Some legacies from the days when music was a bigger part of how I spent my time

Datsun 5

In my last 2 years of undergraduate study I was lucky enough to play in a group with some other talented mathematicians and engineers. This recording was done during final exams in July, 2001. I'm sure I should have been studying, but at this point I'm grateful for all space in my head not given up to engineering.

On this recording is Brian Orr (p), Andrew Taylor (b), Marty Cote (d), and myself (tpt).

This has so far sadly been my musical peak. Soon after this I moved to Japan and never really found a group I fit well with. Then I started my PhD and have been behind in everything since. Tegan has recently started up on the trumpet though, and that has got me putting more into it. I might just have some trumpet duets to show off.

All Blues - (Miles Davis)
Don't Explain - (Billie Holiday/Arthur Herzog Jr.)
Oleo - (Sonny Rollins)
'Round Midnight - (Thelonius Monk)

Jazz Republic

Jazz Republic started for me in Grade 12, and we owe everything to the late Bob Sharkey who gave us time and space to practice after school until we got ourselves together enough to start practicing at Eddie's house.

For most of us this was our first time to feel like grown-ups. Sam and Rory are the two smartest guys I have ever met and they held the band together musically. The rest of us were just for cool appeal. This recording was made in summer, 1997, just before I left for university. I'm only including a few of the tracks, because at that time I had just discovered ornamentation, and used it as a main course in some of the tunes, rather than the spice that it should be.

On this recording are Rory Lucyshyn-Wright (ts), Sam Myer (p), Eddie Moss (d), Philip Liew (g), Andrew Neugebauer (b), and myself (tpt).

Have a listen to Five Style, an original song by Sam. Sam is one of those freakishly smart people who listen to a song once and then play it out right away on their instrument. Sam had this song by the band Five Style in his head, and it sat too long and fermented, and came out as this totally cool original song that we featured on this album.

Oleo - (Sonny Rollins)
Five Style - (Sam Myer)
Blue Bossa - (Kenny Dorham)
St. Thomas - (Sonny Rollins)
Autumn Leaves - (Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer)