BY KIRSTEN BOLTON
For ArtSpring
Originally trained as a classical pianist, Canadian Jeremy Ledbetter has made a career of travelling the far-flung corners of the globe in search of the most fascinating and unique musical ideas, then seamlessly integrating them into his work as a pianist, composer and producer.
Once a child prodigy who then went on to the Royal Conservatory of Music at York University to study jazz performance, he strayed from his structured lessons to accept a placement as an exchange student at the University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad. The fire was fuelled.
While his intent was to study Trinidad’s steelpan phenomenon, he was soon drawn into the exciting world of calypso and its modern-day descendant, soca. Three months into what was to be an eight-month excursion, Ledbetter called York to say he was not returning. He would remain in Trinidad for three more years, learning from and working with the region’s best artists.
His travels, performances and working relationships also took him to Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela. Today, the result is an inspiring cauldron of genre-bending contemporary Caribbean and Latin jazz that pushes the boundaries of jazz and world music.
For an ArtSpring Presents concert on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m. The much in-demand Jeremy Ledbetter Trio sees Ledbetter join forces with fellow Toronto-based heavyweights Grammy-winning drummer Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy and renowned electric bassist Rich Brown, who offer the perfect counterpart to Ledbetter’s iconoclastic energy at the piano.
The trio’s debut 2018 album called Got a Light? has been described as “a controlled explosion of big ideas and compelling musical storytelling.” The trio’s follow-up album, Gravity, was just released in September to rave reviews.
“An eclectic mix of calypso, Latin, contemporary jazz and other Caribbean flavours, Gravity brings together the best musicians in Canadian jazz right now,” said Jazz.FM91’s Jonsaba Jabbi. “The album is a high-powered set of new original music, brimming with fresh ideas and jaw-dropping virtuosity and musicality.”
Tickets are available through ArtSpring.