Genevieve
Phillips
BIOS
Genevieve Phillips - Vocals I am available to sing for corporate and private events as either a duet, trio, quartet, or larger band. Please send me an email via my contacts page.
As a child I listened to my mother singing along to the radio and decided walking to kindergarten I was going to be a singer. I have been singing ever since. I sang in a variety of classical singing groups, along with folk music and later, jazz and blues. I studied with Norma Piper-Poccatera, David Ferguson, and Alexandra Browning-Moore in Toronto, where I also sang at the famous Fat Albert's folk club, which is still going since the 1960's. It was while in Toronto I seriously began my Jazz journey.
I taught singing technique at the Alberta School of Music, Calgary. I also studied cello, played in the Calgary Youth Orchestra, under Frank Simpson, and later studied with John Kadz, and am currently learning piano.
More recently I have been performing around Calgary these last few years and have sung at the JazzYYC jazz festivals. I performed in Puebla, Mexico and I've had the thrill of jamming with jazz greats, Dave Restivo, some of the Shuffle Demons, and Calgary's own brilliant bass man and jazz aficionado Kodi Hutchinson at the JazzYYC pre-Covid summer jazz festival jam.
While music has been my primary passion since kingergarten, I am also passionate about 3D art and I hold a Fine Arts degree from the Alberta College of Art and Design in Glass, Ceramics, and Printmaking.
Some of the other many wonderful musicians I have sung with are:
Andrea Petrity, jazz pianist, composer and arranger. The woman who can follow any singer. You can find her at; andreapetrity.com
Esteban Herrera, jazz pianist, composer, arranger and the man of a thousand tempos.
William Friedson, jazz flutist and pianist who played and learned the noble art of jazz in the mean streets and back rooms of New York.
Robin Harris, percussion. Robin is probably one of the most extraordinary creative drummers & sound makers I've had the pleasure of singing with.
Doug Paddock, a drummer with some of the sweetest jazz drums I've heard.
Neil McVey, jazz guitar. The maestro is an incredible soulful player.
Craig Galambos, guitar. He plays with numerous bands in genres from Metal, Rock and Folk to Jazz.
Luis Tovar, a very timely percussionist on everything from drums to congas and bongos.
Daniel Nava, Venezualean bass player of extraordinary ability.
Reese Perry, an adroit electric bass player originally from Australia. She has periodically performed with me in a quartet.
And many more...
My deepest apologies to all those not mentioned.
My usual trio consists of:
Peter Strietman - Guitar
Originally from the Netherlands, Peter began playing when he was 12 yrs. old. He played pop and rock music in Cool The Engines and Scheuren in A (which translates to something like "tearing it up in the key of A"). In his mid 20's he was first introduced to jazz when he was preparing for music college. He never made it to music college and got a day job but continued listening to jazz and joined Phil's Big Band. Motivated by his friend Slacknote he also started recording and producing acid jazz music as Jasu. Some of the Jasu recordings have been licensed for use on MTV India and the TV show Supah Ninjas. He also returned to play rock music with singer Pieter Snel in Cold Painters. He has been recording his own compositions as 'Jasu' since the 1990's. Since immigrating to Vancouver, in his early 30's, he has hooked up with drummer Alex Babeanu and bassist Laurent Pelissier in Vancouver to start Moustache Verticale., and after his move to Calgary, he started writing tunes for Shadoplay. Later he hooked up with bass player Wally Petersen, drummer Ed Batley and pianist Lyle Galloway using the name Jasu again, and used this as an opportunity to write more tunes. Peter now primarily plays a lot of freelance jazz work, including often acting as musical host for the Cafe Koi jazz jams and playing in Round Midnight and JHJW. He currently keeps busy playing with among others, the Schmoozers, Roxanne Young, Shadoplay, the Fernie Hammond Trio, Rua and Beanstalk, and of course Genevieve's band!
Stephano Valdo - Bass, B.Sci, M.Mus
An experienced Performer, Studio Musician and Music Educator. Born in Northern Italy, he studied classical guitar and double bass at the local Conservatory.
In 1988 he moved to Los Angeles to study jazz arranging and composition at the Grove School of Music. Stefano immersed himself into the L.A. music scene and as a freelance musician. He joined the Grove School of Music Faculty, assisting noted music educator Mark Harrison in the General Musicianship and Small Group Arranging classes.
In 1996 he joined Harrison School of Music as Bass Program coordinator. During his tenure Stefano wrote the class curriculum for the Bass Program. He kept refining his instrumental skills by taking private lessons with bassists Miroslav Vitous, Dave Holland, and Jeff Berlin and Joel Dibartolo.
In 1999, Stefano earned his Master of Music degree from California State University at Long Beach. While at CSULB, he taught theory and ear training classes for the Undergraduate Program and continued to produce, record and perform for numerous independent projects. Among them he produced and arranged a twelve-piece jazz band album entitled, “L.A. Supper Club”, and two CD’s for noted flamenco group, Sarkis Quatro for which he also served as Music Director.
Among top jazz artists Stefano has performed with are: Ed Shaughnessy, Greg Bissonette, Justo Almario, Bobby Shew, Buddy Collette, Mike Whitaker, Jay Daversa, John Daversa, Jimmy Smith, Corey Christiansen, Phil Dwyer, Robi Botos and Caroll Welsman to name a few.
John McNeil - Percussion
John started playing at the age of 10, taking concert, jazz, and choir in high school. He has played in several bands including Rock, Polka, Funk, Jazz, Reggae, Latin, Fusion and original acts. He has recorded with such bands as Insession, Switch, Activate, Viewer Discretion, Open BSD project, Tomko Lamb, Mike Molotov and the Flying Cocktails, Shadow Play and The Plaid Tongued Devils. He has also performed with the Devils in a play at One Yellow Rabbit called Inkleskavania as well as worked with The Green Fools on a theatre project called "I think I'm a wolf." And who said A.D.D. is a problem?