Based on a True Story
Released Jan 22 2016
The Writers’ Guild is a jazz composers’ collective featuring five of Alberta’s finest young creative minds. The band tinkers with the traditional jazz quintet machine, using vintage compositional tools to workshop new tunes and ideas, alchemizing jazz and funk, classical, R&B, and traditional folk music. The band features Marty Majorowicz on trombone, Dan Davis on saxophones, Josh McHan on bass, Efa Etoroma Jr. on drums, and Tyson Kerr on piano.
“Based on a True Story” is The Writers’ Guild’s debut album project released in June 2014. Sharing the compositional duties, this exciting new album explores many contemporary jazz influences.
Each of the three primary composers has a unique writing style: Marty’s liquid melodies are heavily influenced by the “ECM” sound: artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland and Tomasz Stanko. Dan Davis’ compositions show a blend of traditional and modern jazz sounds, with catchy melodies over a backdrop of chords that would be right at home in Chris Potter’s latest release. Tyson Kerr’s music, influenced by such Canadian artists as Andrew Downing and David Braid, is impishly quirky.
Rounding out the band are two of the strongest young rhythm players in Canada: Josh McHan of the Tommy Banks Trio is in turn brash and lyrical, sawing and sultry; and Efa Etoroma Jr., with four albums to his credit already at the age of 25, is one of Canada’s brightest rising stars. As one of Canada’s most exciting and dynamic new groups, the Writers’ Guild makes ink on paper fly.
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