Toronto’s extraordinary pianist-composer Ron Davis has established himself as one of the most original, enjoyable voices in jazz today. Ron is a virtuoso pianist and entertainer; he reads audiences and connects with them. Ron’s music is a reflection of his hometown, Toronto: diverse, dynamic, fresh, full of life; a multi-cultural mashup. Ron is also active on the national and international jazz scene with many successful tours under his belt.  These qualities are all on display on Ron’s latest recording, his tenth, Pocket Symphronica (Really Records), a mash up of electric/acoustic jazz quartet plus string quartet playing his tunes inflected with Middle Eastern sounds (D’Hora); pop (Variations on Poker Face and Lady Gaga); and funk (GruvMuv).

CREDITS
Ron Davis – piano, Rhodes, Hammond B3 / Kevin Barrett – electric, classical and acoustic guitars, banjo / Mike Downes – electric and acoustic bass / Roger Travassos – drums (with a great deal of editing to keep the time steady), percussion

Jessica Deutsch – violin (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11) / Ben Plotnick – violin, viola (all tracks) / Aline Homzy – violin (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10) / Aleksander Gajic – violin (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10) / Anna Atkinson – viola (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11) / George Meanwell – cello (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11) / Andrew Downing – cello (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10)

Producers: Dennis Patterson, Ron Davis, Mike Downes, Roger Travassos, Kevin Barrett

This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.

www.rondavismusic.com | www.symphronica.com

MANAGEMENT: 
Real World Artist Management - Faye Perkins
fayep@realworldartists.com

BUY HERE

Pocket Symphronica

BLUE MODULES
Minerva Road / Davinor Records (741360354784)

Ron Davis (piano, Fender Rhodes, celeste, keyboards)
Ross Macintyre (bass)
Roger Travassos (drums, percussion) 

Featuring:
Donna Grantis (guitar)
Diego Matamoros (voice)
_____________________________


Ron Davis (www.rondavismusic.com) is all about injecting fun into his jazz, hoping to celebrate its glory days when his favourite genre was the unchallenged ‘pop’ music of its time. Davis accomplishes this with his 8th release, Blue Modules. It’s all about celebration – of jazz, of classical music and funk – not to mention rap, blues and world music. Davis intends to bust down the walls of individual genres and, with Blue Modules, he succeeds. You are invited in to embrace it all – as he does – with an outcome that is so seamlessly fresh and playful, you can’t help but let go and join him for a uniquely satisfying ride.

Blue Modules credits:
Producers: Ron Davis and Dennis Patterson
Engineering, Editing, Mixing: Dennis Patterson
Additional Production: Roger Travassos 
Assistant Engineers: Dave Fitzpatrick, Julian Decorte
Studio Assistant: Toto Hass
Recorded at CBC Studio 211: August 2011
Additional recording Big Smoke Audio and Travassos Studios: January and February 2012
Photography: Rino Noto (rinonoto.com)
Artwork, Typography and Design: Takeover Studio (takeoverstudio.com)

MEDIA INQUIRIES: LW Communications - lw@lwcommunications.ca - 416-624-3466 


Blue Modules

“This album is one of the best I've heard in the last 13 years…” – WWPV Radio

2020 JUNO AWARD NOMINEE! CBC Music "SONG YOU NEED TO HEAR" (So What)!

SymphRONica UpfRONt has been nominated for a Juno Award, Canada's top music prize, as 2020’s Instrumental Album of the Year.

SymphRONica UpfRONt is Ron’s 12th and SymphRONica’s 3rd collection of his unique, and world renowned sound. UpfRONt,
is a quantum leap from his previous works, representing the greater cross--cultural and cross-stylistic diversity of the players
and contributors, including Juno Award winner Mike Downes (who also acted as producer). UpfRONt showcases the great
Canadian talent that has coalesced in and around SymphRONica. UpfRONt is pure Ron Davis and the entire essence of the
SymphRONica project at its peak.

- "Not like anything else out there. ... Your mind will be blown ... a sound which truly represents modern jazz!" - OrcaSound "
- “Jazz music could hardly be better served.” – WholeNote
- “Endlessly inventive!” - Jazz.FM91
- "Creativity, inventiveness, eclecticism... an unclassifiable pianist, a great virtuoso, a genius composer..." – L’Express
- “Astonishing technique, authentic heir of the greatest pianists of Toronto - "classic" Glenn Gould and jazz musician Oscar Peterson... breathtaking!” – Trud (Russia)
- “His playing is reminiscent of Oscar Peterson or that of Jamie Cullum… A brilliant virtuoso.” – CBC
- “He has firmly established himself as an innovative force within the world of jazz.” – National Post
- "Four Stars" - The Scotsman / "Four Stars" - The Herald (Scotland)

Ron Davis acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable support of the Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR and the Ontario Arts Council in the making of SymphRONica UpfRONt.

SymphRONica UpfRONt

"Wow!!! That is one amazing CD [Symphronica] you just made." - Jaymz Bee, Jazz.FM91 

“Four stars! …thrilling …very beautiful … A beautiful piano touch, muscular swing with a classical frame that will make many music lovers happy.” - Journal de Montréal 

“Quatre étoiles ! Une belle << patte >> au piano, du swing muscle avec un écrin classique qui fera le bonheur de biens des mélomanes.» - Journal de Montréal 

“His playing is reminiscent of Oscar Peterson or that of Jamie Cullum… A brilliant virtuoso… [Symphronica] is a musical journey, in a country without borders, where jazz and classical blend brilliantly in all their splendor.” – CBC 

Ron Davis’ latest recording Symphronica (Acronym/Universal Music no. 41816765) fuses jazz piano and the symphony orchestra into groundbreaking, irresistible, music. 

Original. Rich. Multi-layered. Symphronica is tuneful. It’s groovy. Musical worlds collide. It's the jazz trio integrated into the orchestral palette. Jazzfused new symphonic music. Not jazz with orchestral accompaniment. Not jazzed-up classical. A jazz - classical mashup. 

Davis is joined on Symphronica by his first-call jazz trio colleagues Mike Downes (bass) and Ted Warren (drums). Davis also had the rare opportunity to collaborate on the recording with the world-renowned conductor John Morris Russell. Leading the Windsor Symphony Orchestra on the recording, Russell brings excitement and passion to the music.

credits
released 01 October 2013 
Ron Davis (piano) 
Mike Downes (bass) 
Ted Warren (drums) 

with 
The Windsor Symphony Orchestra 
John Morris Russell, Conductor Laureate, Windsor Symphony Orchestra 

Recorded 2011- 2012 Toronto / Windsor, Canada 
Producers: Ron Davis and Dennis Patterson 
Producer: Rebecca Pellett 
Engineer: Dennis Patterson 
Assistant Engineers: Dave Fitzpatrick, Julian Decorte 
For the Windsor Symphony Orchestra: Sarah Boonstra, Director of Operations 
Additional pianos: Paul Hahn & Co Ltd. – paulhahn.com 
Editing, Mixing: Dennis Patterson, Rebecca Pellett 
Music score preparation and supervision: Rebecca Pellett

(c)2013 Ron Davis

BUY SYMPHRONICA HERE

Symphronica

JUNO award nominated jazz pianist and composer Ron Davis with his ensemble SymphRONica go beyond the confines of musical genre to construct new sonic colours and textures with his 13th Record: Instrumental Music Liberation Front.

Together with his ensemble SymphRONica, Jazz pianist, composer and Juno Award Nominee Ron Davis re-establishes instrumental music with his new album Instrumental Music Liberation Front on 15th May 2020

 With his new album, Ron invites us all on a journey to where jazz meets the entirety of classical music: European, Quebecois, Sephardic and Gypsy music
Ron’s artistic philosophy drives him to transcend beyond the confines of genre towards new sonic textures and innovations

His mix of jazz and classical music is also tinged with funk, blues as well as world music. Instrumental Music Liberation Front itself pays tribute to the great names of classical, jazz and tango: Bach, Brahms, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and also Reinhardt and Piazzola

Ron’s ensemble SymphRONica joins him on Instrumental Music Liberation Front. SymphRONica matches Ron’s philosophy by fusing together jazz and the symphony orchestra to create a new rich auditory palette for Ron’s original compositions

Ron is keen to engage with an increasingly varied audience, with whom he is in constant conversation with throughout his concerts. This has led him to define himself as a Musical Entertainer

Having already released 12 critically acclaimed albums, Ron’s latest album, SymphRONica Upfront, has been nominated for a Juno Award in 2020 (Canada’s Grammy or BAFTA equivalent) in the ‘Instrumental Album of the Year’ category


Ron Davis – Piano
Kevin Barrett – Electric, Acoustic and E-Bow Guitars, Loops
Aline Homzy – Violin
Mike Downes – Bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 – 12)
Louis Simão – Bass (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8)
Steve Heathcoate – Drums and Percussion
Brielle Goheen – Violin
Laurence Schaufele – Viola
Beth Silver – Cello

Instrumental Music Liberation Front

SERGEIS SHUFFLE

SASHAGRAHA

DROR YIKRA

THOMACHONGA

The Climb

THE CLIMB

Presto

Buy this track

05 - Ron Davis - Presto

Danza Daniela

04 - Ron Davis - Danza Daniela

Fugue & Variations On Gaga And Poker Face

03 - Ron Davis - Fugue & Variations On Gaga And Poker Face

Gruvmuv

02 - Ron Davis - Gruvmuv

Pocket Symohronica

D'hora

01 - Ron Davis - D'hora

"Recommended!" - allaboutjazz.com 
“…this is an album I listened to a great deal, I’m enjoying it.” - CBC 
#3 - HMV Toronto Indie chart / jazzpromo.com

Solo Duo Trio

Moon River

03 Moon River

A Luz (Da Partida)

05 A Luz (Da Partida) (comp. & arr. Louis Simão)

Sashagraha

04 Sashagraha (comp. Ron Davis / arr. Jason Nett)

Whirlycurl

03 Whirlycurl (comp. Ron Davis / arr. Mike Downes & Ron Davis)

La Côte d’Or

02  La Côte d’Or (comp. / arr. Mike Downes)

Drew Bourrée

01 Drew Bourrée (comp. Ron Davis / arr. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)

BLUE MODULES

Roger's Rumble

Pawpwalk

Mahna Mahna

Making Plans for Nigel

Viva Las Vegas

Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing

A brilliant adventure. On his latest recording, My Mother’s Father’s Song, Ron Davis embraces both his family’s rich cultural heritage, and boldly re-engages with the jazz standard. Co-produced at the CBC with Dennis Patterson, Ron is joined on this album by bassist Mike Downes and drummer Ted Warren for a total of thirteen tracks which include Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer’s My Shining Hour, R. Miller & O. Murden’s For Once in My Life, and James Taylor’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, and Coldplay’s Viva la Vida, among others.

However, what sets this stunning album apart from other “standards” albums is the unusual focal point of the album, three versions of a song about Ron’s maternal grandfather, who died in Warsaw in the 1930’s: Bal u Grubego Joska. 

My Mother’s Father’s Song will move and energize you, as few jazz recordings can.

My Mother's Father's Song

La Mer

"Top 10 of the Year!" (JAZZ.FM/ CODA Magazine/ Zeitgeist Scotland) - Gorgeous, energetic, melodic jazz with classical, klezmer and world influences. Piano trio meets cello/ viola/ clarinets. Brilliant arrangements. Dazzling. Shimmering!

Shimmering Interlude #3 (Sasha Bo

Shimmering Rhythm

Rhythmaron

Rhythmaron (Ron Davis)

The Way You Look Tonight

The Way You Look Tonight (J. Kern

Rhosymedre

Rhosymedre (With A Nod To Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Reel de Pointe-au-Pic

Reel De Pointe - Au - Pic

Dror Yikrah

Dror Yikrah (With A Nod To Igor Stravinsky)

Spatialism

Canada's Passage Hill

Canada's Passage Hill (After G. F. Handel)

Torontango

Torontango (After Astor Piazzola)

Bachzy

Bachzy (After J. S. Bach)

Brahms

Brahms (After Johannes Brahms)

Pin Y Panouche

Pin Y Panouche (After Django Reinhardt)

Sergei's Shuffle

Sergei's Shuffle (After Sergei Prokofiev)

Slow Down

Ron Davis talks about his new record "Instrumental Music Liberation Front ".

Liberate Instrumental Music! The history of western music is one of the instrumental living in harmony (ahem) with the vocal. A Beethoven symphony, a Verdi opera. Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit, Duke Ellington's Isfahan. The Beatles' Let It Be, Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man. But recently, instrumental music has gone missing. Become nearly invisible. Inaudible. In old media. In new. Words and music, yes. Music alone, no. 

Instrumental music must be restored to culture's apex. We need an Instrumental Music Liberation Front. Ron Davis' SymphRONica to the rescue. "Instrumental Music Liberation Front" is the opening salvo. A journey through the great fountainheads of the instrumental. Jazz meets classical musics (emphasis on the ‘s': European, Québecois, Sepahrdic, Manouche). Let musical freedom ring! Let Instrumental Music be Liberated!

Talking 'Instrumental Music Liberation Front' with JazzCast.ca

"Firmly established as an innovative force within the world of jazz. "– National Post

"One of the great minds in jazz." – Jazz.FM

"One of Canada's A-List pianists!" –  CFRB 

"…astonishing technique, authentic heir of the greatest pianists of Toronto - "classic" Glenn Gould and jazz musician Oscar Peterson... breathtaking!" – Trud (Russia)


Ron Davis

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