Chris Andrew - Home (CD)

Release Date: 12/09/22

Home is pianist Chris Andrew's exploration into the importance of community in grounding one's life and art when things seem about to fall apart.

Home is the latest release for Edmonton based pianist, Chris Andrew. The title of the album speaks clearly to the inspiration for the compositions Chris crafted for this thoughtful exploration into his world. Spending time back and forth between his home base in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Auckland in New Zealand where he was finishing his master's degree in early 2020, Chris began to discover was most important to him in both his life and his art; family and community. As Chris comments, 'Having a safe place surrounded by my family and my community has brought me a much-needed sense of security and stable foundation which allows me to do what I am doing as an artist. This has never become more clear than over the past few years with the challenges all of us have been facing in the world.'

Bringing together influences ranging traditional to contemporary and inspired by some of his heroes including pianists Joey Calderazzo to Aaron Parks, Chris has created what he hopes is a clear statement to the people in his life that have given him the security and support that they are part of this musical journey.

Recorded in Auckland, New Zealand in February of 2020 as the world was beginning to change more than anyone knew at the time, Chris employed some of the great talents of the University of Auckland's jazz faculty. The record features 7 original contemporary jazz compositions in a trio and quartet setting with Chris Andrew (piano), Ron Samsom (drums), Olivier Holland (bass) and Roger Manins (saxophones).