Eric St. Laurent Trio Coming to Golden
Mar 6, Golden –
Guitar ace Eric St-Laurent is bringing his genre-bending trio to the Columbia Valley BC in March. This truly amazing group plays the compositions of guitarist Eric St-Laurent, improvising at each performance to create ever new, fresh and exciting interpretations and keeping their thousands of fans coming back for more.
The group will be playing in Golden at the Island Restaurant on March 6, 2012 at 7 pm and also have a gig in Invermere.
The trio’s unique sound is the happy result of the clever blending of their three distinct personalities and cultural backgrounds into a beautiful reflection of the truly Canadian experience -– that of cultural groups meeting and interacting, the free exchange of new ideas and the mish-mash of cultures for which we are celebrated. To accomplish this difficult feat, they incorporate jazz riffs set to the percussion of the djembe drum, traditional Turkish melodies set to disco, African songs combined with Chicago blues solos or Balkan folk songs with heavy metal bass. Sound impossible? Mark your calendar and come hear for yourself!
Eric St-Laurent, double bassist Jordan O’Connor and percussionist Michel DeQuevedo cut right through the conventional musical genres and beautifully blend Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz and blues. Lyrical melodies, infectious grooves and riffs, plenty of interaction and a good dose of humor round off the picture -– the result of which is a joyous, exciting experience for the listener.
Eric St-Laurent
Born and raised in Montreal, Eric studied improvisation in New York, then moved to Berlin where he toured with both the big and the small names of the German and Scandinavian music scenes for 10 years before returning to settle in Toronto.
His music has been featured on more than 50 recordings, and he has produced multiple albums, composed film and theatre scores and toured Canada and Europe extensively. He garnered the SOCAN award for “best original composition” at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Best Band Award at the Vienne (France) Jazz Festival, as well as being Canada’s representative at the International Guitar Summit in Nice (MIDEM). He has recorded and toured with such household names as Till Bronner, Dave Liebman, Dave Douglas, Slide Hampton, Luc de la Rocheliere and others.
Jordan O’Connor
Ottawa-born Jordan O’Connor is a feelance Jazz double bassist and a composer of new music influenced by the classical tradition. He says he is inspired by popular music, jazz, funk, and other genres.
“Film music has played a larger role in my music,” says Jordan, “but what is at core of my relationship to music, regardless of idiom, is the power of music to express without words a kind of psycho-expressionism. … As open-minded listeners we seek to give form to our emotions and enrich our experiences, freed from categories, enveloped by the infinite sound world.”
Michel DeQuevedo
Michel, who originally hails from Mexico City, started playing percussions at age 8, took several early music education courses and finally attended Mexico City’s Escuela Superior de Musica and Academia de Musica Fermatta (which is affiliated to Berklee College of Music). He has been recording and performing percussionist/drummer with several bands/artists including La Lupita (BMG), Molotov (Universal), Julieta Venegas (BMG), Pulpo (Sony Music) and has also participated in concerts and TV shows as a supporting musician for many pop singers.
Of the Eric St-Laurent Trio, Jaymz Bee of Jazz FM 91 says, “Eric St-Laurent and his trio have to be seen to be believed. One of the most unique, kick-ass bands in the country!”
Their 2011 release, Ruby, inspired Matthew Parsons of The Gateway, official student newspaper of the University of Alberta, to say, ‘ …anybody looking for a solid Canadian contribution to modern jazz would be well-advised to hear this album”.
The group will be playing in Golden at the Island Restaurant on March 6, 2012 at 7 pm and also have a gig in Invermere.
Hear their music at http://pinwheelmusic.com/artist/eric-st-laurent-trio/
