Contemporary jazz delicately flavored with hints of reggae, R&B, funk, rock and fusion describes the music of guitarist Maurice Gordon. An artist of great versatility, Maurice is admired in jazz circles for his fluid technique, dexterity and highly personal style. Dedication to his art has garnered him with wide-ranging appeal from Canada to the Caribbean and South Africa to South America. A respected musician and composer, he recognizes and draws upon the great wealth and tradition of many styles in music.
Maurice broadened his knowledge by studying with Bobby Edwards, John McLaughlin (saxophone) and Frank Falco in Toronto, Canada. Influenced by Charlie Christian, Wes Mongomery, Miles Davis, George Benson and Bob Marley, Maurice is fluent in a variety of musical idioms, but his love and devotion to jazz have remained constant.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Music from York University, Maurice organized workshops at the University of the West Indies, in Jamaica, and until recently, was head of the Department for the Caribbean Latin and Jazz Program at the Jamaica School of Music.
At present, he continues to teach privately and is constantly involved in organizing projects he plans to produce in the near future. He performs regularly in various settings (solos, duos, trio and quartets…) He has toured as band leader and accompanist for dub poet Mutabaruka and is currently receiving local acclaim at various festivals in the Caribbean. They include the Air Jamaica’s Jazz and Blues in 2000, the St. Lucia and Martinique Jazz Festivals in 2001, Trinidad’s Ramajay Festival and The Grenada Spice Jazz Festival in 2002. In 2001 he recorded "Jazz in the Sun" for BET jazz which is still being aired on cable. Currently he is working primarily as a solo guitarist at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Montego Bay.
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Rainblue
IRIE MOOD |
Maurice has worked with many Jamaican and international musicians, including Monty Alexander, Ernest Ranglin, Othello Molyneaux, Sonny Bradshaw, Dean Fraser, Toots and the Maytals, The Mystic revelation of Rastafari, Marjorie Wylie, Boogsie Sharpe and Della Manley. He toured with the music legend Jimmy Cliff and continues to work with dub poet Mutabaruka. He has also performed and recorded with some of Canada’s finest musicians including Joe Sealy, Jim Heineman, Carlton Vaughan, Kingsley Ettienne and Eddie Bullen. He performed as guitarist on the Juno Award winning Reggae album of 1999 by Lazo.His musical achievements have earned him great merit. In 1990, he won the Jamaican Music Industry Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, in 1993 the Jamaican Federation of Music Award for Best Instrumental Jazz, and in 1998, he received the Jamaican Music Industry Award for Best Jazz Group and Best Jazz composition. In 2000 and 2001 he won the award of Best Contemporary Jazz Artist from the Jamaica Federation of Musicians. |