EPK
For several years now, bassist Christopher Parnis has been making a name for himself on the Canadian jazz scene as both an elevating sideman and a driven bandleader. In 2019, he began assembling a quintet of his own to develop and perform his original music. He started with his oldest musical colleague, fellow Peterborough, Ontario born musician Aaron Blewett on drums. He then added Zimbabwean guitarist Matt Greenwood, Toronto-based trumpeter Christian Antonacci, and acclaimed Canadian pianist and two-time JUNO award winner Brian Dickinson. It is with this band that Christopher recorded his debut album Everything You Could Be, a dynamic recording that chronicles his journey to Toronto to pursue his art.
Everything You Could Be finds Parnis and his bandmates playing memorable compositions that move fluidly from cutting-edge modern jazz, to heartbreaking ballads, to free improvisation and back again. Augmented by subtle overdubbing, the band explores soundscapes that are fully acoustic as well as ones far more surreal, all while maintaining a close connection to their strong Canadian jazz roots.
Influences on the album vary broadly. Some will come as no surprise to the listener, such as the work of Canadian composer and musical innovator Kenny Wheeler. Others are far more eclectic, including the mission of the mars rover and the work of horror novelist Clive Barker. These influences, when combined with Parnis’ commitment to melody above all else, create a record that Canadian jazz legend Don Thompson describes as “hauntingly beautiful.”
Everything You Could Be will be released worldwide on Friday, August 16th 2024.
More About Christopher
Christopher Parnis is a multi-award-winning Canadian double bassist with a deep- rooted and broad connection to the jazz tradition. He has performed in clubs and festivals across the country, and has worked and recorded with a who’s-who of Canadian musicians such as Brian Dickinson, Terry Clarke, Robi Botos, Reg Schwager, Jocelyn Gould, and Allison Au.
In addition to enjoying a busy schedule of sideman work, Christopher is also an accomplished bandleader. In early 2024 he established a multi-generational 9- piece band of Toronto mainstay musicians and rising talents performing the horn arranging of Don Thompson, and since 2019 he has led a quintet in developing iterations performing and developing his own original music which was recently recorded and will be releasing as his debut full-length album.