Jazz at the Centre : The Doxas Brothers

Ticket price:
General Admission. $15 Advance / $20 at the door
CMC Members and Arts Workers. $12 Advance / $15 at the door
Students. $10 anytime

Venue:
Canadian Music Centre
20 St. Joseph Street
Toronto, ON
M4Y 1J9
416-961-6601 x202

___________________________________________________

The Doxas Brothers

Chet and Jim Doxas are recognized all across Canada and internationally both as a duo but also independently via their many projects as both leaders and within bands led by or featuring Oliver Jones, Carla Bley, Ranee Lee, Christine Jensen, Maria Schneider, Steve Swallow, Rufus Wainwright, and Dave Young, John Abercrombie (to name a few). 

Both Doxas Brothers have JUNO wins, GRAMMY nominations, and Academy Award nominations. They are also widely respected educators, who jump at the opportunity to do workshops on the road and at home, Jim teaches at both McGill and Concordia.

As a duo, they write meaningful and thought-provoking conversations that draw in an audience in an instance. Their last album, The Circle, received immense critical acclaim and will excitedly be followed up by their new album, releasing this fall. The Doxas Brothers were just named in Downbeats Critics Poll as was Chet independently under Saxophone.

___________________________________________________

Chet Doxas 

Raised in Montreal in a musical family, Chet’s love of music was fostered by his father, a professional musician, teacher, recording engineer and producer; and is older brother and drummer, Jim, with whom he regularly performs. 

Chet’s band, Rich in Symbols, is an ensemble whose repertoire is informed by his love of the visual arts. The music for this group is composed as Chet visits museums and stands in front of his favorite works with blank manuscript paper. Later, the music and a projection of the work are presented simultaneously with live musicians in a concert setting. 

Since 2019, Chet has led The Chet Doxas Trio, which features pianist Jacob Sacks and bassist Thomas Morgan. The group highlights Chet’s original compositions, and with the absence of drums, evokes a more chamber-like aesthetic. Their debut album, You Can’t Take it With You, was heralded as “a truly personal work of art” by Downbeat Magazine and received a 4 star rating. 

Chet is also part of the Brooklyn-based, group, LandLine, with pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Zack Lober and drummer, Vinnie Sperrazza. This band regularly performs in many of New York City’s premier listening venues. 

Chet Doxas is a Juno nominee and has appeared on over one hundred recordings. He has released eight albums as a leader and co-leader. He has worked with a wide range of artists including, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, John Abercrombie, Dave Douglas, Rufus Wainwright, Maria Schneider, and Michael Formanek. Chet’s formal musical studies were completed at McGill University where he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in music. When he is not touring he can be found in his Brooklyn recording studio working on his next projects or producing other artists.  

___________________________________________________

Jim Doxas 

While studying at Montréal’s McGill University, Jim established himself early on as versatile percussionist. The pool of strong drummers and percussionists in the city heavily influenced him. During his time at McGill, Jim was honoured with Yamaha’s Rising Star Award in recognition of outstanding achievement as an instrumentalist. In addition, he was a featured artist at Carnegie Hall in a gala performance celebrating young North American talent. Throughout his undergraduate degree, Jim studied with renowned pedagogue and drummer, John Riley. 

 Jim has been heavily influenced by rock, jazz, Motown and World Music. His work can be heard on over 150 albums and soundtracks, and he is a popular featured artist at jazz festivals worldwide. Distinguished for his improvisational approach to jazz, he makes the case that percussion can be as performative as a lyrical instrument. What distinguishes Doxas’ approach to improvisation is that he refuses to play it safe, allowing the moment to dictate the kind of framework that will contain, shape and guide the piece of music. He is astutely committed to the belief that significant music is always distinguished by what is left unsaid, the gaps of which inspire him to produce a highly original vocabulary of accents. During the last several years, Jim has been recognized by way of receiving Felix and Juno Awards, as well as nominations for Academy and Grammy Awards. He was also the drummer in the Oliver Jones Trio for over a decade. 

 Doxas puts premium importance on music education by conducting masterclasses and teaching at various music academies around the world. His current projects include Riverside (in collaboration with Dave Douglas, Steve Swallow, and Chet Doxas), Jean-Michel Pilc trio and the Jim Doxas Trio. Jim is currently a lecturer and teacher at McGill University, while also balancing an active performance schedule.