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David Restivo

David Restivo

Bio

David Restivo is one of Canada’s most respected and influential jazz artists. He is a 3-time winner of the National Jazz Awards’ Pianist of the Year Award, and is listed in the current edition of Canadian Who’s Who.

He is well known for his work with Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass and Tentet, the Mike Murley Quintet, and legendary songwriter Marc Jordan.

He has also performed and recorded with Dave Holland, Jon Hendricks, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Mel Tormé, John Pizarelli, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Pat LaBarbera, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, George Garzone, Howard Johnson, Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen, Kevin Mahogany, Randy Bachman (BTO/Guess Who), David Clayton Thomas, Molly Johnson, and many other outstanding artists. ​

David has served on the music faculty at the Banff Centre for the Arts and St. Francis Xavier University, and currently teaches at Humber College and the University of Toronto.

David was voted Toronto’s Best Kayboardist in NOW Magazine’s “Best of T.O.” readers’ poll in 1998 and received a Juno Award for his work on the 2001 recording The Rob McConnell Tentet (Justin Time).

He can be heard on numerous recordings, including the Grammy-winning Mel Tormé/Rob McConnell collaboration Velvet and Brass (Concord Jazz), Mike Murley’s Conversation Piece (Cornerstone), Marc Jordan’s This is How Men Cry (Blue Note/EMI), and his own lauded debut Prayer for Humankind(ness) (Radioland/Universal).