Podcast, Summer Performances, Recordings, New Website

I'm glad to be getting back to more playing (never enough!) after moving house and being sick for a while.
I haven't done a solo performance in a while, and I'm in better shape on the horn than ever before, so now is the time. I'll be happy to share the bill with Daniel Heikalo, who is making a return of sorts to the Montreal scene. I will also be playing a first-time duet with saxophonist Yves Charuest, who is on fire these days! I hope the flames spread quickly! I will also be doing a big night on June 30, during (but not officially part of) that uh, downtown music festival, you know the one? I'll be playing the music of Ornette Coleman with an acoustic quartet, and Pink Saliva will be playing with our friend Sam Shalabi, who will be visiting from his home in Cairo. And I'll be at the Suoni per il Popolo festival with Nicolas Caloia's Juno-nominated Ratchet Orchestra, peforming the music of Malcolm Goldstein.

There's lots more to come. I should be announcing the release of 4 recordings this summer, by Land of Marigold (Josh Zubot and me), a quartet with JackWright/Chris Dadge/Scott Munro, Mecha Fixes Clocks, and Pink Saliva.

I will be launching a proper website where you will be able to enjoy some video and audio recordings, and where I'll hopefully entice you to buy some of my recordings.

I was a guest along with guitarist Alex Pelchat on CHOQ FM's new Thursday morning program 'Les Sontanées'. We did some talking, and you can hear a 10-minute improvised duet around 25:20 of the podcast which you'll find here: http://www.choq.fm/spontanees.html.

And hopefully I'll be playing a looooot more, because that's where it all comes to life for me!

Original VanHornes (May 4) +EF'T (May 5)

I'll be playing a set with a band I'm calling Original VanHornes on Saturday May 4th at the Plant. This is 185 Van Horne, the original home of L'envers. It's 2-year birthday celebration of the Plant, and also a fundraiser for them. Well worth it! The band is myself and Philippe Battikha on trumpets (2 of the founders of L'envers) with Thierry Amar on bass. We hit at 9pm sharp. There is plenty more going on that night including a bbq on the tracks! https://www.facebook.com/events/551914348163747/?ref=ts&fref=ts for more information.

I'll be playing trio with Scott Thomson (trombone) and Lori Freedman (clarinets) on Sunday May 5. Happy to be sharing a bill with a quartet led by fellow trumpeter Paul Serralheiro.

More information at www.lenvers185.blogspot.com.

a performance coming soon...

Karoline Leblanc (piano)
Paulo J. Ferreira Lopes (batterie)
Ivan Bamford (batterie)
Ellwood Epps (trompette)
+
Géraldine Eguiluz (voix)
Stéphane Diamantakiou (contrebasse)

dimanche le 14 avril, 21h
$8
La Brique, 6545 DuRocher #402

www.lenvers185.blogspot.com

Radio, Concerts, Land of Marigold Tour...

Moving the music across the city, the airwaves, the 0's and 1's, and the country...

Sunday January 13th, 10pm:
My trio (with Aaron Lumley bass, and Ivan Bamford drums) performs with pianist/host Guillaume Martineau live on Montreal's CIBL radio, as part of the program 'La Schubertiade de temps modernes'. Tune in at 101.5 FM or at http://www.cibl1015.com.

Friday January 18th, 9pm:
The trio performs at L'envers' first show of the year, with Ninja Simone.
La Brique, 6545 Durocher #402, $8 suggeré.   facebook event

Saturday January 19th, 9pm:
Land of Marigold (Josh Zubot violin, EE trumpet) opens for Nicolas Caloia's Tilting, one of the best jazz bands working today if you ask me.
La Plante, 185 Van Horne, $8. facebook event

Tuesday January 22nd, 630-930pm
Calgary workshop with Land of Marigold
All welcome, bring your instruments!
Hot Wax Records basement (114 10th Street NW), free admission http://bugincision.com/events.html

Wednesday January 23rd, 8pm

Edmonton concert with Land of Marigold

More info soon...

Thursday January 24th, 830pm

Calgary concert with Land of Marigold + Eric Hamelin (drums) & Simon Fisk (bass)

National Music Centre: 134 11th Ave SE (formerly known as Cantos Music Foundation), $7
http://bugincision.com/events.html

Friday January 25th, 930pm

Vancouver concert with Land of Marigold + guests

1067 East, 1115b East Hastings at Glen Drive...door around the side on Glen Drive

Saturday January 26th, 

Vancouver concert with Land of Marigold

Part of the Destroy Vancouver series at VIVO 1965 Main Street

Also on the bill: Chris Cogburn, Anju Singh, and Botfly & Holzkopf Duo

Coast to Coast Canadian Tour!!!

I will be on the road for 2 weeks performing solos and ad-hoc groups across Canada with some amazing players. I'm really thrilled, as this is my biggest tour to date, and hopefully a harbinger of many journeys to come. I hope to see you somewhere out there! Thanks to some amazing arist-run venues across this big 'ol country for their hard hard work, and thanks too to the Canada Council for the Arts for funding this tour. 

14: Vancouver, BC (1067 East, 1115b East Hastings at Glen Drive...door around the side on Glen Drive, 9pm doors, 930 music, $5) Solo and with Paul Plimley-piano and guitar.

15: Calgary, AB (National Music Centre, 134 11th Ave SE, 830pm, $7) with Jack Wright-saxophone, Chris Dadge-drums, Scott Munro Bass)

16: Calgary, AB (Weeds Café, 1903 20th Ave NW, All ages, pwyc, 8pm) with Jack Wright, Aaron Leaney, Eric Hamelin, Whitney Ota, Jonathon Wilcke, Lyle Pisio.

18: Ottawa, ON (IMOO series, Umi Cafe, 610 Somerset St. W, 7pm) Solo and with the Ellwood Epps trio: Aaron Lumley-bass, Ivan Bamford-drums

19: Toronto, ON 2 shows!! 8pm (at Somewhere There, 227 Sterling Road Unit 112, 8pm, $10) Solo. and 930pm (at the new Array Space, 155 Walnut Ave, 930 pm, $5) with Mike Gannaro-drums, Ken Aldcroft--guitar.

20: Québec, QC (at Co-op L’agitée, 251 Rue Dorchester, 8pm, $10) Solo and with Luke Dawson-bass, Frederic Lebrasseur-drums, Marie-Christine Roy violin.

22: Rimouski, QC (at La Vide, 204 ave de la Cathédrale, 8:10pm) Solo.

24: Fredericton, NB (at Gallerie Connexion, 440 York St, $10 ($8 for members), 8pm) Solo and with Joel Leblanc-guitar, and Evan Shaw-alto saxophone)

25: Halifax, NS (at 13 13 Hollis, 8pm) Solo and with Adam Linson-bass, and Geordie Haley-guitar)

Up to the eyeballs in music.

(with William Parker and Orchestra, October 12 2012)

It's been a busy, crazy, inspiring, challenging time and if it doesnt kill me it'll make me stronger. 

L'envers, the venue i've worked (and lived)  at for more than 4 years has had some problems with police, and we'll be leaving 185 Van Horne. We're too busy to get weepy, as we're finding homes for ALL of the shows in our calendar at a variety of nice venues around Montréal. I need a little break, so we're not taking any new bookings at this time, but we'll be back at it in the new year like the phoenix we've always been.

I've also been plenty busy with the horn on my face, and just had a great time at L'OFF Festival de Jazz here in Montreal. I spent 3 days rehearsing with 14 musicians from Montreal, Kingston, and Québec City under the direction of William Parker. We did 2 concert length pieces, 'Fragrances of Compassion for Lawrence D. Butch Morris', and 'Treetops and quiet son', dedicated to the recently departed John Tchicai. My trio Pink Saliva also did 2 sets, and I`m delighted that we won the Prix François Marcaurelle, which means we'll be invited back to the festival and have about $2000 of resources towards making our next record.

I'm also up to beyond my eyeballs learning the music for a performance of Italian composer Fausto Romitelli's 'Professor Badtrip', which will be presented as part of the Codes d'accès series on November 1st. It's the first time I've had to play C trumpet (and harmonica!) and the hardest music I have ever seen on a printed page.

Add to that the long-awaited CD launch (on Haloween!) for the Ratchet Orchestra, an EE trio performance, a night of Monk, another trio, and planning my cost-to-cost tour, and I really should stop typing and go to bed.

Hope to see you out there and thanks for reading.

Trio plays Mardi Spaghetti October 2nd

October 2: Montreal (Mardi Spaghetti series at Le Cagibi, 5490 St-Laurent) 9pm $5

Ellwood Epps Trio 

(Aaron Lumley-bass, Ivan Bamford-drums, Ellwood Epps-trio)

We`ll be sharing the  bill with Yves Charuest (alto saxophone) and Mathieu Frenette (sopranino saxophone)!