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I came to the jazz flute tradition in a roundabout way. During the early 1980's, I fell in love with the jazz idiom upon hearing hear top American jazz talent at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa while studying at Carleton University in the early 1980's. It was during this time that I met and got to know the likes of Woody Shaw, Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan, Zoot Sims and many other great musicians who held court 6 nights a week at the Cock and Lion room at the Chateau Laurier in downtown Ottawa. After hearing so much of this great music played, I resolved that one day I too would make this music that would help others forget about the world's woes, even if just for a few hours at a time.. In 1985 I began to take the first steps by acquiring my first flute. I did this in a manner that can only be described as a religious devotion to becoming the best jazz flute player I could be! This process would take 9 years of daily practice before I did first professional performance job. In 1994, I founded my first professional jazz combo
"Jack Kerouac's Dream"(1994-1996) at roughly the same time I
joined the American Federation of Musicians Local 279 in London Ontario.
This particular group was unofficially led by the late Dennis Brown a.k.a.
Denis Lebrun or Dionysius Lebrun, a self taught jazz drummer who rose
through the ranks of the Montreal Jazz scene in the late 1940's and early
1950's. Following the dissolution of "Jack Kerouac's Dream",
I began performing under my own name. BIG BREAK BANFF BECKONS In early 1997, I got my first "big break"
by virtue of gaining acceptance to the Banff Centre for the Arts Jazz
Orchestra Workshop. This 3 week event, held in May 1997, was then led
by the great Canadian jazz composer/pianist/trombonist Hugh Fraser. During
this time, I studied with Master Drummer Abraham Adzeniah from Ghana and
was a part of Big Band 1 which included Canadian jazz icons Kenny Wheeler
and Don Thompson. Following this mind altering experience, I received
an invitation from Hugh Fraser to participate in the Feb 1998 edition
of the Vancouver and Victoria Jazz Orchestra Workshops with special guest
Slide Hampton. I took up this invitation and returned to BC to play in
the 1999 and 2000 editions of this Jazz Orchestra Workshop to further
forge a niche for the flute in a big band setting. This tradition of playing
flute in a big band context continued in 2001 and 2002 when I returned
to Banff as a participant in the one-week Jazz Orchestra Program with
Hugh Fraser and Special Guest Composer Maria Schneider. Jeremy returned
as a member of the 2004 Banff Jazz Orchestra with special guest Kenny
Wheeler. This orchestra was broadcast on CBC Radio Two "After Hours"
on May 26, 2004. JAZZ FLUTE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY....JEREMY GETS
A JOB....AND FINALLY...A WEBSITE!!! A jazz flutist has always been something of a rarity and an anomaly. Making a living at this craft is even more of an anomaly. In the belief that I could beat the odds stacked against me, it took years of resistance before I was 'drafted' into the job of Secretary Treasurer of the London Musicians Association (American Federation of Musicians) in 1998. After almost 6 years as an officer of this organization serving fellow professional musicians and members of the public, I am taking the set of skills and knowledge base to begin a new chapter in the music industry. I am currently a member of the Vancouver Musicians' Association. If its live music you require for your next function, please do not hesitate to let my experience work for you. August 2005 Update It has been a little over a year since I offered website visitors anything by way of an update of my activities. I've been in Vancouver for just over a year now and slowly beginning to find my way about the musician community here. Since my last update, I've performed regularly in the city with a number of different groups. Most recently, I attended the Victoria Conservatory Jazz Workshop where I had the honour to meet, learn from and perform with jazz flute icon Paul Horn. This was a life-changing and career inspiring event as Paul offered me many insights into the art of flute playing that I will carry for the rest of my playing career.
Hendrik informs me that he has not performed in Canada in many years and I am honoured and humbled that we will have this rare occasion to be performing his music on Canadian soil. We will also be performing in Edmonton at the Yardbird Suite on Thursday October 20, 2005. Hendrik lived in Brazil for some time and this band will be performing a blend of Jazz and Samba Jazz originals and Standards for our listeners. Other than the above performance, for details of my upcoming gigs in and around Vancouver, please email me directly. Aside from performing, I have been presenting concerts in London Ontario (ground zero of my musical life) featuring some of Canada's finest Jazz artists since late 2002. At this time, I try and present one spring and one fall concert a year, partially as an excuse to visit my friends there, but partially to give back something to a City where I developed into a professional musician. In March 2005, I presented bassist David Young's "Mainly Mingus" Quintet to a very appreciative crowd at the McManus Theatre. Following up on this concert, I am presenting Michelle Gregoire and her Quintet as part of supporting her recent "Reaching" CD release (Kevin Turcotte, Kirk McDonald, Jim Viaian and Ted Warren) on Saturday October 1, 2005 at The Aeolian Hall.Looking ahead, to early 2006, I will, with the generous assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, be presenting The Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation under the direction of Hugh Fraser. I hope this update serves to satisfy the curiosity
of visitors and is in keeping with some advice Paul Horn recently gave
me. Thanks for dropping by here!
June 2006 Update Not long ago, I returned from the Banff Centre for the Arts Jazz Orchestra Workshop led by the great pianist/trombonist/composer Mr. Hugh Fraser. This year, our special guest was 5 time Grammy award winner Mr. Chucho Valdes from Havana Cuba. Chucho spent the last three days of the program with the Orchestra and I can truly say that my entire molecular structure has been permanently altered as a result of his influence. This year, we actually had a flute section (Melissa Hubert and I) so I spent a good deal of the final concert performing on my bundy piccolo that, for the money, kicks some serious butt in the tone department! As usual, following the incredible high of this experience, withdrawl sinks in and the only cure to that is MORE GIGS! Although I am not known as an agressive self-promoter, I booked my first metro Toronto engagement for Sept 27, 2006 with the generous support of trumpet/flugelhorn virtuoso/icon Nick "The Brownman" Ali who has emerged as Canada's international trumpet star after many years of hard work and complete dedication to his craft. Brownman will be joining me on this gig along with international harmonica/vibes sensation Hendrik Meurkens who will be making his Toronto debut. The band will be playing high energy Brazilian music drawing upon Hendrik's time in Brazil studying with Mauricio Einhorn and Brownman's studies in New York with the great Claudio Roditi who has, incidentally, recorded with Hendrik. Rounding out the rhythm section of the group is first call bassist Paco Luviano (who is a member of Brownman's Cruzao unit) and two friends who have also lived and studied in Brazil..the great Richard Brisco on drums and the equally great Platinum recording pianist Attila Fias. The band is also looking to book Sept 28, 29 and 30 in and around Toronto with Montreal and Ottawa two possibilities.. Oh the pleasures of selling sambajazz in Canada!!! It gets a lot easier when you have a great band to work with! Other than the above, I'm still chipping away here
in Vancouver, city of
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