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Gypsophilia
Gypsophilia’s raucous mash-up of original sounds is in full force on their third album Constellation (Forward, 2011), which was recorded at Montreal’s legendary hotel2tango studio with producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre, Stars, Lhasa). Constellation is the band’s most polished and inspired effort yet; the album features 11 original songs of varying styles, bursting with energy from the live-to-tape sessions.
In recent years the band has become a formidable touring outfit, regularly crisscrossing the country. Their killer live shows have made them an audience favourite at major festivals and small clubs alike. With their mix of serious musicianship, humour and showmanship they are capable of enchanting a sit-down crowd one moment, and whipping people into a dancing, clapping, singing frenzy the next.
Their previous release, Sa-ba-da-OW!, won two East Coast Music Awards (Jazz and Instrumental Album of the Year) and a Music Nova Scotia Award (Jazz Album of the Year) and finished in the number 1 slot overall for 2009 on !chartattack’s year-end national campus radio jazz chart.
Shortly after forming Gypsophilia created a Halifax phenomenon by regularly renting halls and throwing swing dance parties. The events were always wild, sold out affairs where the audience showed up in 30’s costumes, danced madly and created a sexy, carnival atmosphere. After three years of building their chops as one of the best live bands in Nova Scotia they finally recorded and released their first album, Minor Hope, in 2007. It was nominated for both and ECMA and a Music Nova Scotia Award that year.
The seven-piece Gypsophilia features Alec Frith, Nick Wilkinson and Ross Burns on guitars; Sageev Oore on piano, accordion and keyboards; Matt Myer on trumpet; Adam Fine on double bass and Gina Burgess on violin. Frith, Myer and Burns all play with the roots-reggae band Verbal Warnin’; Myer is an ECMA and Juno winner with the Johnny Favorite Swing Orchestra; Fine plays regularly with klezmer outfit Der Heisser and improvising guitarist Jeff Torbert. Oore has been a featured soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia and a member of the Woodchoppers Association, while Burgess has also played with Symphony Nova Scotia and with the Maria Osende Flamenco Company.
