JUNO Award Nominated ‘Down Home’ Tours Canada

Tour Dates

Oct 30, NAC Presents, Ottawa ON
Nov 1, The Jazz Room, Waterloo, ON
Nov 2, The Rex Hotel, Toronto, ON
Nov 6, Ironworks, Vancouver, BC
Nov 7, Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB
Nov 8, Jazz YYC Canadian Jazz Festival Calgary, ABhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqhEyFTDado#t=45http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ0Scc2P2G0#t=110

Down Home

“Down Home is three parts roots music, two parts jazz, one part blues, mixed on a country porch, and pardon the cliché, it cooks.”— All About Jazz
Known for bringing together roots music and jazz, Brooklyn-based group Down Home takes old time Mississippi blues and marinates it with New Orleans spices and a New York jazz vibe. The quintet is led by Czech-born, Ottawa-raised saxophonist and banjo player Petr Cancura (Danilo Perez, Julian Lage), a composer with a vast knowledge of jazz, Balkan, African and American folk traditions. The superlative cast that collaborate with Cancura are at the forefront of New York’s jazz scene: Kirk Knuffke cornet, Brian Drye trombone/piano, Garth Stevenson bass, Richie Barshay drums.
“From the nostalgic to the personal to the eternal, it’s the multiple layers of meaning on Down Home that make it special and ring with resonance. Much more than a musical travelogue, the disc suggests that home in fact is where Cancura’s heart is, and that we as listeners are very welcome to enjoy ourselves there.” — Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
“Mr. Cancura, a relative newcomer whose robust exertions on alto and tenor access jazz legacies from both sides of the atlantic” — Nate Chinen – New York Times

The Band

PETR CANCURA – SAXOPHONE
Born in Czech Republic, brought up Ottawa, calling Brooklyn home for the last decade, it is no surprise that Petr Cancura’s musical pallet is as wide as it is. A saxophonist with a vast knowledge of Jazz, Balkan, African and American folk traditions, Petr also performs on banjo and mandolin as well as on the medium format black & white camera… all of which influences each other into a Roots & Jazz music machine with a visual sensibility.

RICHIE BARSHAY – DRUMS
Percussionist Richie Barshay, noted for his work with the Herbie Hancock Quartet, has established himself as a prominent musical voice of his generation and is regarded as “a player to watch” by JazzTimes magazine.

BRIAN DRYE – TROMBONE, PIANO
Brooklyn-based trombonist and pianist Brian Drye has toured Japan, Europe and throughout the US. He’s played jazz with Clark Terry, John Hollenbeck, Andrew D’angelo, Ches Smith, Oscar Noriega and Mark Helias.

KIRK KNUFFKE – CORNET
One of New York City’s “Busiest Musicians” (NY Times) Cornetist Kirk Knuffke is a largely self-taught musician, who has studied improvisation with great jazz artists such as Ornette Coleman, Art Lande and Ron Miles. Kirk stays very busy as a member of the celebrated Matt Wilson Quartet, touring the US, performing and teaching.

GARTH STEVENSON – BASS
Garth Stevenson is a Brooklyn-based film composer and double bassist. In the past four years, Garth has released two full-length solo albums. Garth has performed with such Jazz notables as Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Hal Crook.