  Peter Voith & Quarter Life: One of Ottawa’s freshest bands with a Full Length Album Hands On Today released on June 1, 2007 and another EP entitled All Of My Heart to be officially released at the Ottawa Bluesfest July, 2008. The band takes its name from that point in life where it's time to work hard, being passionate with a ‘now or never attitude’, and loving every second. In 3 years since their formation, Peter Voith and Quarter Life has earned opening spots on main stages through showcases for acts such as ZZ Top, Thornley, and Three Days Grace. They also continue to collaborate with world renound Cuban artist Elmer Ferrer who's performed with Sting, opened for Kid Rock, Van Morrisson, and Derek Trucks to name a few. Quarter Life performed 3 times at the 2005 Havana JazzFestival in Cuba and has been asked back to the Ottawa Bluesfest four years in a row by Mark Monahan –executive producer of The Ottawa Bluesfest- who states “I’m a very big supporter of this band” thanks to their energetic and crowd drawing show. Peter Voith and Quarter Life has also recorded a 4 song EP including a song called ‘Home’, which still holds local commercial radio play on 106.9 The Bear and LiVE 88.5 and also was one of the top tracks in the National Songwriting Contest, Ottawa Division 2006. This finalist placement is, according to Ottawa radio host Kath Thompson of 106.9FM The Bear, "An incredible achievement when you consider there were 463 entries. I think you should know that "Home" came in a very close second. I do not know if you can say one song is better than another at that point." Other major local performances of note include the HOPE beach volleyball tournament of summer 2006, the 2006 City of Quinte West Firefighter Challenge, 2 sell-out performances at Barrymore’s since their conception in 2004 as well as a sold-out crowd a their “2 night” CD release in June 2007 at Zaphod’s. Peter Voith plans to tour in the summer and fall of 2008. www.PETERVOITH.com www.myspace.com/quarterlifemusic  Ben Cooper: Ben Cooper is considered one of Ottawa's finest singers/songwriters, and has been compared to artists as varied as Bruce Springsteen, Chris Cornell and Elvis Presley. As a one-man show, Ben is a full time producer, performer, musician and songwriter, and his music has touches of country mixed with catchy rock melodies and bittersweet blues. Ben‘s music career began at the age of 12 in his home town of Sudbury, Ontario where he taught himself to play guitar, piano, harmonica, and several stringed instruments. His early influences were mostly rockabilly and country artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and the Stray Cats. Later, Ben came to appreciate artists such as the Beatles, Led Zepplin, and Eric Clapton, and now finds inspiration in the music of artists such as Feist, John Mayer and Coldplay. After fronting numerous local rock bands in Sudbury, Ben moved to North Bay, Ontario for college, where he received his diploma in Radio Broadcasting. Throughout his college experience Ben immersed himself into the active local music scene while working as the local radio disc jockey for 102 FM the Fox. After college Ben moved to Ottawa, Ontario where he began performing in the local club scene. He helped form the band, "Stone Melodies" and the group became a local success, winning several awards for their original music. In 2003 the Stone Melodies won first place in the Ottawa competition for the International Emergenza Music Festival. Stone Melodies also took 2nd place in the 2005 National Songwriting Competition for the song "Typical" co-written with Montreal producer Albert Chambers (Sky, David Usher, Simple Plan), and got the opportunity to open for fellow Canadian bands, 5440, Trooper, Wide Mouth Mason and The Trews. After a two year hiatus, Ben returned to his solo career, writing and producing his own material and has produced musical compositions for BMG Music Publishing in the USA for radio, commercials, and film as well as recording his own music. His most recent release is the solo EP “Integrity - An Intimate Acoustic Performance,” which was released November 27th, 2007. Ben has maintained an active performing schedule in Ontario and elsewhere, including performances at the famous Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, as well as the Ottawa Blues Festival performing with the band “Quarter Life” in the summer of 2007. He will be returning to Blues Fest this summer on July 10th, 2008 www.BENCOOPERLIVE.com www.myspace.com/bencooperlive  Sarah DeLuca: Born in Sudbury, and raised in Ottawa, Sarah DeLuca is a singer-songwriter most acclaimed for her smooth vocals and harmonies, and her unique, suspenseful progressions on guitar and piano. Raised by a professional musician and a piano teacher, music became an integral part of her life at an early age. She began taking piano lessons at age 4, and years later began to develop her voice by mimicking her favourite singers like Mariah Carey, Karen Carpenter, and the heroines from various Disney animation movies. Throughout highschool she learned to play other instruments such as the violin, flute, saxophone, and drums. By age 16, she had taught herself to play the acoustic guitar, and her songwriting career began. Since then she has been playing local coffee houses, bars, and charity events around the city. In 2000 she became the lead singer/keyboardist for Seismic and spent the next 4 years touring and performing. In July of 2003, their debut album Portions was released to the public, along with their first music video for SOS. The release of the album was much anticipated by local fans and music lovers that their CD/Video release party held at Barrymores was a sold-out event. In their 4 years together, Seismic has received a four-star rating from the Ottawa Citizen, made the Ottawa Express Highlights of 2003 list, and landed a spot on mainstage, Tulip Festival, opening for Trooper. Not only did they top charts on Ottawas radio stations like CKCU and CHUO, they began charting college/university radio across the country and even received reviews from the U.S. In 2004 Seismic toured Australia. In December of 2005, Sarah was invited to Cuba to perform at the Havana jazz festival "where she deserved every second on stage, delivering subtle acoustic guitar work and romantic piano that traced lovely melodies around her words.the Cuban audience ate it up." (The Walrus, March 2006) If you would like to purchase Sarah's debut album visit www.cdbaby.com or you can purchase a copy at any CD Warehouse or Compact Music store in Ottawa.www.myspace.com/sarahdelucamusic  Shawn Tavenier: Welcome to a world of smoky bars, lust, love and heartache; afternoons in the diner, evenings with your girl and summer in the country. Ottawa based Silver Creek explores this world with a sound that hearkens back to a more classic period in rock and roll. They are sometimes soulful, twangy, driving and loud, but never stray far from what they truly are; just a good old rock and roll band. Silver Creek was born in the spring of 2006 when Ottawa singer songwriter Shawn Tavenier began recording his debut record "About Time." Comprised of a handful of some of the most talented players from the Ottawa area, Silver Creek includes Mark Laforest, Anders Drerup, Shane McEwan, Jeff Rogers, John Steele and Tyler Kealey.Since that first summer Silver Creek has been quietly building a strong and faithful fanbase, playing shows in and around the Capital and released their debut record "About Time" to a sold out and enthusiastic audience at Barrymore's music hall in January 2008. The songs on the record are simple compositions that convey fundamental truths of the human experience. Topics of love, heartache, soulful summertime musings, and the cold foreboding Canadian winter mix with heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies to shape what the Ottawa Citizen called "a solid and rollicking debut." www.myspace.com/shawntavenierandsilvercreek  Jeff Rogers:From the age of 18, Jeff Rogers has played in many different bands of various styles ranging from funk, punk, rock, pop, blues, swing, jazz and salsa. Having been involved in so many different projects and genres has really enriched his musical perspective. For the past three years, Jeff has been gigging at Fat Tuesday's in the ByWard Market. Every Thursday (with a blues/funk trio) and every Friday (dueling piano show) you can find him there. The shows have received extensive acclaim and rave reviews. While Jeff's repertoire is vast, he is excited to focus on original music now. He cites B.B. King and Stevie Wonder as his most notable influences.This is where, he says, his sound and soul are inspired. Other influences include Jamiroquai, John Mayer and Ben Harper. www.JEFFROGERS.ca  Lindsay Ferguson: Lindsay Ferguson will excite you with her music. Known for her power to sing, Lindsay has just released her first full length album 'Sound.' Recorded at Little Bullhorn Studios in Ottawa with producer Dave Draves (Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson) Having travelled & performed at various festivals & venues throughout Canada, Ireland, Switzerland & Bermuda, her 'soul meets pop meets folk' songs are truth inspired & radiant. Have a listen to some exerpts from her new album by visiting www.lindsayferguson.com"Passionate Song Writing" Chris White, Director Ottawa Folk Festival Lindsay's liquid voice, passionate song writing and dynamic stage presence create a powerful effect that is much much more than the sum of its parts. She's got it all! www.LINDSAYFERGUSON.com www.myspace.com/lindsaylive www.sonicbids.com/lindsayferguson  Anders Drerup : Anders Drerup—somewhat of a musical everyman—is one of the more familiar faces in the Ottawa music community. Always looking for a new opportunity to hone his skills both in the studio and on stage, Drerup has recently played with the likes of Quarter Life, Silver Creek, The Bourbon Brothers Band and festival mainstays The Elmer Ferrer Band, all the while quietly writing his own blend of country, R&B, soul, and blues. Sometimes serious, sometimes playful but always thought provoking and melodic, Drerup's tunes cross all these boundaries with a pleasant ease and insightful ingenuity.From the dusty realm of Hank Williams to the soulful musings of Ray Charles, Drerup draws from an older wellspring. Anders is currently the lead singer for the Elmer Ferrer Band out of Havana, Cuba and will be touring with them in the latter half of 2007. " Expect to see something different at every Anders Drerup show, he handles a number of different styles and instruments with an artful seamlesness." Billy Johnston, Johnston Records. www.myspace.com/andersdrerup  Eric Eggleston: The Eric Eggleston Band’s hooky & eclectic show has brought them to audiences all over including tours of Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland, where the lads performed at Sir Elton John’s after party.Among US dates was even gig at Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. Eric recently co-wrote a song with Alan Frew for an upcoming Glass Tiger recording and the band’s long-awaited self-produced record will be out in July. The boys have also been working on new tunes with Bob Doige at the legendary Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton. Other upcoming shows: JUNE 10th , 9pm @ the Live Lounge, 126 York St, Ottawa. Opening for the Odds. JULY 9th , 6pm Rogers Stage @ the Cisco Bluesfest in Ottawa Opening for Kathleen Edwards. www.EEBAND.com www.myspace.com/EEBAND  Tyler Kealey: Tyler Kealey began his musical career at the age of 12, taking piano lessons and playing in clubs in a family band as well as entering music completions, and has continued his passion for singing, songwriting, and playing piano, guitar, and accordion, as well as various other instruments. He has played in several groups featuring various styles, including Pop, Blues, Country, Folk and Jazz. Some of these groups included The Doggers, a five piece Celtic group, the Nepean All City Jazz band, as well as the J.W Jones Blues Band.In 2002 he was hired by the Ottawa Senators to entertain and rally up Sens fans, which was featured on local sports shows as well as the CBC during game 7 against the New Jersey Devils. His years of playing have given him experiences such as an opening spot before ZZ Top with local Band Quarter life at the Ottawa Blues festival in 2005, being invited to play shows in the Havana Jazz Festival with the world class Elmer Ferrer Band in the same year, and opening up for Colin James, Blue Rodeo and The Neville Brothers while playing with singer-songwriter Roxanne Potvin in 2006. In the summer of 2007 he was asked to perform his original material at The Ottawa Bluesfest as well as performing with Quarter Life and the Elmer Ferrer Band after Van Morrison. Tyler has been performing at Fat Tuesdays over the past five years, in Ottawa's only duelling piano show with his partners Dave Kalil and Todd Huckabone on Saturday nights, and Jeff Rogers on Friday nights. The show has become a local success and continues to grow in popularity. He has also been hand picked by Terry Mathews to play Jazz/blues piano at the Brookstreet Hotel on a regular basis. Tyler has recorded an EP of original material, Spotlight Sanctuary, and is currently working on a full length album. He is also involved in the recording project of local band Silver Creek's debut album. www.TYLERKEALEYMUSIC.com .JPG) Jeff Asselin: Jeff Asselin was born in Ottawa, Ontario on July 9, 1978. His musical training began on piano at the age of 11, but developed a huge interest in drumming. He began playing drums in high school, taking lessons with Larry Graves (a popular Ottawa drummer) and Peter Beaudoin (Drummers Collective). Jeff also began performing with the Confederation Jazz Connection (while in high school), The Ottawa Youth Orchestra (a University of Ottawa orchestra) and the Nepean All‐City Jazz Band (following high school), and has played nationally with both groups at various band competitions, particularly Musicfest Canada. He was awarded the Zildjian Best Young Drummer Award at Musicfest Canada in Vancouver in 1999, which included a scholarship to Humber College. He has also performed with the Yamaha All‐Star Band during the closing ceremonies at Musicfest in Vancouver in front of10,000 people. Jeff has also recently received an endorsement from Sonor Drums through Coast Music. Jeff has also been a much‐demanded musician on the Ottawa music scene. He has been a member of Comfortably Numb (a Pink Floyd Tribute act), the Tammy Raybould Band, The Groovebug (formerly Daddy Cool and the Groovebug), The Josée Deschênes Group, Organix, The Kathy Grant Mahon Gospel Band, Intuition, The Inertia Project, The KD Trio, Jacob Two‐Two, The Trevor Finlay Band, Peter Voith, Quarter Life, the JW Jones Blues Band, The Kelly Craig Sextet, The Joshua Morin Band, the Jeff Rogers Band, the Anders Drerup Project and the Brian Asselin Quartet. Constantly looking to improve his technique, Jeff has studied with some of the best drummers around. While attending the 1997 KOSA Workshop, he had a chance to study with Ignacio Berroa, Aldo Mazza, David Garibaldi, Alessandra Belloni, Jeff Salisbury, Gordon Gottlieb, and Dom Famularo. At Carleton University, Jeff studied with Chris McCann (McGill University), Chuck Burrows (renowned Ottawa Drum set teacher), Martin Ivanov (Berkley Graduate) and David Lang (McGill University). In 2004, Jeff received a Bachelor of Music Degree (high honours) with a minor in business from Carleton University. Looking to further explore different jazz concepts, Jeff began lessons in 2004 with Terry Clarke (the Jim Hall Trio) and Ian Froman (Teacher at Berkley College of Music.) Eager to pass on his knowledge to other young drummers, Jeff has taught drums both privately and at the Nepean School of Music since 1997. He currently teaches between 15 to 20 students a week. asselinjazz13@rogers.com  Jake Von Wurden: Jake von Wurden is in high demand as a bass player (upright/electric), sound tech, and producer. He has a BMUS in jazz performance from Carleton U where he studied with John Geggie for 4 years. Recently he has been studying with John Lockwood (Boston) and Mike Downes (Toronto). Known for his good taste and open mind leaves each project Jake is involved in with a true sense of art, and clarity. Jake is known for his fun/positive personality, which comes out in his playing. His three current projects consist of a duo with Ottawa Pianist Steve Boudreau, a quartet with Jeff Asslin, Brian Asselin and Steve Boudreau, and five piece folk-rock band Peter Voith & Quarter Life. You can hear Jake play each Wednesday at his weekly gig at Café Paradiso (199 Bank St) with Steve Boudreau (7:30-10:00 pm) and with Peter Voith & Quarter Life at this year's Ottawa Bluesfest.bassboyjake@hotmail.com |
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