Butchart Gardens Summer Festival presents: Marc Atkinson Trio with Cameron Wilson

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Monday, August 24th, 2015
7:30 PM

The Butchart Gardens' summer festival presents the Marc Atkinson Trio with Cameron Wilson, performing internationally acclaimed hot acoustic jazz.

This open-air concert takes place on the Concert Lawn stage. Come sit on a bench, or bring a blanket and sit on the lawn.

The summer entertainment program is part of your general admission ticket.

Marc Atkinson is one of Canada's finest JUNO-nominated, Western Canadian award-winning musicians. He is the leader and composer of the internationally renowned Marc Atkinson Trio (and co-founder, composer and performer in the acclaimed, The Bills). The music of this virtuosic group is melodically captivating, sensually charged and ferociously, technically awe-inspiring. Embracing a lifetime of musical influences, Marc and the Trio have just released their fourth CD, The Marc Atkinson Trio IV, praised as the finest yet. The compositions on this CD are punchy, driving and rhythmically inventive. The Trio, formed in 2000, has toured North America, England and Europe and has received standing ovations everywhere they perform from the Montreal Jazz Festival to the Vancouver International Folk Festival to DjangoFest Northwest.

The many original Marc Atkinson compositions are jewels in Canadian guitar repertoire. The first three CDs are still garnering international attention for its stunning compositions and extraordinary guitar dexterity The Marc Atkinson Trio II was voted one of the top five albums in North America by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. The Marc Atkinson Trio III was nominated in 2006 for an Outstanding Album Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

The Marc Atkinson Trio IV pushes the boundaries of this instrumental group even further than the first 2 CDs. It is a technically demanding, melodic and rhythmically pulsing 50 minutes of music. The new CD includes 11 Marc Atkinson original compositions and one impressive rearrangements of Russian Rag. The compositions glide seamlessly from unusual beauty, to raucous rhythm. If you are a lover of the guitar, instrumental music or just music, you will love this new recording.

Marc Atkinson, a multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger/producer, is one of Canada’s most talented musicians. His catchy compositions, found on the self-titled CDs I, II, III and now IV take guitar beyond the usual repertoire and sound. The tunes have a fiery but elegant guitar style, infused with a catchy blend of influences. All this while still maintaining the laidback humour and casual ‘good time feel’ of Canada’s West Coast. Atkinson’s picking has been described as flawless, surprise-filled, sizzling and supremely melodic. His music is original, complex and challenging in its conception and delivery but remains accessible and absorbing. The music of the Marc Atkinson Trio good-naturedly welcomes all listeners aboard for an intriguing, exhilarating and unforgettable ride.

Cameron Wilson is currently a violinist in the National Broadcast Orchestra, Van Django, Joe Trio, The Hard Rubber Orchestra and Mariachi del Sol. He is also a composer/arranger whose works have been performed by numerous symphony orchestras and ensembles and soloists across Canada and the U.S. He has collaborated with CBC author and storyteller Stuart Mclean and the CBC Radio Orchestra on "History of Canada" and "I Remember Wayne". In 2007 he composed the music for the NFB film "Citizen Sam". The music was nominated for a 2007 Leo Award for best music in a documentary film. In 2009 he composed and premiered a violin concerto with the Hard Rubber Orchestra. Most recently he composed the music for the short film "Sikat", one of six films featured in Vancouver's Crazy 8's short film festival in March 2010.