Ron Davis' SymphRONica Plays London's Savoy Hotel for Canada 150!
Saturday July 1, 2017
The Savoy, London, England
Ron Davis and SymphRONica have been invited by Canada’s High Commission in the U.K. to perform at the legendary Savoy on July 1, Canada Day as part of CANADA 150 – the official celebrations of Canada’s 150 birthday!
SymphRONica Returns to Edinburgh, Scotland
Monday July 3
7:30pm
La Belle Angèle - Edinburgh, Scotland
Ron and SymphRONica are becoming regular performers in Edinburgh, Scotland. On July 3, right after London, they will be returning there for a show at one of that great city's hippest clubs La Belle Angèle, presented by The Soundhouse Organisation. Details/Info here.
RON DAVIS RELEASES RhythmaRON - 11th RECORDING / FIRST ALL SOLO PIANO OUTING IN 40 YEARS!
Ron Davis - RhythmaRON
A Trip Back to the Basics
Ron Davis, Toronto’s much-loved jazz pianist, has created a musical style that is simply known as “Ron’s style”. RhythmaRON, Ron Davis’ first solo piano album in his 40-year career, is a trip back to the basics to where it began. It is solo piano in the style of the greats: Earl “Fatha” Hines, Thomas “Fats” Waller, Willie “The Lion” Smith, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. These are the works that shaped his world, the ones that he fastidiously studied until he knew every note, every pause and every part. “Handful of Keys”, “Piano Starts Here”, “Tracks”, “Solo Monk” were on his heavy rotation list and he performs them as only Ron Davis can.
As Ron puts it: “Those records got me started. They lit a fire in me. I began practicing as much as I could, so I could sound like my idols. Solo piano was where I wanted to go, and I got there eventually. First in the basement on my own, then in school and finally at my first gigs, all before I was old enough to vote, and all solo. When I started playing piano I played solo, and after 20 years of duos, trios, quartets and shows with my eight musician Pocket SymphRONica, I’m going back to where I began.“
RhythmaRON is Ron Davis’ eleventh album and includes the sounds and styles that informed his musical world from his beginnings as a pianist through to today. Ron Davis loves to share music and to add his creative twist to everything that he performs. This is how he describes the tunes:
1. Rhythmaron (Ron Davis) – Based on George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” with a well-known Art Tatum sequence
2. Give Me the Simple Life (R. Bloom & H. Ruby) – First heard performed by Oscar Peterson, which becomes a never-to-be-forgotten musical aha moment.
3. You Can't Do That (J. Lennon & P. McCartney) – The Beatles meet Boogie Woogie
4. A Child Is Born (Thad Jones & Alec Wilder) – A ballad, exploring beauty in music.
5. The Fishin' Hole (E. Sloane, E. Hagen & H. Spencer) – Playing around with the theme song from the old TV classic “Andy of Mayberry”.
6. Moon River (H. Mancini & J. Mercer) – Henry Mancini’s timeless classic, played with a twist influenced by Eric Satie.
7. Jitterbug Waltz (T. Waller, M. Manners & C. Grean) – A swing era classic transposed into a minor key, giving it more ‘jitter’ than the original.
8. Cullibalue (Ron Davis) –The. Blues.
9. Over the Rainbow (H. Arlen & Y. Harburg) – Surely one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
10. Secret Love (S. Fain & P. Webster) – A good old straight-ahead jazz standard.
11. Rockin' in Rhythm (D. Ellington, H. Carney & I. Mills) – A rollicking nod to master pianist, Duke Ellington.
12. You Must Believe in Spring (M. Legrand) – A haunting, gorgeous song made famous by Bill Evans.
13. Swing Street (Ron Davis) – Returning to his roots, Ron plays some klezmer stride that first kindled his musical curiosity and passion.
RhythmaRON was recorded over three days in February 2017 on a Bosendorfer Imperial Grand with longtime producer/engineer colleague and friend Dennis Patterson. Ron Davis is proud of the results. It took him many years to return to solo playing. It was worth the wait.
2017 LIVE PERFORMANCES:
June 20/21 RhythmaRON CD Release – Jazz Bistro
July 1 Trafalgar Square, London UK – Official Canada 150 Celebrations
July 1 Savoy Hotel, London UK – Official Canada 150 Celebrations
July 3 La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, Scotland
August 14 – 19 & 21– 26 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Scottish Arts Club
September Stratford, Ontario
November Ron Davis’ Pocket SymphRONica Lula Lounge Series begins
NOTABLE RON DAVIS RECORDINGS:
Pocket SymphRONica
SymphRONica
Mungle Music
Shimmering Rhythm
Subaraashi Live
NOTABLE QUOTES:
“Firmly established as an innovative force within the world of jazz.” - National Post
“One of the most tenacious and engaging musical artists in Canada... an artist at the peak of his creativity and technical facility.” - WholeNote
"Ron Davis is a name that is synonymous with creativity, inventiveness, eclecticism... an unclassifiable pianist, a great virtuoso, a genius composer..." L’Express
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