Chris is a jazz drummer born and based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As both a composer and performer, he shares the stage with prominent local musicians, including Rosemary Galloway and Niall Cade, in ensembles such as the Galloway/Cade Big Band and the Thursday Night Big Band. Off the stage, Chris is a contributor to the Envato Marketplace, composing music for TV, film, and commercial jingles.
Chris’s pursuit of music education began at Grant MacEwan College, where he earned a performance diploma. He then continued his studies at the prestigious Schulich School of Music at McGill University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance.
Chris has had the opportunity to travel the world as both a sideman and leader in various cruise ship ensembles, performing with acclaimed artists such as Andy Bell, Judy Carmichael, and Ian and Elliot Finkel. The wide variety of groups, entertainers, and musical genres encountered during his travels—from Broadway and Motown to Top 40—has deepened his love and appreciation for many styles of music.
Chris is deeply grateful for the guidance and mentorship of several esteemed musicians, including Stewart Smith, Christine Jensen, Brian Thurgood, Dan Skakun, Ray Baril, Chris McCann, Jan Jarczyk, Kevin Dean, and Josh Rager.
“While in 8th grade, I played guitar in my school’s stage band. It was an exciting and important part of my life, and I believe it was around this time that my path in music was set. The school would often make an annual trip to Bemidji, Minnesota, for a weekend of jazz education. Many schools participated, playing a few tunes in front of adjudicators. Each band would perform their pieces in front of an audience (mostly other schools), then receive feedback from a few handpicked jazz professionals. That year, Roland Vazquez was our adjudicator.
Our band played Rockman by Jay Chattaway. The unison bass lines were fun to play on guitar, and I was having a blast. Bless his heart, our drummer was finding the rhythms a bit challenging, and the band got off track more than a few times. After playing the piece, the group sat in silence for a few awkward moments as we waited for Roland’s comments.
Roland stood up from the adjudicator table at the front of the stage and approached the band. He made several attempts to get the band to feel the syncopation, but after we replayed those tricky measures, he could tell (as could most of us) that it wasn’t going to happen. Roland then asked if he could sit in and play with the band. He approached the drums, sat at the drum stool, and counted us in. We braced ourselves for those challenging measures to come.
We were in it. Not only did we breeze through those tricky bars of music, we did so with such strength, led by an infectious groove and spirit. Internally, I said, YES! It was a feeling like no other, and I was ecstatic. From that moment on, I wanted to do that! I wanted to lay down the groove and take people for a ride, just like Roland did for us. It set me on a path.
Since then, I’ve fallen in love with Roland’s music and still listen to his albums regularly. I thank him for this gift, and I hope I can pay it forward.”
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