Pete Magadini, Don Menza, Wray Downes & Dave Young

Drummer Pete Magadini has been featured on this site a few times before, once as part of a trio, on Bobby Edwards' LP, and on the Toronto: what other city calls its main street Yonge? album. Magadini was born in Massachusetts and played in jazz ensembles across the United States before moving to Canada, where he made his home throughout most of the '70s, recorded frequently for Sackville, and worked as a music teacher.

Pianist Wray Downes was born in Toronto and as a young man studied classical music in France and England on scholarship. During the '50s he got into jazz and played throughout Europe with musicians including Sidney Bechet, Buck Clayton, and Bill Coleman. After moving back to Canada he frequently played with Peter Appleyard, studied further with Oscar Peterson and worked as the house pianist at The Town Tavern and other jazz clubs in Toronto, where he backed up legends like Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster.

Don Menza, a saxophonist, flautist, composer and arranger, was, like Magadini, born in the U.S., but never called Canada home. He started his musical career during the '60s as a member of Maynard Ferguson's orchestra before playing with Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, the Charlie Parker tribute group Supersax, Elvin Jones and many others before settling in Los Angeles, where he gained renown as a jazz educator.

Winnipeg-born bassist Dave Young split his career between jazz and classical work with the Hamilton and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. In his capacity as a jazz bassist he was a longtime member of Oscar Peterson's touring band, played in clubs with Peter Appleyard, Ed Bickert, Barney Kessel, Red Norvo, Milt Jackson and many others, and often performed as a duo with Wray Downes.



Bones Blues (Sackville 4004) was recorded in 1977 at United Media Studio and produced by Magadini and Young, with mixing at Thunder Sound by Magadini, Phil Sheridan and Sackville co-founder Bill Smith. "Solar" is a cover of a bop-era Miles Davis number originally recorded for his LP Walkin', "Old Devil Moon" is a version of a pop song written for the musical Finian's Rainbow, and "Bones Blues" is a swingin' original written by Menza.

Solar
Old Devil Moon
Bones Blues

Note: These songs have been archived at It Came From Canada.