Metalwood

[NOTE: My personal favourite]

No website available.

Name: Metalwood
Members: Mike Murley, Chris Tarry, Ian Froman, Brad Turner
Born: First album released in 1997
Died: Revived once a year

"It's amazing how much one word can strike fear into the hearts of musicians and critics across North America, but ever since punk dragged its safety pins and chains across the charts, fucion has been pretty much non grata everywhere other than science labs and world-cuisine kitchens." -- Mike Doherty

Canadian grown boys:

Metalwood, the Juno award winning jazz-fusion band, is a combined effort of four extremely talented Canadian, free-lance musicians: Ontarian turned New Yorker Ian Froman, Torontonian Mike Murley, Calgarian turned New Yorker Chris Tarry (with a stop in Vancouver inbetween), and Vancouverite Brad Turner. Metalwood has a loyal following amongst the North American fusion fans. Intellectual, yet listenable... and heck, even somewhat danceable, Metalwood's work hails back to the days of Miles Davis, while still managing to work in a turntable. A wonderful bridge between the cool, the technically proficient, and the passionately emoted, Metalwood's work stands head and shoulders above the rest. So why isn't this group dodgine press and groupies? Well, they aren't dodging the press because they are real working musicians, businessmen, and leave the silly press games to the rock stars. It's about the music, and as it should be. (I can't attest for groupie dodging, tempted as I have been myself from time to time!) Each piece is a terrifically woven conversations between instruments, each musician proficient in the language. But even if you don't speak "heavy Jazz", the music is easy to simply listen to and enjoy. Metalwood is no longer a group, touring and such, however they have been known to reform once a year in Toronto. As much as I wish they'd reform, I have to admit that each member is as powerful individually, as the band is as a whole. Metalwood is truly a sum of it's parts.

Metalwood players:

Chris Tarry - Chris grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, home of the cowboy, open spaces, and the cow that got mad cow disease. He started playing bass at the age of 16 as an attempt to woo girls and quickly realized he should have become the lead singer.

With all this free time now available to him he practiced hard and went to school in Boston at the Berklee College of Music. There he learned a lot, played a lot, graduated and moved back to Canada because he missed hockey.

He relocated to Vancouver where he quickly became a busy dude on the scene. He started playing with local hero Brad Turner and they started an electric jazz band called Metalwood. This band got famous, well, famous in jazz terms anyway, and Chris was soon the talk of the Canadian bass town.

He traveled all over Canada (once by dog sled) playing his bass for Metalwood and others wanting his signature sound. Metalwood won some big Canadian Grammies, played with some famous people, and got signed to a major record company. In about 2001 the group broke up amid a sea of controversy and tumultuous incidents involving a farmer named buckwheat, his gophers, and a golf club.

After Metalwood and a stint teaching at Vancouver’s prestigious Capilano College of Music, Chris sold all his belongings, released all of his pets into the wild, moved out of his igloo, bought a straw hat, and boarded a riverboat to New York City.

Once in New York Chris starved, existing on a meal of bass strings and grasshoppers. In the acclaimed book on his life “I’m a bass player, please help me” written by his mother, Chris sheds life on many of the trials and tribulations of life in New York.

“Is this thing on? What do you mean clean my room? Mom, I’m 34 years old, I can clean my own room! Are we doing this interview or what? Yes, I know it’s not nice to talk back to your mother. What? Grounded? What do you mean grounded?”

Over the course of time Chris managed to start working in New York. Stints with various famous people coupled with appearances as a talking bear in time square eventually led to a sustainable life living in Williamsburg Brooklyn, home of the hipster culture, trucker hats, and shirts with other longer shirts underneath. He currently has no pets.

Ian Froman - Started at an early age by playing the piano, but was drawn to the drums. He purchased his first drumset at age 13. Steve Gadd and Jack DeJohnett are listed as his two major influences, although he has studied under each of the following artists:"

"Dave Liebman - Hard core! Right to the point! Play consistent and well - Focus.
Gary Burton - Extremely professional and a great musician.
Tommy Smith - Strong sax man. He allowed me to initiate drum parts for the music.
Ahmad Mansour - Great conceptual approach. Loose and open.
Chuck Burrows - He taught basics and fundamental of jazz drumming. Very thorough.
Joe Hunt - A very conceptual approach to teaching and learning.
Bob Kaufman - Elvin and more Elvin!
Mick Goodrick - Understated master musician. He can really set up a vibe.
Ben Monder - A wonderful stylist. He can really take the music somewhere."

His favorite recordings are:

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
John Coltrane - Transition
Jan Garbarek - Paths, Prints
Keith Jarrett - My Song
Keith Jarrett Trio - Still Live
Miles Davis - Four and More
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Mick Nock - Ondas

Currently, Ian is teaching at Berklee college as an Associate Professor and has this advice to offer to fellow musicians:

"Being a musician is an extremely rewarding way of life. To be able to do something that I love, every single day, is really a treat. I am lucky to experience this unique and alternative lifestyle. Have fun!!!"

Mike Murley - An engaging, lyrical player, Mike Murley has emerged as one of the nation’s finest jazz talents and one of the most versatile players on the scene today. Currently active as a leader in various formations from duo to septet, Murley also keeps a busy schedule as a sideman with the David Braid Sextet, the Rob McConnell Tentet and the David Occhipinti Quartet, among others.

Since 1991, Murley has played on nine Juno Award winning recordings and has been named saxophonist of the year six times by the Jazz Report Awards and National Jazz Awards. He holds a part-time teaching position at York University, and since 2002 has been a visiting member of faculty at the prestigious Banff Centre for the Arts.

In July 2004, Murley was invited to perform as part of Solos: The Jazz Sessions – a series directed by Dan Berman (produced for Bravo: Canada’s Arts Network) which captures renown jazz artists in the challenging solo performance format. In addition to Murley, other artists featured in the series include international luminaries such as saxophonists Joe Lovano and Lee Konitz, guitarists Bill Frisell and Kurt Rosenwinkle, and pianists Brad Mehldau and Andrew Hill.

With a musical personality known for its warmth, lyricism and wit, Mike Murley is truly one of the foremost voices in Canadian jazz today.

Brad Turner - Brad's phenomenal talents as a trumpeter, pianist, drummer and composer make him one of Canada’s most-in-demand musicians. Brad has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Michael Moore, Renee Rosnes, Achim Kaufmann, John Scofield, Ingrid Jensen, Dylan van der Schyff, Mike Murley, Mark Helias, and Gary Bartz. Brad's groups have also opened for McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Terence Blanchard, and Clarke Terry.

Beginning with his quartet's critically acclaimed debut release, Long Story Short, Brad followed this in 1998 with the release of There and Back In that same year and again in 1999 Brad walked away with a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album recognizing his work in the internationally established electric jazz group Metalwood.

Winner of National Jazz Awards for Jazz Trumpeter of the Year (1999) and Jazz Composer of the Year (2000 and 2002) Brad's most recent release is the Juno nominated Live at the Cellar featuring Seamus Blake, with new releases from both his quartet and piano trio due out this year. Brad's most recent release is his quartet's latest recording, "What Is" , available now.

Brad was nominated for Musician of the Year (1999) by the West Coast Music Association. Brad was awarded the National Jazz Award for Musician of the Year for 2005.

Says the Globe and Mail:

"...kind of a Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Keith Jarrett rolled into one..."

Chronic