Ozmium ; an extraordinary trio of improvisers whose willingness to explore the depths of the jazz language has pushed them into a rich, fertile territory of creativity. Ozmium (a name that combines a very rare heavy metal and a certain land of fantasy) assembles the talents of pianist/trombonist, Jeff Presslaff; bassist, Gilles Fournier; and drummer Kelly Marques. The music is completely spontaneous while exhibiting remarkable structural integrity, tone color and emotional range.
Jeff Presslaff, who is the conceptual force behind this project, is a longtime participant in the New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey jazz/avant-garde scene. His resume lists many collaborations with jazz artists who are notable for their exploratory work, such as Ed Blackwell, George Garzone, Roswell Rudd and Sayyd al-Khabbyr, as well as composer/improvisers such as Jack Wright, Benjamin Boretz, Panaiotis, and Julie Kabat. He has world music experience with Karnatak artists, T. Viswanathan, and T. Ranganathan. He has won several awards for his compositions, and is also a well-respected trombonist. His recent arrival in Winnipeg has brought him in contact with two sidemen of great sensitivity and energy.
Gilles Fournier is, without a doubt, the first-call bassist in Winnipeg. His versatility on 4, 5 and 6 string electric and acoustic basses reflecfs the influences of Dave Holand, Charie Haden,Ray Brown,Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius. He has lent his abilities to the ensembles of Clarke Terry, Arturo Sandoval, Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Hutcherson, Marvin"Smitty"Smith, Kevin Ubanks, Attila Zoller and Christian Escoude among many others. Heís played the work of Louis Andriessen and Glen Buhr. He is an adventurous and sharp-eared musician whose work in this band is some of his best.
Kelly Marques is a young drummer who is recognized as an inventive contributor to many groups in Winnipeg. He recently returned from a European tour with vibist, Stefan Bauer, His work on Ken Golds North End Shuffle album has gained him national exposure as well.
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Contact: Jeff Presslaff ozmium@jeffpresslaff.com |
Kelly Marques....Jeff Presslaff....Gilles Fournier
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