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Myriad3

Myriad3 was an accident. Chris Donnelly, Daniel Fortin, and Ernesto Cervini had never played together until a few substitutions and a twist of fate put them on stage together for the first time in late 2010. Since then, the trio has been making music in every jazz club in the Greater Toronto Area.

The band is a true collective. Each member acts simultaneously as a leader and a sideman. They play mostly original music that features different aspects of jazz improvisation, ensemble playing and contemporary composition. Myriad3 is modern jazz, meets classical, meets pop, meets Oscar Peterson.

In November 2012, Myriad3 released their debut album, Tell on Universal/Alma Records.

FRENCH TRANSLATION:

Myriad3 n’était pas fait exprès. Chris Donnelly, Dan Fortin et Ernesto Cervini n’avaient jamais joué ensemble jusqu’a que quelques remplacements et un peu de chance les ont mis en scène, ensemble pour la première fois, a la fin de l’année 2010. Depuis, le trio joue souvent dans toutes les salles de jazz à Toronto et les alentours.

La groupe est une vraie collectif. Chaque membre participe simultanément comme dirigeant et accompagnateur. Ils jouent, pour la plupart, de la musique originale qui démonstre plusieurs aspects différents de l’improvisation et composition comtemporain. Myriad3 est de la même fois le jazz moderne, la musique classique, la musique pop, tout en étant inspiré par Oscar Peterson.

PIRATE TRANSLATION:

Avast! Myriad3 be an accident. Blackbeard, Guybrush, an’ Captain Pugwash nereplayed together ‘ til wee substitutions an’ a twist o’ fate put ‘em on stage together fer th’ first time in late 2010. Aft, th’ land lubbers smartly be makin’ music in ever’ jazz club in th’ Greater Toronto Area.

Aye, th’ band be a true collective. Th’ mates acts ary th’ same time as leader an’ sideman. They play th’ jigs that features aspects o’ jazz improvisation, ensemble playin’ an’ new writin’. Myriad3 be modern jazz, be classical, be pop, be Oscar Peterson.

In Novembree 2012, Myriad3 pillaged the’r openin’ album, Tell on Universal/Alma Records. Yarr!

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Album Review

Myriad3: Vera

Read "Vera" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Nell'affollato universo dei piano trio, i canadesi del Myriad 3 confermano il loro approccio personale fondato su calibrati equilibri musicali, in un gioco minimalista dove confluiscono elementi di rock progressivo e musica da camera. La loro musica è attentamente progettata e il pianoforte di Chris Donnelly svolge un ruolo davvero paritario con il contrabbasso di Dan Fortin e le percussioni (e quant'altro) di Ernesto Cervini. Diversamente dalla tipica impostazione jazzistica non abbiamo quasi mai articolate melodie di ...

2
Album Review

Myriad3: Vera

Read "Vera" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


The number of contemporary jazz piano trios that take their inspiration from non-jazz sources seems to grow all the time. To a list that includes The Bad Plus, Phronesis, and E.S.T. add the Canadian group Myriad3 which draws from concepts in classical music and progressive rock. They often begin their pieces with one repeated figure and spin hypnotic webs of variations and countermelodies from there. Their style can produce works of singular beauty. On “Diamond," a quiet piano ...

4
Album Review

Myriad3: Vera

Read "Vera" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Vera, the fourth album from the Toronto-based trio collective Myriad3, is a fascinating example of how fastidious design principles and shrewdly executed extemporization can truly complement and even counterpoise one another. There's serious attention to detail in each of these ten pieces, but the music benefits greatly from its embrace of uncertainties and creative expression(s). Opening with pianist Chris Donnelly's “Pluie Lyonnaise," Myriad3 immediately taps into a minimalist stream with a maximalist mindset. Characterized by hypnotic tides ...

5
Album Review

Myriad3: Moons

Read "Moons" reviewed by Dave Wayne


Myriad3's third release, Moons follows very much in the vein of their first two, Tell (Alma Records, 2012) and The Where (Alma Records, 2014), yet there are subtle differences both in instrumentation and their approach to their material. In short, a lot of growth is evident when one compares Moons to its predecessors. Tell, recorded a scant 2 years after the trio's formation, is essentially a virtuosic acoustic jazz album: three young cats flexing their well-developed chops. The thing that ...

10
Album Review

Myriad3: Moons

Read "Moons" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Someone's always trying to take a tried and true format out on a new tangent. Consider the piano trio: Bill Evans introduced deep, classically-influenced harmonics and a democracy of instrumental input in the late fifties and early sixties. The Esbjorn Svennson Trio (e.s.t.) brought in classical, rock, pop and techno elements; The Bad Plus plays with avant-garde jazz and pop/rock influences, and they can be loud. Even the tried and true changes. It's all good; and some of it is ...

1
Album Review

Myriad3: The Where

Read "The Where" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Dopo il notevole debutto di due anni fa con Tell, il piano trio canadese torna con un avventuroso lavoro, che evidenzia personalità in una formula strumentale che sembrava aver espresso ormai tutto, senza lasciare altri margini creativi. Se quell'esordio s'ispirava al trio EST di Esbjörn Svensson ora la ricerca si fa più autonoma, ponendo in essere nuove e avvincenti soluzioni, comunque aliene da facili consensi. Una crescita sotto molti punti di vista dunque: nella varietà e complessità dello spettro timbrico ...

11
Album Review

Myriad3: The Where

Read "The Where" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Myriad3--the Toronto-based trio of pianist Chris Donnelly, bassist Dan Fortin, and drummer Ernesto Cervini--may be the most noteworthy small group to emerge from Canada in years. Tell (Alma, 2013) introduced the band to the world, marking Myriad3 as an outfit with a post-modern outlook, respect for the traditions of this music, and the smarts not to let that respect get in the way of what it set out to do. Audacity, assurance, and the spirit of cooperation ...

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“Myriad3 certainly makes the most of its members' musicianship, but what makes this trio an even more exciting prospect is the strength-in-depth of its compositional talents. Donnelly, Fortin and Cervini are all writers with intriguing, individual, styles.” – Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz

“It is with “C Jam Blues” wherein their sharp taste for voluntary disruption is the most obviously noticeable. The trio succeeds in giving the impression of an Oscar Peterson LP which a DJ has amused himself by changing the tempos at random (and thus the tonalities) – passing the torch of the grand tradition of jazz trios which originated in Toronto. A revelation!” – Ludovic Florin, Jazz Magazine

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Vera

Alma Records
2018

buy

Moons

Alma Records
2016

buy

The Where

Alma Records
2015

buy

The Where

Alma Records
2014

buy

Myriad 3: Tell

Alma Records
2013

buy

Tell

Alma Records
2012

buy

Skeleton Key

From: Moons
By Myriad3

Myriad

From: Tell
By Myriad3

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