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Robin Boers is a Canadian-based musician who has played in the
North American scene for over 40 years. He formed a super jazz trio
called the Robin Boers Trio. With Hilario Duran, Wayne Kelso, Rob Mcbride,and Al Henderson,
they have combined their different backgrounds and abilities to
create a unique style of music with powerful dynamics and limitless
energy.
The Trio has achieved notable recognition from Canada’s Jazz radio stations such as Jazz FM 91.1, CBC Radio 1, and COOL FM. And has charted #1 with songs like “Arrival” and “Bigfoot” on the University
radio stations like CIUT-FM, CKLN-FM, and CJSW-FM. The Trio has
played in many jazz festivals including the Montreal International
Jazz Festival, Southside Shuffle Blues & Jazz Festival, Lakefield Jazz Festival, and the Distillery Jazz Festival.
Robin has incredible versatility in all genres of music. He has
been Head Teacher at the reputable Ontario College of Percussion
for 23 years, teaching many Jazz drummers such as Howie Silverman
(Moe Koffman), Greg Critchley (Kim Mitchell), and Jeff Salem (Saints
& Sinners). This versatile and accomplished virtuoso played and recorded with the likes of
B.B. King, Paul Shaffer, Jimi Hendrix, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and
The Ugly Ducklings. He also played alongside with the Beach Boys and
the Rolling Stones. Other local Jazz favorites include Dick Felix,
Lenny Boyd, Norm Bernard (Woody Herman), and Cecil Frenette.
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Hilario, winner of the 2005 Juno Award for contemporary jazz album of the
year is one of the top few virtuoso jazz pianists from Cuba. He is one of
Cuba's premier exponents of Latin Jazz, renowned for his piano playing and
composing skills. Hilario has worked with some of the giants of jazz,
including Dizzy Gillespie, John Patitucci, Michael Brecker, Horacio
Hernandez and Arturo Sandoval. He has performed at many prestigious
festivals throughout the world such as Montreux, Paris, Nice and Chicago.
He has also worked extensively in some of the best clubs throughout Europe,
Canada and Latin America. According to jazz critic Robert Palmer, "Hilario
has a left hand like God."
Wayne has been nominated for the 2005 Dora Award for outstanding sound design/composition.
His musical education extends from Humber College to Berkeley College
and has worked with some notable artists such as Ted Moses, Jimmy Rankin,
Kim Stockwood, Cheryl Rae, Tony Springer (Wild T), Michael Burgess,
Juno Award Winner Bob De Angelis and 6 times Grammy Winner Jose Feliciano.
As an opening act, Wayne has toured for Jann Arden, Amanda Marshall,
Roche Vosine and Burton Cummings. Keyboard magazine claims,
“Kelso builds music of stunning clarity, textural richness,
and diversity. Marked by a meditative energy”.
Al Henderson is well known as both co-leader of the influential
group Time Warp and leader of his own quintet. Over the years he
has performed as a sideman for jazz artists such as Diana Krall,
Jane Bunnett, and Arnett Cobb. In the last few years, people have
started to take notice: he has been called “…one of
the best writers of jazz music in Canada,” by Ted O’Reilly
of The Jazz Scene and in 1995 was both the Jazz Report Composer
of the Year and winner of the prestigious SOCAN Award for original
Jazz Composition. As a jazz educator, Al Henderson teaches in the
Jazz Programme at York University since the early 1980’s.
Originally from St. Catharines, ON, Rob McBride has been a staple
on the Toronto jazz scene for over five years. He began his bass
playing career at the young age of sixteen, and continued his music
education at Humber College, where he studied with Don Thompson and
Pat LaBarbera. Rob currently works as a freelance musician in and
around the Greater Toronto Area.
The Robin Boers Trio radiates spirituality, fully demonstrating
that there is indeed hope for tomorrow. It stimulates the senses
and the imagination, evoking a feeling of well being. |