Friendly Rich (Ontario)
Friendly Rich is a mad composer from Oakville, Ontario, and one of the finest improvisers in Canada. He was the 2013 Artist-in-Residence whose re-imagining of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade is an all-time Guelph Jazz Festival highlight. Previously, Rich composed background music for three seasons of MTV’s The Tom Green Show. Since 1994, he has recorded exclusively for his own eclectic record label, The Pumpkin Pie Corporation. Rich holds a Masters degree in music from the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Lee Bartel and composer R. Murray Schafer. Friendly Rich and his modern music ensemble, The Lollipop People, has toured the world, sharing the stage alongside such artists as Of Montreal, The Tiger Lillies, and Amanda Palmer. He leads a quartet with Phil Miles (guitar), Steve Ward (trombone & electronics), and Joe Sorbara (drums)
Friday 15 September, 9:45pm, Market Square Stage, free