Grahame Rhodes launches fourth album
CD launch party for ‘Giant Steps’ set for Feb. 17 at the The Pourhouse
Grahame Rhodes is launching his fourth album, “Giant Steps”, with a CD launch party at The Pourhouse in Charlottetown on Sunday, Feb. 17.
Digitally released this past October, “Giant Steps” is Rhodes’ fourth album and features top Canadian jazz players Don Thompson on piano, Neil Swainson on acoustic bass and Terry Clarke on drums.
The new album has been produced by Dan Rowswell and Bruce Cassidy, trumpet player with “Blood Sweat & Tears”, with final tracking, mixing and mastering at The Sound Mill here in P.E.I. with award-winning engineer Jon Matthews.
Rhodes was nominated this year for a Music P.E.I. Award for jazz achievement of the year.
His first album, “Almost Live”, in 1988 was followed by “The Grahame Rhodes Jazz Experience” in 1995 and “Rhodes Less Travelled” in 2002.
In this new release Rhodes tries to extend the possibilities of jazz trombone.
“Any discipline must evolve or die, and such is the case for jazz trombone. I believe the only limits are those of the imagination.”
Rhodes has performed with top jazz musicians, in addition to Clarke, including Duke Ellington, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Hubert Laws, Doug Riley, Rob McConnell, Ian McDougall, Jane Bunnett, Roy Reynolds, Albert Nicholas, Ed Bickart, Bruce Cassidy, Paul Horn, Jay McShann, David Ochipinti, Ian Toms and Alan Dowling. He has performed at jazz festivals all over the world, including the Newport Jazz Festival Main Stage as a featured artist, and festivals in Montreaux, Amsterdam, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Rimouski and more. In addition, he is a veteran performer on many CBC and Canadian soundtracks, commercial and studio work.
The CD launch party will begin at 8 p.m. The Pourhouse is located above The Old Triangle on Great George Street. Admission is at the door. His band will include Rowswell on sax, Toms on guitar, Chris Martell on bass and Dowling on drums.