Imagine We're Sailing is the first full-length album for the Sonuskapos Jazz Orchestra (SSJO), a 20-piece (and counting!) large ensemble. Depicting the landscapes that composer and Artistic Director Mason Victoria has been exposed to while growing up in Toronto, this 7-track album uses lush harmonies and anomalous rhythms to paint a picture of the city he lives in.
About Mason Victoria:
"... an emerging writer with a solid grasp of the craft of composition and a story to tell ..."
Scott Reeves, Director of Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra
As a recipient of the Toronto Duke Ellington Society Scholarship and Dave Stillwell Arranging Award, Mason Victoria is no stranger to the jazz community. From directing and composing for one of the largest big bands in Toronto, the Sonuskapos Jazz Orchestra (SSJO), to arranging and composing for several groups including the Shaw Street Collective, Toronto Jazz Orchestra, UNIVOX choir, New Music Jazz Orchestra, and ensembles at Humber College and the Los Angeles College of Music, Mason continues to inspire his generation. Other notable collaborations include 2015 Prix Goyer Prize winner, Philip Chiu, and Juno Award winner, Emilie Claire-Barlow. Mason has also helped kickstart projects in Toronto, such as The Rebirth of the Cool, James Valdez and the Neovintage, and Masini McDermott’s One Night Only Live.
Mason is currently working on the SSJO’s first album release, and was a recent featured artist on Heather Bambrick’s Jazzology on Jazz FM. His original piece, “Willow Trees”, which is included on the upcoming album, was sought after for a live performance by the Toronto Jazz Orchestra. He also holds a position with Spectrum Music as an Artistic Producer.
About Sonuskapos Jazz Orchestra:
Created in 2013, the Sonuskapos Jazz Orchestra (SSJO) is a Toronto-based contemporary big band founded and led by Mason Victoria. Noted for its abnormally large size (20 members and counting!), the SSJO still manages to squeeze its way into some of the most iconic venues in Toronto, including the Rex Jazz & Blues Bar and Lula Lounge. Comprised of some of the most promising and emerging jazz artists in the GTA, the SSJO has been a headline at the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival in 2016 and will continue in 2017. This year, the SSJO was a joint winner of the TD Discovery Series Special Projects Grant alongside the Socialist Night School, was a featured artist by Sofar Sounds, and will see the release of their first album, Imagine We’re Sailing, on November 13th 2017, which features special guest artist and esteemed jazz trumpeter, Brian O’Kane.
credits
released November 13, 2017
All compositions, with the exception of track 3, are composed by Mason Victoria.
Kang Ding Love Song (track 3) is arranged by Mingjia Chen, orchestrated by Mason Victoria.
Engineered/Mixed by: Phil Spencer (Union Sound)
Mixed by: Thomas Upjohn (tracks 2,5)
Mastered by: Matthew Victoria
Illustration by: Teresa Bermudez-Victoria
Layout design by: Zoe Brown & Mason Victoria
Produced by: Galen Sedlak
Advised by: Shelly Berger
SSJO PERSONNEL
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Artistic Director/Composer: Mason Victoria
Guest soloists: Brian O'Kane (flugelhorn), Matt Lagan (tenor sax)
Voices:
Mingjia Chen (track 2,3,5)
Mara Nesrallah (track 1,3,7)
Reeds:
Zoe Brown (flute, alto flute)
Chris Dembski (alto, flute)
Naomi McCaroll-Butler (alto, flute, soprano)
Stefan Haynes (tenor, clarinet)
Emily Steinwall (tenor, flute)
Jonathan Lau (bari, b clarinet)
(track 3)
Stephen Rush (alto)
Mara Perkons (alto)
Brennan Anderson (tenor)
Eric Carter (tenor)
Chris Dembski (bari)
Trumpets:
Megan Jutting
Justin See
Jordan Tunney
Michael Ronco
Thomas Upjohn
(track 3)
Megan Jutting
George Murga-Martinez
Marcus Thompson
Trombones:
Aidan Sibley
Nebyu Yohannes
Andrew Noakes
Nathaniel Lazzarotto
Nick Marshall
(track 3)
Aidan Sibley
Michael Callander
Nicholas Katz
Nick Marshall
Rhythm:
Chris Mitchell (g)
Josh Smiley (p)
Irene Harrett (b) (track 1,4,5,7)
Peter Eratostene (b) (track 6)
Jon Wielebnowski (b) (track 2)
Chris Wiens (d)
Toronto-based 20-piece (and counting!) contemporary jazz orchestra featuring all-original compositions and arrangements by
Artistic Director, Mason Victoria. The SSJO has been a dual-recipient of the TD Jazz Special Projects Discovery Grant and a recipient of the Ontario Arts Council Music Recording Projects grant....more
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