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Selkirk Pro-Musica presents the David Buchbinder and Restivo Quintet

Trumpeter Buchbinder and pianist Restivo are major figures in the Canadian jazz scene
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David Buchbinder (left) and David Restivo will perform together on Nov. 3 in Nelson. Photo: Submitted

Submitted by Selkirk Pro-Musica

Selkirk Pro-Musica’s second of five 2022-2023 concerts will feature the David Buchbinder and Restivo Quintet. The concert will take place at 7:30 on Thursday, Nov. 3, at Shambhala Hall, 700 10th Street in Nelson. Tickets are available at Otter Books in Nelson.

Buchbinder and pianist David Restivo have been playing together for over a decade. They share musical passions and personal roots, in Jewish and Italian New York City, Kansas City, and St. Louis. For this concert, Buchbinder and Restivo will be joined by guitarist Mike Rud, bassist Rob Fahie and drummer Joel Fountain.

Trumpet player Buchbinder is a musician, composer, artistic director, producer and cultural generator. He has led the Juno-winning music group David Buchbinder’s Odessa/Havana and the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, founded the Ashkenaz Festival, created the world’s only Jazz Circus, developed performance projects for cultural institutions such as the Royal Conservatory of Music/Koerner Hall, founded the creativity-based community development organization Diasporic Genius, and created acclaimed scores for film, television, theatre and dance.

Along with the Junos, Buchbinder has received many awards and nominations including a Toronto Arts Award, a Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, several Canadian Folk Awards, the K.M. Hunter Award and the ASIFA Award for Composition in Animated Film.

When asked to describe his work, Buchbinder says, “I realized a long time ago that the place where ecosystems bump up against each other is where there’s always the most life. Also, I’m always looking for something that’s celebratory.”

Recent projects include creating and producing the Ward Cabaret at the 2018 Luminato Festival, directing and producing the premier recording for KUNÉ: Canada’s Global Orchestra and releasing the third CD of Buchbinder’s Odessa/Havana.

As one of Canada’s most respected and influential jazz artists, Restivo is a three-time winner of the National Jazz Awards’ Pianist of the Year Award. Based primarily in Toronto since 1982, Restivo has been an influential and sought-after figure in Canada’s jazz community since the late 1980s. In January 2019, he joined the faculty in the Selkirk College Contemporary Music and Technology Program in Nelson, and is now helping mentor students for a future in the music industry.

The Edmonton Journal calls Restivo “simply one of the most exceptional jazz pianists of his generation that Canada can boast of.”

Selkirk Pro-Musica is planning three more concerts this season including Melody Diachun performing a Tribute to Sting on Jan. 27 at Shambhala Hall, The Sitka String Quartet on Feb. 23 at St. Saviour’s Anglican Church and Percussiano3 at the Capitol Theatre on March 30. Details about these concerts will be announced on Facebook (Selkirk Pro-Musica) and by email. Those who would like to be added to the email list can send a request to: selkirkconcertsociety@gmail.com.

Tickets for the Nov. 3 Buchbinder and Restivo Quintet concert are available for $20 at Otter Books, 398 Baker St.