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"Downes time is rock solid and pitch perfect, his lines often picking up
where a Lofsky phrase left off." |
| - Bill Mays, |
from liners notes to
'Bill Please' |
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Mike Downes Bio |
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Bassist, composer,
author and educator Mike Downes has earned a reputation
as one of Canada's finest jazz artists.
In addition to leading his own group, Mike has performed
with virtually all of Canada's top jazz musicians, including
Oliver Jones, Diana Krall, PJ Perry, Renee Rosnes, Don
Thompson, Kirk MacDonald, Terry Clarke, Guido Basso and
Pat LaBarbera. He is regularly in demand to perform and
record with visiting jazz artists such as Michael Brecker,
John Abercrombie, Peter Erskine, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor,
Chris Potter, Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Liebman, Curtis Fuller,
Gary Bartz, Phil Woods and many others.
His bass playing has delighted audiences worldwide. Mike
has performed in England, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands,
Hungary, Poland, Iceland, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, the United
States and throughout Canada.
His numerous recordings include Juno nominations for Ranee
Lee's Dark Divas and Maple Groove, Lorne Lofsky's Bill
Please and Molly Johnson's Another Day. His work with
singer Molly Johnson has earned him critical acclaim as
a composer and bassist.
The Winds of Change, Mike's second recording as a leader,
follows Forces, his acclaimed debut solo recording. Recorded
in two short days at Lydian Sound in Toronto by renowned
engineer Jeff Wolpert, The Winds of Change features the
exceptional talents of David Restivo on piano and Ted
Warren on drums, and captures the intimacy and spontaneity
of the trio.
Mike began playing bass at the age of eight, encouraged
by his bass-playing father. He also played and studied
trombone and piano, and was quickly recognized as a upcoming
talent. His career began in Winnipeg as a teenager, where
he played in hugely diverse settings, from rock bands
to big bands, from corporate functions to television and
radio. After graduating from high school, Mike received
a full scholarship to study bass and trombone at St. F.
X. University in Nova Scotia. He completed a degree in
music at McGill University in Montreal, while already
balancing a professional career with his studies. After
graduating, he was awarded a Canada Council Grant to study
with bassists Dave Holland and John Clayton. Mike moved
to Toronto in 1990, where he now lives with his wife and
young daughter.
Mike is the author of The Jazz Bass Line Book, recently
published worldwide by Advance Music of Germany, and is
the head of the bass department at prestigious Humber
College in Toronto. He is much in demand as a clinician,
and he continues to be one of the most sought after bassists
in Canada.
He has been called "…one of Canada's immensely talented
young giants" (Jazz Report), "…as strong a player as he
is a composer" (Calgary Herald), "…wonderfully resourceful…
a huge tone and a prodigious technique" (Winnipeg Free
Press), and that "…his time playing is delightfully inventive
and his intonation is absolutely impeccable…his lines
are clear, hip, and agile." (Jazz Player). |
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