Chet Doxas

 

Chet Doxas is accomplished both as a saxophonist as well a composer and arranger. Born in 1980 and raised in Montreal, Canada, Chet grew up in a fertile musical environment. Beginning with piano and drums, he then moved to clarinet, tenor, and alto saxophone when he attended Lindsay Place High School. His Father, George Doxas, is the director of the music program and has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance to both Chet and his brother Jim.

Since his first professional gig at age thirteen, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, received the Rico Golden Reed Award at Music Fest Canada in Toronto and was honored as Jazz Report Magazine's "Best Secondary Jazz Musician in Canada." During his undergraduate studies at Mcgill University, his songwriting also gained further recognition when he was selected as a finalist for the BMI International John Lennon Songwriters award. It was also during that time that he received a scholarship to attend the Banff International Jazz Workshop.

Chet’s work can be heard on over 80 CD’s with various North American talents.

He has also recorded and composed for numerous film soundtracks in Canada, the USA, and France. Most notably, Chet’s playing was featured on the Academy and Grammy Award nominated soundtrack of “Les Triplettes de Belleville”, composed by Ben Charest. He has performed and recorded alongside many great jazz artists such as Dave Douglas, Jason Moran, Ingrid Jensen, Donny McCaslin, Ben Monder, Dave Binney, and Oliver Jones. Currently, Chet shares his time between New York City and Montreal where he can be heard leading his own groups or participating as a sideman. His debut recording, Sidewalk Etiquette (JTR 8516-2), features John Roney (piano/fender rhodes), Zack Lober (bass), and Jim Doxas (drums). This quartet, which performs his original compositions, has also recorded for CBC’s Jazzbeat numerous times and has played at several jazz festivals across the country.

Chet also co-leads a trio, Byproduct, with fellow quartet members, Zack Lober and Jim Doxas. This group is dedicated to performing the original works of each member and features a blend of jazz, rock and electronic music. Chet is also a member of the Montreal Jazz Saxophone Quartet, a group that he co-leads with saxophonists, Remi Bolduc, Erik Hove and Joel Miller.

Dave Turner

Dave Turner | Elephant Records (2006)
By John Kelman

It’s been over two years since Montreal-based saxophonist Dave Turner debuted his new quartet, which finds the longtime altoist making an exclusive switch to the baritone instrument. With trombonist Dave Grott sharing the front line, the quartet may have looked bottom-heavy on paper—but it's proven to be a soulful and rich-sounding unit, aided by the young up-and-comer Vanessa Rodrigues on Hammond B3 organ.

After the 2004 festival season, which included
a terrific performance at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Turner expanded the group to a quintet with the addition of guitarist Kenny Bibace and hit the studio to record Earth Tones. This album has been long in coming, but it's been worth the wait.

Turner’s an old-school player, so while the disc emphasizes original material (Turner wrote five of the seven tunes), its vibe is akin to an updated Blue Note soul/jazz session from the 1960s. Instead of dwelling on complex composition, the group focuses on grooving tunes that give everyone plenty of solo space, ranging from the ambling swing of “Skip” to the more energetic “Fortitude and Self-Denial,” the shuffling “The Lady with the Silver Horn,” and the gentle yet evocative ballad “Commissioner Symonds.” There’s a strong emphasis on the blues here. Rodrigues updates Shirley Scott and Jimmy Smith territory; Bibace works in the vicinity of Grant Green, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. So there’s no shortage of heartfelt playing.

Precious few artists make the baritone their main axe, but Turner’s deep tone and deft solo construction make that more the pity. And while Turner and Grott spend a lot of time exploring the lower registers, most notably on the visceral intro to Edward Redding’s swinging “The End of a Love Affair,” they’re nicely balanced by Rodrigues and Bibace. Rodrigues—whose own self-released Soul Project (2005) was more overtly contemporary, though founded in the same origins—is slightly more restrained on record than in performance, but she understands the B3’s textural capabilities and knows how to work hand-in-hand with Bibace as accompanists who never tread on each others’ toes. Both she and Bibace are players to watch on the Canadian scene.

Unassuming, unconsidered and refreshingly honest, Earth Tones is an album of mainstream soul/jazz that’s sure to appeal to anyone who likes their jazz easygoing but substantive.

Track listing: Skip; Fortitude and Self-Denial; The Feeling of Jazz; THe Lady with the Silver Horn; For Stan Patrick; Commissioner Symonds; The End of a Love Affair.

Earth Tones Label: Elephant Records
Catalog#: ER 0506 Format: CD
Country: Canada Released: 2006
Genre: Jazz Style: Credits: Composed By - Dave Turner (2) (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6)
Drums - Jim Hillman Guitar - Kenny Bibace Organ [Hammond B3] - Vanessa Rodrigues Saxophone [Baritone]
- Dave Turner (2) Trombone - Dave Grott Notes: Rating:

Tracklisting:

1 Skip (7:27) 2 Fortitude and Self-Denial (5:33) 3 The Feeling of Jazz (8:49) Composed By - Duke Ellington
4 The Lady with the Silver Horn (6:54) 5 For Stan Patrick (7:29) 6 Commissioner Symonds (8:18)
7 The End of a Love Affair (8:13) Composed By - E.C. Redding

1 Skip (sample)2 Fortitude and Self-Denial (sample)

 

Dave Turner
Earth Tones
12.00 + S&H (4.95)

 

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