Stich
Wynston
Name:
Stich Wynston
Date of Birth:
January 29, 1961
Birthplace:
Toronto
Citizenship:
Canadian
Stich Wynston is a drummer, composer, bandleader and sideman born and based
in Toronto, Canada. He attended York University from 1980-1985 where
he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree majoring in music including
studies in jazz with John Gittens and Lorne Lofsky, South Indian classical
music with Trichy Sancharan and 20th-century classical music with James
Tenney. During that time period, Stich also was accepted to the world-renowned
Banff School of Fine Arts summer jazz music program for three years running
in 1982, 1983 and 1984. While at Banff, Stich had the good fortune
of studying with and playing with Dave Holland, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler,
Lee Konitz, Steve Coleman, John Abercrombie, Anthony Braxton, Albert Manglesdorf
and Julian Priester. In the late seventies while still in high school,
Stich attended two Jamey Aebersold summer jazz clinics with a faculty that
included: Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Slide Hampton, Ronnie Mathews, Hal
Galper, James Williams, Ron McLure, Rufus Reid, Elliot Zigmund and Ed Soph.
Stich has performed
with numerous jazz artists and ensembles including: Julius Hemphill, Jon
Ballantyne, Phil Dwyer, George McFetridge, Mike Murley, Lorne Lofsky, Bob
Mover, Jane Bunnett, Holly Cole, Molly Johnson and Hemispheres. Stich
is also one of the co-founders of the legendary 'Shuffle Demons', a band
with whom he recorded five CDs and toured with for ten years in clubs,
festivals and concert stages throughout North America, Europe and Cuba.
Stich has also worked
with many prominent artists in more commercial settings including: Jane
Siberry, Tom Cochrane, Alex Lifeson, Big Sugar, The Sidemen, Da and Abolengo.
While with the Shuffle
Demons, Stich was the recipient of several CASBY AWARDS and TORONTO MUSIC
AWARDS including: Best Jazz Recording, Best Toronto Jazz Group, Best Independent
Artist and Best Independent Video. Stich also appeared on two different
recordings which received JUNO AWARD nominations (Shuffle Demons - STREETNIKS
- 1987 and Paul Cram Large Band - Beyond Benghazi - 1988). He was
also a member of Big Sugar in 1995 when the Blues/Rock outfit was nominated
for Best New Group at the JUNO'S.
As well as his recordings
with the Shuffle Demons and Paul Cram, Stich's discography includes Jane
Siberry's 'Bound By The Beauty'(Warner Brothers-1989) and Big Sugar's 'Dear
M.F.'(A&M-1995).
In 1996, along with
his long time cohorts Mike Murley and Geoff Young, Stich formed his own
trio called Modern Surfaces. Going far beyond the boundaries of jazz,
Modern Surfaces is a truly unique group encompassing free-improvisation,
20th-century classical music, electronic textures and more. In 1998,
Modern Surfaces recorded their first CD along with
special guest 'Paul
Bley'. In 1999, Stich got signed to a world-wide licensing deal with
Buzz records, a division of Challenge Records Services B.V. in the Netherlands.
They have released the CD in Europe, North America and Japan.
In November 1999,
Modern Surfaces embarked on a very successful tour of Europe including
several dates in England as well as concert performances in Amsterdam and
Brussels. Modern Surfaces were joined by renowned British free-pianist
Keith Tippett for several of their concerts in England.
In October 2000,
Modern Surfaces toured Japan for two weeks doing ten concerts including
performances at the 'Yokohama Jazz Promenade' (the biggest and best jazz
festival in Japan) and some of Japan's top jazz clubs. The tour was
a resounding success as the trio's music was met with sincere adoration.
Modern Surfaces looks forward to future tours in Japan.
Stich has always
been a very open-minded individual and his music encompasses a wide variety
of influences including jazz and the whole creative music tradition, 20th-century
classical music (especially the piano music of Arnold Schoenberg), blues,
rock, funk, soul, pop, African, Indian, Latin-American and more.
In terms of his own
playing, Stich's most prominent influence is undoubtably Jack DeJohnette
:
"Wynston
is a dramatic drummer in the tradition of Jack Dejohnette. His atmospheric
minimalism is showcased in "Self Sacrifice," a dramatic drum solo, while
his delicate touch animates two solo piano performances ("Catharsis"/"Looking
Glass") that confirm the parallels with Dejohnette." - David
Lewis, Samthe Record Man.com (Canada).
His playing is also
very influenced by Paul Motian as well as some of the other atmospheric/textural
European drummers
"...
but it's on "Self Sacrifice"-Wynston's drum solo-that ears prick up.
He has Tony Oxley's ability to use timbral contrast to suggest an avantgarde
percussion ensemble."- Ben Watson, The Hi
Fi News (U.K.).
Stich's future projects
include the recording of a second Modern Surfaces CD in early September,
2002.
Stich
Wynston is based in Toronto, Canada
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