Turboprop - Presented by the Georgia Straight Jazz Society

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Sunday, November 3rd, 2013
8:00 PM

Turboprop, featuring the best of the Toronto and New York jazz scenes.

Led by Toronto based drummer Ernesto Cervini, Turboprop is a hard-driving sextet featuring the stellar front line of Joel Frahm and Tara Davidson on saxophones with William Carn, trombone, supported by Adrean Farrugia on keys and Dan Loomis, bass.
Downbeat Magazine describes Cervini�s drumming as exemplifying, �float like a butterfly, sting like a bee�. He�s following in a long line of drummer led bands and Modern Drummer Magazine says, �Cervini recalls such old-schoolers as Art Blakey and Billy Higgins...his robust, magnetic personality fascinates consistently.� High praise indeed.

Turboprop takes its lead from Cervini�s amazing drum chops and a feel developed with the very experienced rhythm section of Farrugia and Loomis. They are solidly in the pocket, whether on a standard or a band mates composition. And, there are three horn players who know what to do with such a swinging rhythm section.

Widely considered among the top tenor sax players, Joel Frahm from New York has been playing and recording with the giants of jazz including Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Victor Lewis, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dewey Redman, Lee Konitz, Pat Martino, Matt Wilson, Larry Goldings, and Ben Allison. Smalls Jazz Club in New York City considers him one of the foremost saxophonists of his generation.

From Toronto on alto and soprano saxophones, Tara Davidson is acclaimed from the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, to the International Jazz Festival of Lima, Peru and the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. The European Broadcasting Union singled Davidson out in April 2008 to represent Canada as the lead alto/soprano saxophonist in the European Jazz Orchestra�s, European tour.

Rounding out the frontline is Toronto�s William Carn, one of this country�s leading contemporary jazz trombonists and composers. A Juno nominated artist for his 2007 release, Other Stories, he brings a wealth of experience performing with Rob McConnell, Randy Brecker, Carla Bley, Kenny Wheeler, Ingrid Jensen and Steve Swallow.
Carn and Davidson together lead a 9 piece chamber jazz orchestra in Toronto and released their first cd, Nine, just last year.

Keyboardist Adrean Farrugia is no stranger to the Georgia Straight Jazz Society audience having been here as part of the groundbreaking WPBE. A very tasty player, and one of Canada's most distinct voices on the piano he fuses many diverse musical influences into a personal sound that is dynamic, sensitive, hard-swinging, and a powerfully creative statement.

Holding down the bottom end is Dan Loomis, described by AllAboutJazz.com as �double-teaming you with style and substance�. His work as a sideman has seen him performing in New York's most prestigious venues including The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Birdland, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Yet to record as a unit, Turboprop has been working the material for a recording on this tour which began in Toronto at The Rex, through to the Cellar in Vancouver and then here, with a few stops in lesser jazz centres as well. The Courtenay date is at the end of the tour and Cervini feels the band will be really hitting its stride to deliver great music. The Georgia Straight Jazz Society promises this will be an evening of modern jazz, with exciting new music and new insights into familiar tunes by some of the very best players from New York City and Toronto.

Turboprop, will hit the Avalanche Bar and Grill stage at 8 p.m. on Sunday November 3rd for an evening of jazz that we won�t forget. Tickets are available at Thursday Night Jazz, at the Avalanche Bar, and Bop City Records in Courtenay, as well as Red Carpet in Comox. $12 for jazz society members and $16 for non-members.