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William Carn

Trombonist William Carn has emerged as one of Canada’s leading contemporary jazz composers and performers. He has performed and recorded with jazz artists such as Rob McConnell, Randy Brecker, David Binney, Kenny Wheeler, Barry Harris, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Kevin Mahogany, Mike Murley, Hilario Duran, Andrew Downing, Bernie Senensky, Don Thompson, and Phil Dwyer. His debut release, Other Stories, was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award as Traditional Jazz Album of the Year. He has also been nominated for Trombonist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards from 2004 to 2007.

As a bandleader, William currently leads the William Carn Quintet, featuring some of Canada’s finest musicians. The group includes Kelly Jefferson, saxophones; David Braid, piano; Kieran Overs, bass; and Anthony Michelli, drums. The group will be releasing their follow-up recording, Lessons Learned in the spring of 2007 and with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, will be supporting it with a 14-city tour, which will take them across Canada.

The William Carn Quintet’s has performed all across Canada as well as headlining at the Beaches International Jazz Festival in Toronto.

William also enjoys a diverse freelance career in Toronto having worked with classical ensembles like the Niagara Brass Quintet, musicals including The Producers, Frank: A Life in Song and Grease, and also pnumerous studio and concert engagements for commercial artists such as Sarah Slean, Hawksley Workman, Emily Haynes, Kathleen Edwards, Dionne Taylor, Sophie Millman, Jeff Healy, Colin James, Jack Soul, Jarvis Church, Aretha Franklin, Jon Secada, Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton, Christopher Cross, Sisqo, Frankie Valli, and Don Rickles.

As a clinician and teacher, William has taught throughout Canada for such distinguished institutions as the University of Toronto, Capilano College, Grant MacEwan College, Mohawk College and for the Toronto, York and Etobicoke boards of Education.

Currently William is a member of several ensembles including the the Hilario Duran Big Band, Kieran Overs Dectet, the Bernie Senensky Septet, the Andy Ballantyne Large Ensemble (ABLE), the Paul Read Orchestra (PRO), the Art of Jazz Orchestra, the Heilig Manoeuvre, the Vern Dorge Sextet, the Urban Arts Brass Ensemble, and the Laura Hubert Band.

William is a Rath trombone artist and clinician as well as an instructor for both the University of Toronto Jazz Studies program and Humber College.

Gear

Rath R3 trombone Mouthpiece - Monette TS6


Tags

30
Album Review

The Nimmons Tribute: Volume 2--Generational

Read "Volume 2--Generational" reviewed by Jack Bowers


If you live in Canada and are not familiar with the name Phil Nimmons, you probably have not been paying close enough attention. Nimmons, who surpassed the century mark in June 2023, is often referred to as the “Dean of Canadian Jazz," and listing his many accomplishments and awards would require far more space than is ordinarily set aside for a complete review. Suffice to say that Nimmons has been active as a composer, arranger, performer and educator longer than ...

3
Album Review

Marc Jordan: Waiting for the Sun to Rise

Read "Waiting for the Sun  to Rise" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Occasionally one comes across a singer-songwriter-musician and wonders just how he or she has managed to evade detection. In this case, the sense of living under a rock is only somewhat assuaged by consulting the artist's website (www.marcjordan.com) only to land on a page entitled “Marc Who?" The text describes Marc Jordan as a singer, songwriter, composer and artist whose songs have been on 35 million CDs. Jordan, who is the proverbial “overnight success," has been at it for over ...

5
Album Review

The Nimmons Tribute: Volume 2 - Generational

Read "Volume 2  - Generational" reviewed by John Chacona


Anyone who listened to Canadian radio after the adoption of the so-called Canadian Content requirement in the '70s probably heard a lot of Phil Nimmons' music. To be sure, the clarinetist, composer and arranger had achieved some recognition south of the 49th parallel through his RCA recordings of the '50s but, by choosing to base his career in jny: Toronto, he became a living symbol of Canadian jazz. When the nation celebrated the 100th anniversary of Confederation in 1967, Nimmons ...

36
Album Review

The Composers Collective Big Band: The Toronto Project

Read "The Toronto Project" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The term Composers Collective is quite often a thinly veiled phrase that signifies “experimental" or “avant-garde" jazz. Thankfully, that is far from true on the Composers Collective Big Band's irrepressible The Toronto Project, which carries the listener on a buoyant and colorful musical journey through Canada's largest city, capital of the province of Ontario and home to a number of superb jazz musicians. True, there are some moments when the Collective veers from conservative to exploratory, but ...

12
Album Review

Willliam Carn: Choices

Read "Choices" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The short tune “Breathe" opens Choices, sounding like something holy, in a futuristic, science-fiction way. This is how Canadian trombonist William Carn introduces his album. It is a “do it from home," mostly remotely recorded set, reminiscent—to go back over half a century— of Paul McCartney's first solo album McCartney (Apple Records, 1970). McCartney's impetus for recording his “do it yourself" project was the crumbling of the Beatles. Carn's “do it yourself" Choices came about due to the isolation and ...

35
Album Review

Noam Lemish: Twelve

Read "Twelve" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The number Twelve has several explicit meanings on Israeli-born composer/pianist Noam Lemish's eighth album as leader of his own ensemble, which is twelve members strong (well, thirteen on the first two numbers, on which Laura Swankey adds wordless vocals, and twenty-five if one counts the thirteen-member chorus on Track 3). Returning to the basic premise, Lemish composed his first piece of music at age twelve, and it has been twelve years since he relocated from San Francisco to Toronto, Canada. ...

29
Album Review

Carn Davidson 9: The History of Us

Read "The History of Us" reviewed by Jack Bowers


From north of the U.S. border comes The History of Us, a warm-hearted album by the Carn Davidson 9, a Toronto-based nonet co-led by trombonist William Carn and saxophonist Tara Davidson. The album consists of a pair of three-part suites, one by Carn, the other by Davidson, separated by Carn's amiable composition, “Goodbye Old Friend," a fond salute to his late and dearly loved cat, Murphy. Carn's “Finding Home" suite, which leads things off, was inspired by ...

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101

Recording

William Carn's Run Stop Run Releases Self-Titled Debut on Mythology Records.

William Carn's Run Stop Run Releases Self-Titled Debut on Mythology Records.

Source: Two for the Show Media

Run Stop Run is the latest project from Juno-nominated trombonist William Carn. Produced by influential saxophonist/composer David Binney, this debut recording showcases Run Stop Run's contemporary sound. Lush and warm, this recording incorporates infectious grooves with lyrical melodies. Run Stop Run (RSR) is a collective in every sense of the word. Lead by Carn, this quartet features four of Canada's top jazz artists performing their own brand of eclectic, original, modern jazz music. The recording offers original compositions from various ...

170

Event

William Carn Quintet Oct. 28 at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada

William Carn Quintet Oct. 28 at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada

Source: Just Roots PR

The Catbird Jazz Society is pleased to announce that its first concert of the 2007-2008 season will be held on October 28th, at 2:00 in the afternoon in the Brunton Auditorium at Mount Allison University. The details follow.

Tristar Mercedes and the Catbird Jazz Society Present the William Carn Quintet

On Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., the Catbird Jazz Society is presenting a concert by the William Carn Quintet at the Brunton Auditorium at Mount Allison University in ...

85

Performance / Tour

William Carn Quintet Fall 2007 Canadian Tour (September 20-October 3/October 25-28)

William Carn Quintet Fall 2007 Canadian Tour (September 20-October 3/October 25-28)

Source: All About Jazz

Toronto based trombonist, leader, and composer William Carn is excited to announce the William Carn Quintet's (WCQ) Canadian Tour this fall to promote and support the group's second release, Lessons Learned. With the generous assistance of the Canada Council of the Arts, this 12 city Canadian Tour will see the WCQ start their tour in Toronto and go on to visit cities across Canada. The tour will launch on Thursday September 20 at the Court House Jazz Club in Toronto. ...

“William Carn is a charter member of the impressive new generation of players that is making an impact.” - Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star

“…creative improvisation and honest, well crafted compositions.” - Terry Promane, Director of Jazz Studies, University of Toronto

Primary Instrument

Trombone

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Instructor and ensemble coach for the University of Toronto, Jazz Studies program. Instructor for the Humber College Music Program. Rate: $70 Cdn per hour for private lessons

Clinic/Workshop Information

William Carn is a Yamaha Artist and clinician. He has held clinics at universities, colleges and high schools across Canada. Past clinics have included Grant MacKewan College, University of Saskatoon, Capilano College, University of Toronto, and Mohawk College.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

A Canadian Songbook

TBR Records
2025

buy

Magpie

TPR Records
2024

buy

Choices

Self Produced
2023

buy

The Toronto Project

Self Produced
2023

buy

Volume 2 -...

Self Produced
2023

buy

Skeletons

From: A Canadian Songbook
By William Carn

Arf

From: Volume 2 - Generational
By William Carn

West Toronto Ode

From: The Toronto Project
By William Carn

Get Up

From: Choices
By William Carn

Steals on Steeles

From: Twelve
By William Carn

My Shining Hour

From: Abundance
By William Carn

Granada Bus

From: Rev
By William Carn

The Windup

From: Turboprop
By William Carn

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