Meet Up and Over Trio

The classic piano trio in jazz defines genres. With their inaugural full-length release, the Up and Over Trio pays tribute to the legacy of the trios that have come before it, yet they try to find a unique space in this musical biome. The trio explores the gamut of sounds available to the modern jazz piano trio through original compositions. Taking influence from the classic trios of the past, the trio cultivates a new sound for themselves, which is intriguing and inviting.

As individuals, the trio’s members have cultivated considerable careers as side persons. As a rhythm section, the trio has accompanied various renowned artists. Now for the first time, the trio allows itself to step out and be a singular voice that combines their influences and experiences. The trio pushes forward into interesting sonic landscapes yet remains rooted in the jazz tradition.

Up and Over Trio on their upcoming album:

“We feel a great sense of accomplishment being able to get this release completed and out to the public.  There were a lot of challenges due to COVID restrictions trying to write, rehearse, and record the material from the album.  Often these challenges made it difficult to keep momentum going but luckily we didn’t give up and were able to get to this point. We are proud of the fact that the album really does represent us as a collective.  We were able to effectively collaborate and work together to create music that is fresh and a true representation of our collective voices.”

Join us at our Artist Spotlight on November 24, 7pm at the Yardbird Suite to see Up and Over Trio debut their first album, Up and Over, live!

Chandelle Rimmer and Tom Van Seters on their new album, ‘Be Kind’

Chandelle Rimmer and Tom Van Seters are bringing their musical talents together once again with their new album Be Kind, debuting November 24th at the Bent River Records Artist Spotlight. Chandelle Rimmer is an internationally recognized jazz vocalist, music educator, clinician, and adjudicator. Tom Van Seters is well known as an accomplished performer/composer/educator who has been on the Canadian jazz scene for over twenty-five years. Be Kind is their second collaboration, after their first collaborative CD project, Stillness Falls. Read on to hear from Chandelle and Tom about what to anticipate from Be Kind.

What do you want listeners to know about Be Kind? 

Be Kind is a duo album and features a wide range of repertoire, including some original compositions, traditional standards, and contemporary jazz arrangements. Our first collaboration, Stillness Falls, featured all original compositions with a full band. Prior to the recording of Be Kind, we were starting to adapt some of our repertoire from our first album for the duo and loved the musical challenge that came along with re-envisioning our music in this more intimate instrument setting. There was also the factor of timing. Without giving too much credit to the pandemic, we found ourselves like so many other musicians, looking for innovative ways to stay connected musically and the duo project allowed us to continue to be creative. Thus, in the early stage, it was kind of an experiment, but as we continued to compose, rehearse, and work to put our unique spin on our repertoire, the duo album is more of an extension of our work and a natural step in our journey as musical collaborators. 

How do you feel now that the album is about to be released?

We are excited to share our music, as there is so much time and effort that goes into preparing an album. As with any recording or performance, you always look back and wish you could do some things differently, but we also learned a lot. These experiences shape you as a musician and help you to move forward, as individuals and collaborators.

Are there any aspects of the album you are particularly proud of?

We’re just very grateful for the opportunity to document an important part of our musical journey together.

November 2022 Bent River Records Artist Spotlight

Bent River Records is excited to announce our November 2022 Artist Spotlight to celebrate the release of our artists’ new albums! The event will take place on November 24th, 2022 at the Yardbird Suite, 11 Tommy Banks Way NW, in Edmonton, Alberta. Doors will open at 7:00pm, with showtime at 7:30pm.

The evening’s lineup includes two performances by artists releasing new albums with Bent River Records. The night will open with Chandelle Rimmer and Tom Van Seters performing songs from their new album, Be Kind, followed by Up and Over Trio, “contemporary acoustic jazz”, performing pieces from their debut album Up and Over. CDs of the performer’s albums will be available for purchase. Bent River Records merchandise and other previously released works from Bent River Records will also be available for purchase.

Entry to this event is by donation to the Students First Campaign; “Help us put students first.” A QR code with the link to donate will be available at the event. No RSVP or ticket purchase is necessary.

Meet Our New Student Interns!

Hi all!

My name is Kaitlyn Tupper and I’m so excited to be joining the Bent River Records team this semester as a design intern! I’m in my third year of the Bachelor of Design program here at MacEwan, and I’m particularly interested in print, publication design, and branding. 

I’ve always had a personal love for music, with a growing collection of vinyls of my own, so working at Bent River Records is the perfect opportunity to blend my love of both music and design. I’m looking forward to learning more about the intersections between the two disciplines and experiencing the industry in a professional capacity.

I call Edmonton home, and when I’m not busy designing I enjoy baking, painting, and making earrings – anything that gets creativity flowing! 

Hi, I’m Josh Siemens, and interning with Bent River Records is an opportunity I plan to take full advantage of. Being a fifth-year student at MacEwan university, I’m starting to look for more practical ways to apply the knowledge I gained. Bent River Records is the perfect start to this, by being able to work in a professional environment and working with my instructor. Connections are how the music business runs, and meeting other artists and producers in the Edmonton area will be an amazing start. I have recorded with MacEwan previously on a couple of projects, including tenor sax in the 2019 MacEwan Big Band, and as a studio tech, fixing and repairing the studio. 

As mentioned, this is my fifth year at MacEwan in the Recording and Studio Production Major. I did not start in the recording program originally but in the Performance program, where I studied saxophone. I have been playing saxophone for thirteen years, including seven years in the marching bands in Calgary. This gave me worldwide performances, as well as a world championship in 2019. I visited various places such as Chicago, California, Halifax, and many others. My favorite memory in marching band is parading down Mainstreet USA in Disneyland. This performance experience continues to give me a unique perspective on the program and at Bent River Records. I transferred because I have a past with technology, being a part of many clubs, theatre productions, and live shows in the past, and it is a way to connect my love for music with my skills with technology. This love for music and technology continues today outside of school, as I freelance part-time in similar circles of audio and lighting. 

2022 Bent River Records Artist Spotlight

We are excited to announce that the 2022 Bent River Records Artist Spotlight event taking place live and in person! It will take place on the 21st of April, 2022 at MacEwan University in the Triffo Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and showtime is at 7:00 pm!

The evening includes performances to celebrate Bent River Record’s 2022 releases. The first performance features 2021 Art Song Competition winner Cynthia Hamar, performing her song “Where your Love Lives”, which will also be featured on her upcoming release later this year.

Our final featured performers of the evening include the composer and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications, Allan Gilliland, conducting an orchestra, and featuring PJ Perry and several MacEwan faculty members, showcasing pieces from Gilliland’s album Dreaming: The Prague Sessions. The entire Bent River Records catalogue and merchandise will also be available for purchase at the event.

This event is FREE, however, attendees are encouraged to RSVP and to be prepared to show their ticket on their mobile device upon arrival. Tickets can be reserved at https://tickets.macewan.ca/TheatreManager/1/tmEvent/tmEvent140.html.

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