Primary Instrument: Piano
Toronto keyboardist Bernie Senensky has earned the reputation of being one of Canada's premier jazz artists. His playing has been featured internationally in many concerts & festivals, and he is recognized and respected as one of the foremost jazz pianists anywhere.
He was the only Canadian guest on “Oscar Peterson Presents”, a CTV National TV series. He has also been a guest on Marian McPartland's renowned Public Radio show “Piano Jazz”. In addition, Senensky has been featured on CBC radio and TV, and many of his concerts have been recorded by CBC (Jazz Beat), CJRT-FM (The Jazz Scene, Sound Of Toronto Jazz), and Global-TV (Sounds Impressive) to name a few.
He was twice voted “Best Acoustic Pianist” in the Jazz Report Awards, and he won the SOCAN award for “Best Jazz Composition” for his “BLUES FOR CLIFFORD”, a tribute to saxophonist Clifford Jordan.
He has quietly compiled a track record of 12 albums as a leader (three of which have received Juno nominations), and a long list of performances alongside jazz's biggest names, including Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Chet Baker, Zoot Sims, Art Pepper, George Coleman, Donald Byrd, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Ernestine Anderson and Elvin Jones (who called Bernie “one of the finest pianists I have worked with in my career”). Clarinetist Buddy DeFranco described him as “The best of the best”, while Bill Evans once said: “I could just sit and listen to him play all day!”
He has recorded with numerous artists such as: Pharoh Sanders, Rashied Ali, Moe Koffman, Dizzy Gillespie, Eugene Amaro, Salome Bey, Herbie Spanier, Peter Appleyard, Tisziji Munoz, Gary Bartz, Akira Tana, Harvie Swartz, Ray Drummond, Marvin 'Smitty' Smith, Bobby Watson, Marty Morell, Fred Stone, Nick Brignola, Kenny Wheeler, Craig Handy, Don Pate, Ted Moses, Ed Bickert, Claude Ranger, Michel Donato, Dave Leibman, Bob Moses, Cecil McBee, Terry Clarke, Bob Mover, Sam Noto, Neil Swainson, Pat LaBarbera, Jerry Fuller, Guillerme Franco, Keiran Overs, Barry Elmes, John Macleod, Don Alias, Eddie Henderson, Eric Alexander, Joe Farnsworth, Dennis Irwin & Chris Potter
Senensky's compositions have been recorded by Buddy DeFranco, Red Rodney, Lynn McDonald, Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert, Eugene Amaro, Don Thompson, Becca Duran, Arlene Smith, Georgia Ambros, Dick Berk, Lenny Solomon, Oliver Jones, Bill McBirnie & Pat Bianchi.
