Michael Davidson

vibraphone

Michael Davidson is a Toronto-based in demand vibraphonist & composer in the improvised, jazz, and creative music scenes. In 2017 he was one of three finalists for the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Emerging Jazz Artist Award. Michael has worked with many of the active jazz and improvised music players in Toronto and internationally including most recently a collaboration with saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell and 2 months of focused study with David Friedman in Berlin, Germany. With bassist Dan Fortin, he has helped to foster a community of musicians that are exploring the meeting of improvisation and composition with their new independent label, Elastic Recordings, and duo, Clock Radio. Michael also co- leads the chamber jazz quartet Hobson’s Choice, who in the words of CBC’s The Signal host Laurie Brown:

“…has made a unique contribution to the Canadian scene with their debut album (of the waves). Just when I think I have the sound pegged, they switch things up.”

Michael approaches improvising with passion and stunning sensitivity, as well as Monk-like wit. He is an active composer in the realm of jazz, and his inventive compositions are featured in Stop Time, The Michael Davidson Septet, Otterville, Clock Radio, and Hobson’s Choice. He has been composing seriously since 2001. Michael’s playing has received praise recently for his duo with bassist Dan Fortin, Clock Radio:

“Throughout, there is a most potent quality of in-the-moment awareness, of sonic intelligence – rendered often with gear-shifting subtlety, as rubato contemplation and off-centred walking lines morph into an assertiveness of touch, line and rhythmic drive as crisp as it is fluid.“

-Michael Tucker, Jazz Journal 2019.

You can hear Michael playing around and beyond with, Clock Radio, Josh Cole’s Kind Mind, Memo, The Michael Davidson Septet, Hobson’s Choice, David Occhipinti Quartet, Monk’s Music, Dan Fortin’s Brinks, The Ryan Driver Sextet, Tara Davidson’s Duets, Andrew Downing’s Otterville, Aline Homzy’s Etoile Magique, Pete Johnston’s See Through 4. These ensembles represent the diversity of Michael’s musical interests, spanning from contemporary jazz to chamber to improvised.