Lorne Lofsky
Encyclopedia
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
.
Lofsky started off playing rock music but took an interest in jazz upon hearing the Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
album "Kind of Blue". Hearing this record was, for Lofsky, a musical revelation that led to a dramatic change in his approach to playing music. Lofsky began a more formal study of music while attending York University, in the mid 70's ('74/75), focusing on jazz theory and performance. He spent two years under the guidance of John Gittins and Bob Witmer.
At a gig in Toronto Lofsky met jazz pianist Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
. A few weeks later he received a phone call from Peterson who offered to produce a record for him on the prestigious Pablo record label. The result was Lofsky's debut album entitled "It Could Happen To You". Lofsky worked extensively with Oscar Peterson, and from '94-'96, Lofsky was a member of the Oscar Peterson Quartet. The group performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in N.Y.C., the Montreal Jazz Festival, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and played numerous concerts throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In addition, Lorne was featured on 3 CDs with Peterson. One of them was a double CD recorded live in Paris.
From 1983 to 1991 Lofsky played in a quartet with jazz guitarist Ed Bickert
Ed Bickert
Edward Isaac "Ed" Bickert, CM is a Canadian jazz guitarist.-Early life:Second youngest of his family, Bickert was born in Hochfeld, Manitoba; his family moved shortly after he was born to Vernon, British Columbia...
. This collaboration yielded two recordings (one of which was for the prestigious Concord label entitled "This Is New") and a tour of Spain in 1991.
In the early 80's, Lofsky began an important musical association with saxophonist Kirk Macdonald leading to the formation of a quartet that has continued to perform extensively in the Toronto area. Various versions of this quartet have played numerous dates outside of Toronto, including the Atlantic Jazz Festival, Montreal's Upstairs Club, Vancouver's Cotton Club and others.
Since the late 1970s, Lorne has worked as a jazz performance instructor at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto. Additionally, Lorne taught for several years at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and has an extensive private teaching practice.
Lorne continues to teach and perform in the Toronto area where he remains a mainstay of the jazz scene.
Discography
- Lorne Lofsky - "It Could Happen To You" Pablo records, 1980
- Johnny Hartman - "This One's For Tedi", Audiophile Rec., 1981
- "Brass Connection" - Innovation Records, 1982 - Juno award winner
- Brass Connection - "A New Look", Innovation Records, 1984
- "Chet Baker in Buffalo" - CCB Records, 1984
- "Ed Bickert, Lorne Lofsky and Friends", Unisson Records, 1985
- Brass Connection - "A Five Star Edition", Innovation Records, 1988
- Ed Bickert and Lorne Lofsky - "This is New", Concord Records, 1990
- "Lorne Lofsky" -Jazz Inspiration Records, 1992
- Duncan Hopkins, "Le Rouge" (with Kenny Wheeler), 1993
- Lorne Lofsky - "Bill Please" - Jazz Inspiration Rec., 1994 - Juno Award Nominee
- "The More I See You", with Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, Ray Brown, Clark Terry and Lewis Nash - Telarc Records, 1995
- Rob McConnell's Boss Brass "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" - Concord Records, 1995
- Oscar Peterson - "An Oscar Peterson Christmas" - Telarc Records, 1995
- "Oscar In Paris" (Live at Salle Pleyel) - Telarc Records, 1996
- Kirk Macdonald - "The Atlantic Sessions" - Koch Records,1997 [Juno Award Winner]
- Kirk Macdonald - "New Beginnings" - Radioland Records,1998 [Juno Award Nominee]
- Joey DeFrancesco - "One Take" featuring Lorne Lofsky - Alma Records, [2003 Juno Award Nominee]
- Inside Out (Lorne Lofsky, Kieran Overs & Barry Romberg) - What Is This Thing? - Romhog Records, 2004