Album Notes

Inspired by legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, Newfoundlander Duane Andrews performs a melange of jazz and folk music. A virtuoso guitarist, Duane melds traditional Newfoundland folk music with it's mix of French, Irish, Portuguese and English influences with Manouche (Gypsy Jazz) in the same way that Django Reinhardt infused Jazz with Gypsy melody.

An award winning multi-instrumentalist, record producer and filmmaker, Andrews has worked with a variety of artists including Canadian Jazz legends such as Mike Murley and Doug Riley, Folk icon Ken Whiteley, Afro-Newfoundland group Mopaya, Irish fiddle master Seamus Creagh and the Chieftains to name a few.

A graduate of the Jazz Studies program at St.FXU (BA Music, Honours), Duane spent several years studying music composition initially at the Conservatoire International de Paris and eventually with Georges Boeuf and Regis Campo at the Conservatoire National de Region in Marseille, France.

It was during his time in France that Reinhardt's music had a profound impact on Duane. Upon returning to his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2002 Duane began fusing traditional Newfoundland music with Reinhardt’s style and his own original compositions. This work resulted in the 2004 release of his dynamic debut solo CD, simply titled, Duane Andrews and the 2006 release of his latest recording "Crocus".