoms into Au’s angular melodic statements on the saxophone. ‘The Rest Is Up To You’ is an amalgamation of influences; a sort of Wayne Shorter-esque composition that also draws much inspiration from Brazilian pop music of the ‘70s. ‘Looking Up’ showcases some of Au’s strongest penmanship as a composer as it highlights the ensemble’s ability to transition seamlessly between rich contrasting sections.

The pensive ballad, ‘Morning,’ establishes an atmosphere of repose and calm as the instruments are slowly, yet thoughtfully layered in. The album continues with ‘The Lie That Saves Us All’, a contemporary swing tune of changing meter and harmonic textures. ‘Red Herring’ emerges as an exploration of asymmetric melodies and equally jagged counter parts deftly executed by the rhythm section. ‘Grounds’ serves as an eloquent interlude to the robust exposition ‘Force Majeure’ that showcases Ragnelli’s apt drumming sensibility in a concluding solo. ‘A Trick of the Moonlight’ is a fitting finale; a introspective ballad that draws inspiration from a novel by British author Zadie Smith.   

Juno-award winning Jazz Saxophonist, Composer and Arranger, Allison Au refuses to be defined. Born to a Chinese father and Jewish mother, and raised in the multicultural metropolis of Toronto, Allison found music as a young child. Exposed to a wide array of musical styles, she was captivated by the unhinged freedom of Jazz. Jazz became Allison’s lab for self-expression, exploration, and musical experimentation. Her work weaves a mosaic of influences into a seamless and soulful sound, a concoction steeped in the tradition of Jazz but skillfully laced with elements of Classical, Pop, R&B/hip hop, Latin, and world music. 

Au’s music transports you to a place where instrumentals ring bold and emotions run free. Melodies cascade and collide, highlighting Au’s gift for layering voices and rhythms. Her writing showcases the color and character of each instrument, while providing ample room for her band mates to push her compositions to new heights.  

Au earned her first Juno nomination for her debut album, “The Sky Was Pale Blue, then Grey” in 2013, and in 2016 seized the Juno for "Best Jazz Album of The Year: Group" for “Forest Grove.” 

Formed in 2009, the Allison Au Quartet has toured extensively in Canada and the US. The group was awarded the TD Jazz Fellowship Scholarship (2011), The Alfred and Phyllis Balm Scholarship (2012), and The Margareta and Benno Nigg Scholarship (2013) for three consecutive artist residencies at the Banff Centre.

Most recently the Allison Au Quartet has won the 2017 Montreal Jazz Festival TD Grand Prix de Jazz, received the 2017 Halifax Jazz Festival Sting Ray Rising Star Award, and was named a 2017 Finalist for Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Jazz Artist Award.

Allison Au will be releasing Wander Wonder on Friday, January 11th, 2019.

Allison Au Alto Saxophone

Todd Pentney Piano, Prophet Rev2

Jon Maharaj Bass, Electric Bass

Fabio Ragnelli Drums

Produced by Todd Pentney

Recorded August 6-7 2018 by David Hermiston at

Inception Sound Studios, Toronto

Mixed by David Hermiston

Maststered by João Carvalho

1. The Valley (2:09)

2. Future Self (6:19)

3. The Rest Is Up To You (6:26)

4. Looking Up (5:09)

5. Morning (5:42)

6. The Lie That Saves Us All (6:04)

7. Red Herring (5:07)

8. Grounds (3:02)

9. Force Majeure (8:00)

10. A Trick Of The Moonlight (5:24)

www.allisonau.com

Mark Godfrey - Prologue (September 28, 2018)

Prologue is the first release from Canadian bassist, Mark Godfrey. An EP consisting of four compositions and one solo piece, the album features fellow Toronto-based musicians Allison Au on alto saxophone, Chris Pruden on piano, and Nick Fraser on drums. This release is an introduction to Mark's work as a composer and bandleader. Venturing away from his role as co-leader and bassist in the contemporary jazz group, Pram Trio, Prologue encapsulates Mark's new direction as an artist. 

This EP is about transitions. Prologue delves into the experience of leaving what is familiar and returning to discover that something left behind was more important than you realized. 

Since 2016, this quartet has been performing live concerts exclusively in Toronto. Prologue was recorded within months of the ensemble's first few shows and gives listeners a raw look into their early development. The music on this EP was inspired by and pays homage to the African-American jazz tradition, rhythmic concepts from South America, and Western Classical melody and harmony. 

For nearly two years, the music of Prologue was shelved as Mark debated releasing it as an EP or as part of a full-length album. As the group performed more frequently in 2017, it became clear that there was a shift from the music documented during the 2016 session at Inception Sound Studios. Nevertheless, in January 2018, Mark decided that he would revisit the recordings and release them later that fall. With the help of engineer David Hermiston, Prologue was completed in August 2018. 

This album is acoustic-instrumental jazz. Dig in and enjoy where the compositions and improvisations take you.

Mark Godfrey - Double Bass and Compositions

Allison Au - Alto Saxophone

Chris Pruden - Piano

Nick Fraser - Drums

Recorded September 23rd, 2016 at Inception Sound Studios in Toronto, Canada.

Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by David Hermiston.

1. Prologue

2. Scott's Garden (Let Us Not Tarry)

3. La Lucha

4. Departure

5. Closing Remarks