May 09, 2005 -

Ottawa -- The concert series 5 Shades of Geggie will wrap up its fourth successful year with a fascinating concert of music featuring two double basses. Series host, John Geggie, will be joined by composer and bass virtuoso Mark Dresser. The concert takes place at the NAC’s Fourth Stage on May 14, 2005 at 8pm. In expanding on the concept for the concert, Geggie explained, “I have always been in awe of Mark’s tremendous musical gift on the double bass – he is a true virtuoso and I am so pleased we will be able to demonstrate the many musical possibilities available on our instruments.” The evening will be a sonic playground of adventurous solos and duets, featuring compositions and improvisations by both Geggie and Dresser.

Cited in the Boston Herald as “an inventor…the most important bassist to emerge since 1980 in jazz or classical music”, Mark Dresser has been composing and performing solo contrabass and ensemble music professionally since 1972 throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. In 1986, he joined the quartet of saxophonist, Anthony Braxton, and remained with that group for nine years. Mr. Dresser moved to NY and began working with a wide variety of musicians in the greater New York community including Ray Anderson, Tim Berne, Jane Ira Bloom, Anthony Davis, Fred Frith, Dave Douglas, John Zorn, and others. His current collaborative projects include the trio, C/D/E, master drummer Andrew Cyrille and with multi-reed player virtuoso, Marty Ehrlich, a duo, trio and quartet with hyperpianist, Denman Maroney, the Marks Brothers with fellow bassist Mark Helias, a duo with the cello virtuoso, Frances-Marie Uitti , a duo with the gifted drummer Susie Ibarra, and a duo with celebrated trombonist, Ray Anderson. Since 1999, Mark Dresser's trio has included flutist Matthias Ziegler and pianist Denman Maroney. He has performed and recorded over one hundred CDs with some of the strongest personalities in contemporary music and jazz including Tim Berne, Jane Ira Bloom and Marilyn Crispell. In addition to his performing activities, Mr. Dresser is a professor of music at UCSan Diego.

No stranger to the creative music world, John Geggie is extremely active in the Canadian music scene as a freelance double bass player and teacher. His association with the award-winning jazz group Chelsea Bridge and the Juno-nominated D. D. Jackson Trio is well known.  This past summer and for the fifth consecutive year, John hosted the immensely popular late-night jam sessions at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.  During that time, he also appeared with such international artists as John Scofield, Courtney Pine, Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane and Joe Lovano.  Last July, he performed a highly-acclaimed concert with world-renowned pianist Marilyn Crispell that was recorded for broadcast by Radio-Canada.  His concert credits also include performances with such jazz luminaries as Gene Lees, Henry Mancini, David Murray, Andrew Cyrille and Billy Hart.  In addition to his jazz commitments, Geggie maintains a busy schedule of concerts with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra.

Individual tickets are $20 and are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 755-1111.  Ticketmaster can also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

For additional information, visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca and click on the Fourth Stage logo.

For further information please contact:
Laïla-Gabrielle Côté
Media Relations
(613) 562-8394
laila-gcote@sympatico.ca

Sarah Rooney
National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000 ext.526
SRooney@nac-cna.ca