International jazz drummer, Morgan Childs, will be playing Invermere’s Christ Church Trinity on Sunday, February 3. Childs grew up in Invermere and spent ten years in the Vancouver jazz scene before moving to Toronto in 2009.
“My dad taught music at J.A. Laird while I was growing up,” Childs said. “I have had a chance to play in Invermere at least once a year since I moved away and I love coming back. It’s a chance to play for the people who raised me, so to speak. It’s an important opportunity to reconnect with everyone.”
During his celebrated career, Childs has performed across North America as a leader and a sideman at major festivals, universities, clubs and concert venues. Some of the artists he has performed or recorded with include Ingrid Jensen, Rob Scheps, Mike Murley, Brad Turner, Bill Coon, Mike Allen, Phil Dwyer, Laila Biali, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Brandi Disterheft, David Braid, Hugh Fraser, Robi Botos, Zach Brock, Chris Gale, Kelly Jefferson, and Don Thompson.
Childs received the Grand Prix award at the Montreal International Jazz festival in 2009, and again in 2012, which puts him in a very rare club of musicians to have achieved this level of recognition. Speaking to his writing style, Childs said that he usually composes his arrangements using a keyboard and his voice before handing the music over to a musician he trusts to interpret it further.
“I often sing melodies that come into my head when I am out and about into my iPhone and then at a later date I can go into my bank of ideas and explore them on the keyboard,” he said. “The main thing is to get something onto a piece of paper that can be deciphered by a musician whose sound you admire and whose interpretation you feel will lend something to the notes that you have written. The personality of the artist you choose to play your music is a really important thing.”
This time around, Childs will be travelling with three award-winning musicians. The group consists of Childs on drums, multi-award winning saxophonist Kelly Jefferson as the front man, former Boss Brass pianist Dave Restivo and one of Toronto’s most in-demand bassists, Jon Maharaj.
As a lead-up to the tour, Childs will be featured on the CBC show, Hot Air, which will be broadcast across the province and online at 6:05 p.m. MST on Saturday (January 19) so tune in to the program to learn a little bit more about this homegrown jazz sensation, and make sure you grab your tickets while they last for his show on February 3. Tickets are available at The Book Bar, Essentials, Picture This Foto Source, Pynelogs, Radium Video and Fairmont Gift Shop. Prices are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Doors for the show open at 7:30 p.m. with the music beginning at 8 p.m. Call 250-342-4423 for more information.