The Libertine

"I met Adrean in the mid 1990s, while I was living in Toronto. I associated him with an excellent group of musicians who were involved with the University of Toronto jazz program at that time, some of whom appear on this recording. I’ve regarded Adrean as one of the more gifted and creative young musicians on the Toronto scene so I was very pleased when he asked me to appear for a week with his group in 2005 and make a live recording. As I had a chance to experience Adrean’s musicianship and creative vision on a more intimate basis my appreciation for his abilities grew. He truly is a key representative of the generation of jazz musicians attempting to tie together the elements of jazz, pop, classical, and world music in to a coherent package and he succeeds on every level.

This new recording allows us the opportunity to witness Adrean’s continuing development as a composer and convener of like musical minds. To my ears the music is coming from many different traditions, South American rhythms, reggae, hip-hop, West African 6/8, jazz swing, and more-sometimes layered within a single tune-but never sounding self conscious, rather a product of wide ranging and curious mind in love with the totality of the musical experience. His orchestrations are likewise varied and creative, with ‘standard’ jazz instruments like saxophone and trumpet being juxtaposed with wordless (in some cases) vocals, tablas and, on one tune, Kiki Misumi’s soaring cello lines.

All musicians on this recording are masters of finding their own space within the tunes, while at the same time creating a blend and a cohesive vision that serves the overall needs of the music. I have known many of these musicians (Downing, Michelli, Carn) since the beginning of their careers, some of the others not so well but they all show a great deal of maturity, uniqueness and an amazing ability to bring out the absolute best aspects of Adrean’s compositional vision. I would also like to take this opportunity to single out Kevin Turcotte as one of my favourite musicians regardless of instrument or genre, who demonstrates his remarkably natural musical gifts on this recording.

In addition to his composing and team-building skills, Adrean continues to develop his craft as a pianist. He is occasionally evocative of other pianists (I hear Corea, Jarrett, and one or two of the great local Toronto pianists from time to time) but never imitative, and, most important for me, always grooving whether it be on a swinging jazz waltz or on a 19/8 straight 8th note tune. That, the groove, probably as much as anything else, is what has in the past and continues to attract me to Adrean’s music. I congratulate him on this excellent effort and look forward to more in the future. "

- Phil Dwyer, March 2010 (from Ricochet liner notes)


“There’s no question that Farrugia deserves recognition as being among the best Toronto has to offer on his instrument. His propulsive style on the piano, which piles notes on top of each other in a tumbling race to the last bar line, reveals the influence of Chick Corea and evokes comparisons between this unit and Return to Forever at their Light as a Feather best.”
-Daryl Angier- The Live Music Report and former editor of CODA magazine

"A gifted pianist. His approach is an intelligent synthesis of styles"
-Harvey Pekar, author of AMERICAN SPLENDOR (from liner notes Delmark DE-567

“His advanced harmonic conception and lyricism recalls Herbie Hancock”
Paul Ryan- All About Jazz

"A fine touch, sophisticated harmonies....with elements of abandon and humour"
-Larry Applebaum, Jazz Times Magazine

"Pianist Farrugia is a young veteran, a first-call sideman who's performed on numerous albums. His excellent CD debut as leader features a forceful, percussive style, fast-developing ideas and a wide-ranging composer's imagination. - Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star

“He’s got something very special going on.”
-Jazz legend Curtis Fuller

“This man can play!”
-Jazz legend Hank Jones at the Bluenote Jazz Club in Tokyo Japan

Pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano. Fusing such diverse influences as Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Phineas Newborn Jr., Hank Jones, Geri Allen, and Brad Mehldau he has forged a personal sound which generates dynamic sensitivity, hard-driving swing, and a powerfully creative statement.

Adrean is currently pianist for such diverse projects as the internationally renowned Matt Dusk Band, NYC saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff’s Forward Motion, Chicago trumpet virtuoso Brad Goode’s Quartet, The Bob Brough Quartet (featuring Artie Roth and Terry Clarke), Ravi Naimpally’s Indo-Jazz fusion band‘Tasa’, The Ernesto Cervini Quartet (featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm), Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’ and the Darcy Hepner Big Band. Adrean won a JUNO award in 2008 for best traditional jazz recording as pianist on the Brandi Disterheft release Debut.

Locally, Adrean has performed in almost every major city in Canada and the United States. He has been on cross Canada tours with The Kelly Jefferson-Kelsley Grant Quintet, The Ernesto Cervini quartet featuring celebrated NYC saxophonist Joel Frahm, Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’ and the JUNO award winning Richard Underhill Quintet. He has also performed in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington D.C., and in Chicago at the world’s oldest continually running jazz club The Green Mill as a member of jazz legend Curtis Fuller’s Quintet.

Internationally, Adrean has performed at clubs in Paris, France as a member of the Chris Jennings Trio, in Montreaux Switzerland with the Hamilton All Star Jazz Band, as well as in Warsaw Poland with Sundar Viswanathan, and with Matt Dusk in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Philidelphia, Warsaw, Krakow, and in Tokyo Japan at the world famous Blue Note Jazz Club.

Adrean’s debut recording as a leader Adrean Farrugia v1.0: Live at the Senator was released in the summer of 2006 on ROMHOG RECORDS. It features compositions by Adrean Farrugia, Wayne Shorter and Joni Mitchell. This album has enjoyed regular play on Toronto’s JazzFM and the CBC as has led to appearances on JazzFM’s ‘Joe Sealy’s Duets’ as well as a feature article in Performance Magazine by jazz journalist Geoff Chapman.

Adrean is currently on the faculty of York University and Mohawk College of Arts and Technology where he teaches jazz piano and improvisation. He has also done workshops/clinics at the University of Toronto, The University of Western Ontario, The Banff Centre for the arts, and in Warsaw Poland as part of the Polish Jazz Society’s 35th annual Summer Jazz Workshop.
As well, he has been a contributing reviewer to Larry Fine’s publication The Piano Buyer, the world’s foremost publication on all things piano.

In 2008, Adrean forged a new project entitled RICOCHET featuring as well as himself on piano, three of Canadian jazz’s most creative and distinct artists; Kevin Turcotte on trumpet, Andrew Downing on bass and drummer Anthony Michelli. The band will release their debut recording in 2010 on the Mainstage at the TD Canada Trust Toronto International Jazz festival which also features vocalist Sophia Perlman, trombonist William Carn, saxophonist Kelly Jefferson, renowned Indian tabla master Ravi Naimpally, and cellist Kiki Misumi.


Adrean Farrugia is a Shigeru Kawai artist.  




RICOCHET Features...

Adrean Farrugia - Piano and Fender Rhodes/ Composer
Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet
Kelly Jefferson - Saxophone
Andrew Downing - Bass
Anthony Michelli - Drums

And Special Guests:

Sophia Perlman - vocals
Sundar Viswanathan - Saxophone/Flute
William Carn - Trombone
Ravi Naimpally - Tabla
Kiki Misumi - Cello