Sizzling indie jazz piano and drum dueling duet.

13 MP3 Songs
AVANT GARDE: Sound Collage, AVANT GARDE: Modern Composition

Show all album songs: Mind Reader Songs


Details:
This CD has been seven years in the making. That is, the learning curve has been that long. Not that it's over yet.

Sweat had a lot to do with it, but also serendipity. serendipity - what a word - had something to do with it, too. Ever since good old Teddy, my dog, was 8 months, our walks have taken us past this house down the street from where I live. I jog past it countless times to catch the elusive bus at the end of the street. But I never really thought much about it until I found it was home to a fellow musician - Adam David. Who was to know that musically we would complement each other so well that it would lead to a musical partnership, called darragh & david unlimited, and that we would record our first CD? Serendipity. It's the only word for it.

For this CD, I wanted an "open concept" drumming style. What that really means is I wanted Adam to be able to read my mind!!! He came darned close. The objective was to produce instrumental music that is melodious, rhythmically stimulating and innovative, without being restrictive for either one of us.

Here's a bit about who we are:
Alan Darragh, a young composer and jazz pianist, has been studying and playing piano for more than 15 years. A natural improviser with an instinctive relaxed feel, he discovered that jazz was his métier. He began his studies with Dave Hildinger, âa brilliant arranger at home with both bebop and modern jazzâ as well as a pianist with a magical touch. A rigorous teacher, Mr. Hildinger left no jazz touchstone unturned.

After moving to Toronto in 2004, Alan continued his studies with Bernie Senesky, who helped develop his natural bent for jazz composition. To date Alan has more than 50 compositions, many with lyrics.

As part of his studies, Alan jammed and studied with saxaphonists Ian Babb and Peter Cancura (Ottawa), bassists Ken Kanwisher (Ottawa), Steve Wallace and Tyler Wagler (Toronto) and drummer Ted Warren (Toronto).

Adam's bio - "Adam has kept the beat with such greats as Ray Charles, Vince Gill, Tommy Newson, Michelle Wright, Charles Brown, Shirley Eikhard, Oliver Jones, Tommy Hunter, and Morgan Davis. He's also an accomplished actor, with regular parts on such hit TV series as "Degrassi High" -- if you think you recognize Adam from somewhere, it's probably from TV. And he's been the Toronto District School Board's percussion specialist since 1979.