Three-time jazz pianist of the year Dave Restivo, drummer Mark Grant-Adam (formerly Mark Adam) and bassist Tom Easley form an East Coast trio presenting original compositions and performances on the cutting edge of contemporary jazz.

7 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Traditional Jazz Combo, JAZZ: Weird Jazz



Details:
ERA

Three of Canadaâs finest creative musicians come together to explore and perform music that culminates from the shared experience of their very diverse and acclaimed careers. Three-time jazz pianist of the year Dave Restivo, drummer Mark Grant-Adam (formerly Mark Adam) and bassist Tom Easley form an East Coast trio presenting original compositions and performances on the cutting edge of contemporary jazz. Already featured on CBCâs Jazzbeat, ERA is releasing their first cd this Fall, a 2005 live performance at Acadia Universityâs Denton Auditorium. Thoughtful, engaging, provocative and unexpected are a few of the words that might begin to describe the music of Dave Restivo and ERA. What is ERA? Well, it is Easley, Restivo and Adam, it is the Easily Restive Atom and heck, it is even the Equal Rights Amendment. Whatever it is, itâs guaranteed to please and it is a jazz group Canada can be very proud of.

David Restivo is one of Canadaâs most respected and influential jazz artists. A critically acclaimed pianist and composer, he is well known for his decade-long tenure with Rob McConnellâs Boss Brass and Tentet, as well as his work with saxophonist Mike Murleyâs quintet and legendary songwriter Marc Jordan. He has also performed and recorded with such musical luminaries as Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Charles McPherson, Marcus Belgrave, Moe Koffman, Mark Whitfield, Alex Acuña, John Abercrombie, Maynard Fergusson, Mel Tormé, Gene Bertoncini, Jerry Bergonzi, Ingrid and Christine Jensen, Joe LaBarbera, Pat LaBarbera, Don Thompson, Tim Hagans, Joey Baron, and Curtis Fuller. As both leader and sideman he has graced stages at every major festival and venue in Canada, with performances also in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and South America. Honoured in 1997, 2002, and again in 2004 at Canadaâs National Jazz Awards as Pianist of the Year, David was voted Torontoâs Best Keyboardist in NOW Magazineâs âBest of T.O.â readerâs poll in 1998 and received a Juno Award for his work on the 2001 recording The Rob McConnell Tentet (JustinTime). He currently serves on the music faculty at Torontoâs Humber College and the University of Toronto, and has previously taught at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta and St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. He is listed in the 2004 edition of Whoâs Who in Canada.

Bassist, composer, and educator Tom Easley has earned a reputation as one of Eastern Canada's finest jazz bassists. Tom co-leads the 2005 East Coast Music Award winning group, Hot Toddy. With Hot Toddy he has co-produced and released seven CDs while performing at major jazz and blues festivals all across Canada, Europe and the United States. The group also presents educational workshops to schools throughout the Maritimes, which focus on performance, professionalism and composition. Tom has twice been nominated for Bass Player of the Year by Torontoâs Maple Blues Society. He has toured throughout Europe, Asia and South America with many diverse musical projects that range from musical theatre to jazz quartets and has performed, produced and recorded on many projects in all genres including several East Coast Music Award nominated releases. During the 1990âs Tom co-lead and produced two CDâs of original jazz for the maritime group Out of Order.
Tom began playing bass at the age of nine and formed his first band later that year. He studied with various teachers and eventually went on to graduate from St. Francis Xavier University with a B.A., Honours in Jazz Performance. Currently, he is Halifax based, and a new Dad.


Drummer/percussionist Mark Adam has made a versatile career across Canada and around the world as one of Canadaâs strong, creative musical voices and has leant his support to a diverse array of the best musicians this country has to offer. Mr. Adam has played with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, been an ensemble member and guest soloist in the New Works Calgary Ensemble, principal percussionist of the Banff Center for the Arts Orchestra under Krysztof Penderecki and a frequent performer on CBC. His jazz credits include work with Mike Murley, Hugh Fraser and Andrew Downing as well as tours with The Dave Restivo Quintet, Carol Welsman and Tom Daniels. He currently works with his own live The Barriomatic Trust and does studio and live work with a wide range of Atlantic artists from Classical to Jazz to Rock/Pop, Folk and Country. Mark teaches at Acadia University and is one of the East Coast's most in demand percussion/music educators having been a guest artist of many universities, school boards and music festivals. Based in Canning, Nova Scotia, Mark shares his life with his best friend and wife Trina, their son Oliver and daughter, Avi Mae.


Dave has been called ââ¦eloquentâ¦â (Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star), ââ¦luminously crispâ¦â (Rex Reed, New York Observer), â[a] good messeng[er] of the bluesâ¦â (John McDonough, DOWNBEAT), "...one of the most exceptional jazz pianists of his generation that Canada has produced" (Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal), and ââ¦one of the most burning piano players- period!â (Kenny Werner, jazz great).