In Your Own Backyard ONLINE EDITION: Ashley St. Pierre Trio
đź“… DATE: Saturday, September 25, 2021
🕑 TIME: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
🏟️ VENUE: Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube
đź’µ PRICE: FREE (Donations accepted)
To donate and help support the festival:
Donations to the TD Niagara Jazz Festival (Registered Charity: #80107-7033-RR0001) help us continue to bring live music to Niagara and beyond. Thank you for supporting the arts!
ABOUT THE SHOW
Join us for part two of the the In Your Own Backyard Series: Online Edition with the Ashley St. Pierre Trio, featuring Ashley St. Pierre on vocals, Adrean Farrugia on piano, and Rob McBride on bass!
This is a FREE livestreamed event that will be available on our Facebook and YouTube pages (@jazzniagara). Donations however are accepted, with the proceeds supporting our nonprofit organization’s efforts to continue bringing music to Niagara and beyond! For more information, visit our website at www.niagarajazzfestival.com/donations
This performance is supported by TD Bank, JAZZAMCO, DJB, Winemaker’s Vintage, LandPro, Michael Sommer, The Loverly Co., Desjardins, Niagara College Canada, Anchor Pointe, and Stamford Estates.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
ASHLEY ST. PIERRE
After studying at OCAD for a year, Ashley St. Pierre decided to pursue jazz voice and composition at Mohawk College where she completed the Applied Music diploma program. During her 2nd and 3rd years she received full scholarship awards for top marks. She graduated from the 3 year program in 2005 with honours. Some of her teachers at the college included Mike Malone, Dave McMurdo, Nick Deutch, and Jason Logue. Ashley studied voice privately under Bob Hamper and Carol McCartney, and she studied big band composition privately under Rob McConnell.
Ashley released her debut album Star Spinning in 2007 to rave reviews. It features 5 originals by Ashley as well as some unique arrangements of standards. Some of the highlights include the upbeat energetic title track “Star Spinning” with solos by Mike Murley, Mike Malone and Adrean Farrugia, a Dave Holland inspired arrangement of “Nature Boy”, the beautiful original “You’re Not Here”, and a haunting rendition of Michel Legrand’s “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?”. Star Spinning won “Best Jazz Album” at the Ontario Independent Music Awards in 2008.
She has been called “a truly classy performer with a classic voice”, and is said to have a “contagious enthusiasm” with a “talent just itching to break loose and take the world by storm.” Her original music and singing has been played on 91.1 JAZZ FM radio in Toronto and WHUS 91.7 in Connecticut.
ADREAN FARRUGIA
Adrean Farrugia began playing piano at the age of 12. By age 16 he decided that he would dedicate his life to music. Since then he has become recognized as one of Canada’s finest pianists and composers, having shared the music he loves globally with audiences across Canada, the United States, London UK, Paris, Tokyo, TelAviv, Australia, Poland and The Netherlands with artists such as Ernie Watts, Sheila Jordan, Brad Goode, Joel Frahm, Ernesto Cervini, Matt Dusk and The Worst Pop Band Ever.
Adrean serves on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College and has conducted masterclasses and workshops for students at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Sydney Conservatorium, the Polish Jazz Society Summer Workshop, and the University of Toronto. Adrean has played on more than 40 albums to date garnering 4 Juno award nominations, 1 Juno award and 1 Grammy shortlist recognition.
ROB MCBRIDE
Rob McBride is a highly in-demand bassist and bandleader who has been performing in the Toronto jazz scene for the last 25 years, playing at many of the city’s top jazz venues. While specializing in jazz, Rob is also influenced by solo classical and improvised bass music and has incorporated creative aspects of these elements into his sound through his five-string acoustic bass. Headliner performances includes the TD Niagara Jazz Festival (2014) and the Brampton World of Jazz Festival (2017). Rob has played with some of Canada’s finest musicians, including Pat LaBarbera, Don Thompson, Ted Warren, Sarah Jerrom, and Adrean Farrugia. He has played with the pit orchestra for the Shaw Festival and the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Rob has played on many critically-acclaimed albums including recordings by Sarah Jerrom, Beverly Taft, Jeff King, and Barbara Mantini.