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John Geggie

A native of the Gatineau Valley, John Geggie has studied with numerous esteemed teachers in both the orchestral as well as the improvised music fields. In Ottawa, he worked with David Currie of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and continued post-graduate studies with Larry Hurst and Bruce Bransby at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). With the help of a grants through the Canada Council for the Arts, John studied with the well-known bassists Gary Peacock, Palle Danielsson and Anders Jormin. John Geggie has secured for himself a position in the Canadian and international jazz scene as a versatile musician and creative composer. He has two CDs released under his own name, The Geggie Project with Marilyn Crispell (Ambiances Magnétique) and The Geggie Trio featuring Donny McCaslin, Across the Sky (Plunge Records). For nine years, he has programmed, curated and performed in his own series (The Geggie Series) of improvisational concerts at the Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa (Canada). He has also recorded or performed with a veritable who’s who of creative improvised music: Edward Simon, Seamus Blake, Donny McCaslin, Jon Christensen, Andy Milne, Ben Monder, George Colligan, Craig Taborn, Sheila Jordan, David Murray, Andrew Cyrille, Matt Brubeck, Ted Nash, Billy Hart, Vic Juris, Marilyn Crispell, Myra Melford. Bill Carrothers, Cuong Vu and bassist Mark Dresser. He has for many years hosted the Late Night Jam Sessions at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. Previously, he has performed at various international festivals including in Rouen and Maubeuge (France), in Molde (Norway) and throughout the United States. Geggie has also performed and composed music for the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. His performances are regularly heard on broadcasts by the CBC and SRC (Société Radio-Canada). In addition, he continues to maintain a busy concert schedule with the 13 Strings Chamber Ensemble and is involved in many recording projects. John is on faculty at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York (SUNY Potsdam) and has students at both Carleton University (Ottawa) as well as University of Ottawa.


Tags

1
Album Review

Alex Moxon Quartet: Alex Moxon Quartet

Read "Alex Moxon Quartet" reviewed by Jack Bowers


After gigging and teaching in his native Canada for almost two decades, guitarist Alex Moxon has recorded the first album solely under his name, and it is a well-played, mostly middle-of-the-road studio session in which his quartet may not turn any heads but should not turn anyone off either. It is simply pleasant, non-unnerving music--much of it written by Moxon--into which the ensemble pours its collective talents to produce a bright and agreeable outcome. Happily for prospective ...

5
Live Review

John Geggie / Lorne Lofsky / Joe Sullivan / Jim Doxas: Ottawa, Canada, May 26, 2012

Read "John Geggie / Lorne Lofsky / Joe Sullivan / Jim Doxas: Ottawa, Canada, May 26, 2012" reviewed by John Kelman


John Geggie / Lorne Lofsky / Joe Sullivan / Jim DoxasGeggie Concert SeriesNAC Fourth Stage, Ottawa, CanadaMay 26, 2012For his final show of the 2011/2012 Geggie Concert Series, Ottawa bassist John Geggie put together a group of Canadian musicians who are all deserving of broader international recognition. A down-the-middle mainstream jazz set, it still had plenty of surprises in store for the near-capacity crowd at the National Arts Centre's Fourth Stage, and if it was ...

66
Live Review

John Geggie / Ron Miles / David Occhipinti: Ottawa, Canada, January 14, 2012

Read "John Geggie / Ron Miles / David Occhipinti: Ottawa, Canada, January 14, 2012" reviewed by John Kelman


John Geggie / Ron Miles / David OcchipintiGeggie Concert SeriesNAC Fourth Stage, Ottawa, CanadaJanuary 14, 2012 For his first concert of 2012, bassist John Geggie reaffirmed the astute ability to bring together musicians in unheard-of configurations that's made his longstanding Geggie Concert Series an Ottawa institution. Despite living in a city that would have a hard time getting classified as a jazz mecca, Geggie's leadership of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival's late night jam ...

674
Live Review

John Geggie / Frank Kimbrough / Jean Martin: Ottawa, Canada April 17, 2010

Read "John Geggie / Frank Kimbrough / Jean Martin: Ottawa, Canada April 17, 2010" reviewed by John Kelman


John Geggie/Frank Kimbrough/Jean Martin Geggie Concert Series NAC Fourth Stage, Ottawa, Canada April 17, 2010

Over the past several years, amidst a variety of oddly-configured groups, Ottawa, Canada-based bassist John Geggie has brought a wealth of outstanding pianists to his annual Geggie Concert Series at the National Arts Centre's Fourth Stage. From Marilyn Crispell and Myra Melford to Craig Taborn and Bill Carrothers, Geggie has continued to pursue his “without a safety net" aesthetic, ...

505
Live Review

John Geggie: Ottawa, Canada, March 6, 2010

Read "John Geggie: Ottawa, Canada, March 6, 2010" reviewed by John Kelman


John Geggie Geggie Concert Series NAC Fourth Stage, Ottawa, Canada March 6, 2010

Following up his CD release party for Across the Sky (Plunge, 2010)--a quartet show that, featuring the effervescent saxophonist Donny McCaslin, burned up the stage at Ottawa's Fourth Stage in the National Arts Centre, bassist John Geggie returned with the fifth installment of his annual Geggie Concert Series with a group of high profile Canadian horn players (and one American). ...

467
Album Review

John Geggie / Marilyn Crispell / Nick Fraser: Geggie Project

Read "Geggie Project" reviewed by John Kelman


Released a few months prior to Across the Sky (Plunge, 2009) and, despite the two releases really representing one multifaceted debut, Geggie Project is the official first release as a leader from John Geggie, a bassist deserving far greater recognition. Geggie Project finds the Ottawa, Canada-based bassist, Toronto-based drummer Nick Fraser, and inestimable free improvising pianist Marilyn Crispell entering the realm of music as conversation. Given her more recent inward-looking proclivities, it wouldn't be a huge leap to compare Geggie ...

1,214
Interview

John Geggie: Unexpected Conversations

Read "John Geggie: Unexpected Conversations" reviewed by John Kelman


Most cities have them: musicians who act like a lightning rod, focusing and driving their jazz scenes. In Ottawa, Canada, bassist John Geggie has been one of those significant focal points for two decades, but in particular over the past ten years. He's one of the founding organizers and faculty members of Jazzworks which, amongst other things, runs an annual Jazz Camp—a weekend boot camp for aspiring musicians from near and far, at various degrees of skill, to hone their ...

Read more articles
105

Interview

Bassist John Geggie Interviewed at AAJ...And More!

Bassist John Geggie Interviewed at AAJ...And More!

Source: All About Jazz

Most cities have them: musicians who act like a lightning rod, focusing and driving their jazz scenes. In Ottawa, Canada, bassist John Geggie has been one of those significant focal points for two decades, but in particular over the past ten years. He's one of the founding organizers and faculty members of Jazzworks which, amongst other things, runs an annual Jazz Camp--a weekend boot camp for aspiring musicians from near and far, at various degrees of skill, to hone their ...

115

Event

New Year's Eve with John Geggie at the NAC Fourth Stage!

New Year's Eve with John Geggie at the NAC Fourth Stage!

Source: Michael Ricci

The National Arts Centre (NAC) Fourth Stage is delighted to usher in the New Year in style with John Geggie and guests, Thursday, December 31 at 9 p.m. John will be joined for this special evening by Mark Ferguson, Tena Palmer, Paul Rainville and Charles Gay, and champagne and cake will be served just before the countdown to midnight! John Geggie has established himself on the Canadian and international jazz scene as a versatile musician and ...

282

Performance / Tour

Jazz Geggie Series Presents Padovani, Trudel and Mazza

Jazz Geggie Series Presents Padovani, Trudel and Mazza

Source: Michael Ricci

The National Arts Centre is pleased to announce the Fourth Stage 10th season with the return of the critically acclaimed Geggie Series. The first concert of the season will be presented in collaboration with the Embassy of France and the Alliance Franaise on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 8pm. The concert will have a transatlantic flavour with the presence of French saxophonist Jean-Marc Padovani, pianist Marianne Trudel and drummer/percussionist Aldo Mazza, both from Montreal. Explains John Geggie 'I am thrilled ...

120

Event

Bassist John Geggie Returns to NAC's Fourth Stage with new series, 5 Shades of Geggie

Bassist John Geggie Returns to NAC's Fourth Stage with new series, <i>5 Shades of Geggie</i>

Source: All About Jazz

Ottawa (Canada), September 30, 2004 - In response to the immense success and growing popularity of the past three seasons, the Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre is pleased to present a new series of concerts, 5 Shades of Geggie, featuring critically acclaimed double bass player, John Geggie. The series kicks off on Saturday, October 9, 2004 at 8pm when Geggie is joined by his guests, two of Quebec's more unique creative improvisational jazz sensations, saxophonist Yannick Rieu and ...

116

Performance / Tour

John Geggie Concert Series Returns To The National Arts Centre

John Geggie Concert Series Returns To The National Arts Centre

Source: All About Jazz

The Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre (NAC) is presenting an encore series of five concerts featuring renowned bassist John Geggie and special guests. Last year's sold out series was a critical and artistic triumph. At the series launch on Saturday, October 19, 2002, at 8pm, Geggie welcomes trumpeter and vocalist Floyd Standifer Jr. from Seattle, WA and Toronto pianist Nancy Walker. You will be entranced by an evening of classic interpretations of the Great American Songbook as well ...

Primary Instrument

Bass

Location

Ottawa

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Palle Danielsson
bass, acoustic
Gary Peacock
bass, acoustic
Larry Grenadier
bass, acoustic

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Postcard

Self Produced
2023

buy

Alex Moxon Quartet

Self Produced
2020

buy

Across the Sky

Plunge Records
2010

buy

Geggie Project

Ambiances Magnetiques
2010

buy

In a Capricornian Way

From: Alex Moxon Quartet
By John Geggie

Across the Sky

From: Geggie Project
By John Geggie

Scatterbrain Drain

From: Across the Sky
By John Geggie

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