The October Trio
“some of the freshest, vital contemporary jazz on the Canadian scene today.”
- Ken Pickering, Vancouver International Jazz Festival
the October Trio
In the summer of 2006 The October Trio served notice that it’s a band ready to make an imprint on the Canadian jazz scene when it snagged the CBC Galaxie Rising Stars Award for best new artist at the 2006 TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Described by the Vancouver Province as “classic and fresh”, their acoustic jazz explores the boundaries of the saxophone-led trio tradition while creating a sound all their own.
Formed in late 2004 while attending Vancouver’s Capilano College Jazz Studies program, the chemistry between Evan Arntzen on saxophones, bassist Josh Cole, and drummer Dan Gaucher was hard to miss. Opportunity then presented itself when the trio was offered a regular gig at the east Vancouver creative music hub once known as rime. During that time the band recorded their first album live at rime using a mini disk player and two microphones. Their critically acclaimed sophomore album Day In (Cellar Live) followed in July 2006. Co-produced by Brad Turner, the album highlights a broad musical spectrum from the most intimate, subtle renderings to blistering grooves. Riding on the success of Day In, which was nominated for a 2007 Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Recording, The October Trio went on to perform at the 2007 editions of the Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton International Jazz Festivals. 2008 saw the band perform at the National Jazz Awards in Toronto and attend the Banff International Jazz and Creative Music Workshop.
Their newest album Looks like its going to Snow (Songlines/2009) takes the band into a new direction with the addition of two-time Juno Award-winner Brad Turner on trumpet.
Recordings:
Looks Like It’s Going to Snow (2009, Songlines)
Day In (2006, Cellar Live)
Live at rime (2005, independent)
“unmistakable chemistry and artistic purpose… Among the marvelous elements of Going to Snow is the way it easily and off-handedly incorporates funk and rock elements without becoming a collection that is dominated by a backbeat aesthetic.”
– Popmatters
“The October Trio is one of the reasons why jazz is in such good hands these days. They may be young, but they’re steeped in music. Their taste is omnivorous, from Coltrane and Coleman to punk, hip hop and bluegrass.”
– Paul Grant, CBC Radio Canada
“Looks Like Its Going To Snow has no shortage of strengths, from intriguing compositions to extraordinarily inventive players, but at its core it really is all about the ensemble.”
– JazzTimes
