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Ron Davis

Symphronica - Instrumental Music Liberation Front

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Brahms for JB - adapted by Ron Davis/arr. Louis Simao
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Tour Dates

11/05/2019 - Gallery 345 / Toronto, Canada
11/09/2019 - 918 Bathurst / Toronto, Canada
02/15/2020 - 918 Bathurst / Toronto, Canada
05/23/2020 - 918 Bathurst / Toronto, Canada
1 Slow Down (Kevin Barrett / arr. Kevin Barrett)  
2 Sergei's Shuffle - after Sergei Prokofiev  
3 Pin Y Panouche - after Django Reinhardt  
4 Brahms - after Johannes Brahms  
5 Bachzy - after J. S. Bach  
6 Torontango - after Astor Piazzola  
7 Canada's Passage Hill - after G. F. Handel  
8 Spatialism  
9 The Climb  
10 Dror Yikrah - with a nod to Igor Stravinsky  
11 Reel du Pointe-au-Pic (trad.)  
12 Roshymedre - with a nod to Ralph Vaughan Williams - (trad)  
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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. SymphRONica to the rescue. This record 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!

  • Ron Davis discusses 'SymphRONica UPFRONT' with California's Estero Bay Radio
    Posted At: October 22, 2020

    Ron Davis. Piano player, composer, band leader, Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourite, BBC Radio 3 repeat guest, solo artist, critics choice has released; SymphRONica - UPFRONT. Ron and his band of award-winning musicians have kept people listening, loving and coming back for more. Ron's music blends genres and pushes boundaries. It builds on his jazz and classical training, influenced by world mus...

  • Ron Davis talks 'Instrumental Music Liberation Front' with JazzCast
    Posted At: July 8, 2020

    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...

  • 'So What' by 2020 Juno nominee; Ron Davis makes CBC's 'songs you need to hear this week'
    Posted At: February 17, 2020

    Nominated for instrumental album of the year, Upfront is the third release from pianist Ron Davis's SymphRONica project, an outlet for the jazz crossover that springs from his fertile imagination. Abetted by a string quartet, Davis covers a wide range of styles, from the genteel neo-baroque of "Drew Bourrée" to the intoxicating tango-meets-klezmer sounds of "Chance." Of the album's 12 trac...

  • Ron Davis - SymphRONica UpfRONt nominated for 2020 JUNO Award
    Posted At: January 29, 2020

    Ron Davis. Piano player, composer, band leader, Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourite, BBC Radio 3 repeat guest, solo artist, and critics choice released another 'SymphRONica' album in 2019, titled; UPFRONT. As is the case with much of Ron's music, UPFRONT blends genres and pushes boundaries. It builds on his jazz and classical training, influenced by world music (klezmer, Hungarian, Italia...

  • Set for Edinburgh Fringe, Ron Davis Q&A's with London Jazz News
    Posted At: August 1, 2019

    Canadian pianist Ron Davis has chosen the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as the European launch pad for his band SymphRONica's latest album, UpfRONt. SymphRONica combines a jazz quartet with a string quartet and Rob Adams spoke to Toronto-based Davis about the band, the album and his enthusiasm for the Edinburgh Fringe. In addition to 18 SymphRONica dates, Ron Davis will be playing some two dozen other gi...

  • Ron Davis is UpfRONt about Edinburgh / The Edinburgh Reporter
    Posted At: July 29, 2019

    Canadian pianist Ron Davis launches his latest album, UpfRONt, in Europe with an extended Fringe run with his octet, SymphRONica. Davis, who studied with a piano teacher who learned directly from jazz master Oscar Peterson and who could trace his musical lineage through George Gershwin and back to Beethoven, formed SymphRONica to celebrate the idea of music without borders. The group comprises a jazz qua...

  • Ron Davis - SymphRONica UpfRONt. Funny puns, serious project / Jazz Quad
    Posted At: July 2, 2019

    Symbolic accident: a link to this album was sent to us by the PR agency Crossover Media. It is symbolic because it is difficult to imagine a brighter and talented incarnation of the musical direction under the conditional name crossover, than the album of Canadian pianist and composer Ron Davis SymphRONica UpfRONt. You can, of course, smile with funny puns with the writing of the name of the album, where...

  • Ron Davis sits down with Mark Wigmore for an 'Art at the End of the World' podcast
    Posted At: February 4, 2019

    Mark sits down with Ron Davis in his west-end Toronto home for a wide-ranging conversation covering his long career as a groundbreaking jazz, classical, world & traditional music composer, writer, teacher, and performer. Ron explains his openness to music and genre exploration and reflects on how the world around him influences his compositions. Plus, a deep dive into his thesis on Chronosemantics! ...

  • Ron Davis puts the music in high gear on Pocket Symphronica / No Depression
    Posted At: July 25, 2016

    At first, I thought with the blast of orchestration, that this was going to be some lush, Martin Denny exotica type excursion. But, I was wrong. Ron Davis teases the ears with the introduction and then puts the music in high gear. Simple piano chords hook the listener at the onset as the orchestra builds on a compelling melody -- then, Davis starts tossing out notes in a Dave Brubeck captivating piano st...

  • Ron Davis interview with Radio Canada
    Posted At: February 9, 2016

    Toronto's extraordinary pianist-composer Ron Davis has established himself as one of the most original, enjoyable voices in jazz today. Ron looks within, and ensures that every piece he plays and story he tells has meaning. He is unconstrained by boundaries – jazz, world, pop, and classical are all places Ron calls home. These qualities are all on display on Ron's new re...

  • Ron Davis - Pocket Symphronica / Toronto Music Report review
    Posted At: February 8, 2016

    At first blush, the word ‘Symphronica' might draw attention to the wrong aspect of this music and that is gratuitous publicity for its creator. But when you listen to the record – my first experience of Ron Davis' music – you get its significance no matter how quaint the title sounds. Ron Davis music cannot stay in one kind of idiom and you hear this throughout the disc. It floats somew...

  • Ron Davis - Pocket Symphronica / fyi Music News
    Posted At: February 5, 2016

    "D'Hora" (Really Records): This is the opening track on the just-released Pocket Symphronica, the 10th recording from acclaimed Toronto jazz pianist/composer/bandleader Ron Davis. His fluent playing meshes perfectly with the string section on a tune that mashes up jazz and world music with both exuberance and elegance. Davis describes Pocket Symphronica as "the pocket sized recording ...

  • Ron Davis - Pocket Symphronica CD release at Toronto's Lula Lounge / L'Express
    Posted At: February 3, 2016

    Ron Davis is a name that is synonymous with creativity, inventiveness, eclectic, love of classical music, jazz, world music and languages ​​he masters with verve. He speaks French, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German and even Japanese. A man of many talents, Ron Davis is a pianist unconventional, virtuoso, composer of genius that you may have seen the famous Lula Lounge Toronto, privileged place...

  • Ron Davis - Pocket Symphronica makes Jazz 91 - Toronto: Top 3
    Posted At: February 1, 2016

    It's Monday and that means Jazz 91 - Toronto Senior Arts Editor Mark Wigmore shares his top arts and entertainment picks for the week ahead. Extraordinary pianist-composer Ron Davis has established himself as one of the most original, enjoyable voices in jazz today. Ron looks within, and ensures that every piece he plays and story he tells has meaning. He is unconstrained by boundaries – ...

  • Ron Davis - Pocket Symphronica / The Whole Note review
    Posted At: January 27, 2016

    With the release of his tenth recording, eclectic and skilled pianist/composer/producer Ron Davis has reaffirmed his position as one of the most tenacious and engaging musical artists in Canada. Pocket Symphronica embraces the wide range of Davis' skills and taste (which includes explorations into the milieus of jazz, world, pop/dance and classical musics). Comprised of 11 original compositions...

  • Ron Davis: SYMPHronica - WHLI - Artist Of the Week
    Posted At: March 3, 2014

    Ron Davis' latest recording: Symphronica (Acronym/Universal Music np. 41816765) fuses jazz piano and the symphony orchestra into groundbreaking, irresistible, music. WHLI - Long Island NY: Paul Richards was so taken with the album he made it his choice for  'Artist of The Week." Original. Rich. Multi-layered. Symphronica is tuneful. It's groovy. Musical worlds collide. It's the jazz tri...

  • Ron Davis: Blue Modules makes JAZZ.FM91 - Toronto 'Top Album Picks Of 2013
    Posted At: December 28, 2013

    TODAY!! Saturday December 28th starting at 9AM, JAZZ.FM91: Toronto President and CEO, Ross Porter features his top album picks of the year on "Music To Listen to Jazz By" along with JAZZ.FM91 hosts favourite albums and tunes of the year. Among this year's picks was Ron Davis - Blue Modules. Ross' Best of 2013 show will air again on New Years Day at 12:00PM.  Here is a complete list...
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