Faculty
DAVE PROZNICK
TEACHER, MUSICIAN, ADJUDICATOR
Mr. Proznick retired from teaching music in the public school system in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. His post secondary education was with the Royal Canadian Navy Tri-Service School of Music, University of Saskatchewan and UBC. Mr. Proznick enjoyed a very successful teaching career spanning 35 years. During these years, he has been recognized locally, provincially, nationally and internationally for his ability to produce quality musical groups and individuals most notably during his last 18 years of teaching at Semiahmoo Secondary School in Surrey, BC.
- Jazz Report Magazine (Toronto publication) award - “High School Jazz Program of the Year” – 1995
- B.C. Music Educators “Outstanding Music Teacher Award (Secondary)” – 1995
- Outstanding High School Jazz Musician awards from international jazz magazine “DOWNBEAT”
- TWO Yamaha Rising Star Awards from Musicfest Canada – Kavan Manson and Jillian Lebeck – 1996 – 1997. (both now professional musicians and recording artists in the field of jazz)
- John Philip Sousa “Legion of Honor” award – presented at the Mid-West Clinic for music directors in Chicago – 1998.
- Invitations to bring performing groups to the Mid-West Clinic in Chicago and the IAJE Conference (Jazz Educators) in Miami – 1998 – 99.
- “Paul Harris Fellowship” award from Rotary – 1998 – for work with youth developing leadership skills through music programs in the community.
- “Outstanding Community Contribution – Arts – Education – Culture” awarded in 2001 by the White Rock – South Surrey Chamber of Commerce.
- “Kieth Mann Award” as outstanding music educator of the year from Musicfest Canada in Toronto – May 2003.
- Made an honorary member of the 2003 Yamaha Student All Star Band at Musicfest Canada held in Toronto.
- First inductee into the Envision Jazz Festival’s newly created “Hall of Fame” in the “educator” category to celebrate the 25th. anniversary of this festival – Feb. 2007
CHRIS SIGERSON
PIANO
Chris Sigerson has been an active member of the Vancouver music scene for the last twenty-five years.
Chris Received the music award in high school then enrolled in the Jazz Studies program at Vancouver Community College in the early 1980’s. While at college he studied piano with Elmer Gill and formed a trio with bassist Ken Lister and percussionist Craig Scott. Chris, Ken, and Craig still play together whenever they can.
Chris plays a variety of musical styles in a wide range of settings and has played with many top Canadian and International musicians. He has been on many recordings as a sideman and has produced four C.D.’s of his own. They include; “Heritage” with Campbell Ryga, Ken Lister, Craig Scott, and Kevin Elaschuk. “A Father’s Dream” with Bill Coon and Ken Lister. “Merry Chris, Chris, Christmas” with Chris Nelson. “A Christmas Tribute” with Bill Coon. He has been featured on numerous C.B.C. broadcasts.
Chris teaches piano privately and at Capilano University in North Vancouver. He also works as an accompanist for vocal master classes at Vancouver Community College.
CAMPBELL RYGA
SAXOPHONE
Campbell Ryga was honored the Jazz Report Magazine ¹s Award 'Canada's Alto Saxophonist of the Year 2000' presented to him at the annual Jazz Report Awards Ceremony held in year 2000. The two former recipients of this award were Moe Koffman and PJ Perry.
Since 1987 Campbell has received 3 Juno Awards, with two additional nominations, a Grammy nomination and has twice received the Western Canadian Music Award in the Jazz category. Since 1981 Campbell has toured internationally on 19 occasions, primarily to Western Europe and to Latin America, most notably the Havana International Jazz Festival, where he has performed for four consecutive years. Most of this touring has been with the internationally acclaimed Hugh Fraser Quintet, of which he is a founding member, an association that began in 1981. Campbell has performed week long engagements at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, London on four separate occasions. Campbell has also been involved in cross country Canadian touring on 24 separate occasions.
DENNIS ESSON
TROMBONE
Since moving to Vancouver in 1980, Dennis Esson has established himself as a highly respected and sought after trombonist for a wide variety of musical endeavors.
He has recorded music for cartoons, movies, jingles and soundtracks in addition to albums with many pop and rock groups such as Stephen Fearing, The Paperboys, Buddy Miles, The Salteens, Veda Hille and others. He has also been in the pit orchestras for Broadway shows such as “Chorus Line”, “The Full Monty”, and “42nd Street”.
As a jazz musician Dennis has recorded numerous C.B.C. sessions as a featured soloist. He is also the lead trombonist with groups such as the “Vancouver Ensemble of Improvisation (VEJI)”, “Orquesta Goma Dura”, “Jill Townsend Big Band”, “Hard Rubber Orchestra” and the “Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra”. Some of the musicians he has performed with include Kenny Wheeler, Phil Woods, Eddie Daniels, Marvin Stamm, David Foster, Maynard Ferguson, Natalie Cole, Clark Terry, Bud Shank, and Phil Nimmons. He has appeared and performed at all of the major jazz festivals across Canada.
In addition Dennis was the recipient in 1993 of a Canada Council of the Arts “B” grant to study jazz trombone in New York where he studied with Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre, Benny Powell and Slide Hampton. More recently he resumed his studies and completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Orchestral Performance from the University of British Columbia.
As a music educator Dennis has been the Jazz Trombone instructor at Capilano College since 1997 and has been the director of the UBC Jazz Ensemble 2 since 2000. In addition he has been on the faculty of the Courtney Youth Music Center since 2000 and prior to that time he was on the faculty of the Okanagan Summer School of the Arts from 1984-1999.
JODI PROZNICK
BASSIST, COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
In 1993, after winning the General Motors Award of Excellence as one of the top young musicians in Canada, bassist Jodi Proznick moved from her native White Rock, B.C. to Montreal, P.Q. where she obtained her Bachelor of Music from McGill University under the tutelage of Michel Donato, Eric Legace and Alec Walkington. Jodi was awarded a Performance Scholarship in 1997 as a member of the McGill Big Band I. She performed extensively in Montreal, appearing in club and concert venues as well as on local television and radio programs. In Montreal, Jodi performed with Juno nominated Ranee Lee, Joel Miller, Christine Jensen, Kelly Jefferson, Michel Cusson (of Uzeb), André White, Steve Amirault, Greg Clayton and many others. In 1998, Jodi gained international recognition as a member of the IAJE Sisters in Jazz Quintet which brought her to New York to perform with Ingrid Jensen. The group toured together in the spring of 1998, including an opening performance for Geri Allen in Detroit.
Since moving to Vancouver in 2000, Jodi has become a top call bassist. She has played with international jazz stars such as George Coleman (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock), David Fathead Newman (Ray Charles), Ed Thigpen (Oscar Peterson Trio, Ella Fitzgerald), Charles McPherson (Charles Mingus), Sheila Jordan, Seamus Blake, Eric Alexander, Ryan Kaisor (Lincoln Center Orchestra), Eddie Henderson, Eddie Daniels, Mark Murphy, George Colligan, Kitty Margolis, Patience Higgins, Jim Rotundi, Houston Pearson and Ingrid Jensen as well as Canadian greats such as P.J. Perry, Ian McDougall, Denzal Sinclaire, Oliver Gannon, Brad Turner, Kirk Macdonald, Phil Dwyer, Mike Allen, VEJI, Hugh Fraser, Campbell Ryga, Dee Daniels, Karin Plato, Brian Dickinson, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Bill Coon, Heather Bambrick, Jean-Francois Groulx, Ron Paley, Celso Machado, Kia Kadiri, Maestro Bramwell Tovey, the Vancouver Chamber Choir and many others. She has been featured on over a dozen recordings including a recent release with the Tilden Webb Trio featuring the legendary David Fathead Newman. She has performed on CBC Radio´s Jazzbeat, Hot Air, Silence en Jazz, the Early Edition, West Coast Performance and Sounds Like Canada.
A highlight for Jodi was opening for Oscar Peterson with the Oliver Gannon Quartet at the Orpheum in the summer of 2004. Also In 2004, Jodi won the Galaxie Rising Star Award of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival with her own group, the Jodi Proznick Quartet. The group released their debut CD Foundations on Cellarlive in October of 2006 which features many of Jodi´s compositions. She is a member of many critically acclaimed groups including the Tilden Webb Trio, the Joel Haynes Trio, the Jill Townsend Big Band and the Weeds/Minemoto Quartet.
CRAIG SCOTT
PERCUSSION/DRUM SPECIALIST
Craig Scott is an accomplished drummer, vibraphone player and percussionist. His drumming credits include concert and club dates with such jazz luminaries as Tommy Banks, Ian McDougall, Hugh Fraser, Campbell Ryga, PJ Perry, Alan Matheson, Fred Stride, as well as international artists such as Randy Bachmann, Pat LaBarbara, Dianna Krall, Herb Ellis, Frank Wes, Phil Woods, Bud Shank, Clark Terry, Larry Goldings, the HI-LOS, and the late Harry "Sweets" Edison, Rosemary Clooney, and Charlie Byrd.
Craig has extensive recording experience in television, film and radio, and has played on such programs as Almanac, Hot Air, Jazz Beat, West Coast Performance, and Gabereau. As a session player, he has played on countless local independent jazz albums including three albums for CBC: Jazz Words, Hot Air 50th Anniversary, and Hot Air Two and the Juno Award nominated album In A Sentimental Mood by the Ian McDougall Quintet.
Craig holds Bachelors Degrees in both music and education, teaches music at an elementary school in Chilliwack, has a Caribbean Steel Band at Chilliwack Senior Secondary, and teaches privately at Vancouver Community College.
BRAD TURNER
TRUMPET
Brad Turner's phenomenal talents as a trumpeter, pianist, drummer and composer make him one of Canada’s most in-demand and highly esteemed musicians. Brad has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Joe Lovano, Kenny Wheeler, John Scofield, Michael Moore, Reneé Rosnes, Jimmy Greene, Ingrid Jensen, Dylan van der Schyff, Mike Murley, Seamus Blake, Charles McPherson and Michael Blake. Brad's groups have opened for McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Diana Krall and Tony Bennett.
As a leader, Brad has released six albums, five as a trumpeter with his quartet, the most recent being the 2007 release Small Wonder.
What Is, released in 2005, won Best Jazz Album, at the 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards. As a pianist with his trio, the 2004 release, Question the Answer was nominated for a 2005 Canadian Urban Music Award, and a 2006 Canadian Indie Music Award.
In 1997 and 1998 Brad won Juno Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Album recognizing his work in the internationally established electric jazz group Metalwood.
Winner of National Jazz Awards for Jazz Trumpeter of the Year (1999), Jazz Composer of the Year (2000 and 2002), Brad was awarded Musician of the Year for 2005, and was awarded, by the Canada Council, the 2006 Victor Lynch-Staunton Prize for excellence in musical achievement.
DAVE SIKULA
GUITAR
Dave Sikula has been playing the guitar professionally in the Vancouver area for sixteen years. Upon completion of his degree in Jazz Performance Guitar at the University of Toronto in 2002, Dave returned to Vancouver where he has been working regularly as a guitar teacher and guitarist performing a wide reach of musical styles and genres. He has performed in Germany, Italy and the U.K. as well as jazz festivals across Canada including Halifax, Montreal, Calgary, and has made several appearances at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Current projects include Carsick, a textural guitar/trumpet duo with J.P. Carter and Inhabitants, a more groove based unit combining elements of acoustic jazz, free jazz, rock, texture and noise. Inhabitants were recipients of CBC's "Galaxie Rising Stars" award in 2005, and in June 2006 traveled to Germany to perform at the Moers Festival. Dave is also currently a member the Paul Rushka Trio, Shift, the Stoptime Quartet, the Nightcrawlers and is currently leading his own trio. He has also performed, recorded, and toured with the legendary jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith.
