Tricycle has "succcesfully incorporated old-time bluegrass and folk into a free-jazz construct that works wonders" according to NOW magazine in a 4 star review, emerge and see will "have jam band fans doing cartwheels in the street and hardcore jazz fans reexamining their priorities."
"Four guys, three wheels, and one 'glory-beaming' banjo. Tricycle is a band that bridges jazz and bluegrass - and everything in between - with smart compositions, playful jams, and a great sense of purpose. It's music that's difficult to describe, but easy to love."
Andy Sheppard, host of CBC radio's 'afterhours'
"Inhabiting a no-man's land somewhere between the land of jazz and the land of folk, Tricycle prove that musical intelligence and good clean fun need not be mutually exclusive concepts."
Duck Baker, legendary fingerstyle guitarist, columnist at Jazztimes
Tricycle began with Jayme Stone and Kevin Manaugh writing music for banjo and guitar that, while grounded in roots, old-time and bluegrass music, was open to a much wider palette of sound, emotion and influence. The two have since embarked on a musical friendship that from afar might sound like Steve Reich spinning an old jazz record in the backwoods. Out of this approach grew a body of music, a gathering of musicians, an eager audience, and now a debut recording, emerge and see, to connect them all. Tricycle's vision is to play music that is composed with elegance, steeped in and yet free from tradition, and always expressed anew.
Jayme Stone composes music and plays the banjo with an earthiness, quirkiness and vibrancy that'll leave you with ears wide open, thinking, "that's a banjo?" Jayme began playing eight years ago, learning the repertoire, technique and lore of old-time and bluegrass music. He has studied with banjo elders Tony Trischka, Alan Munde, and most recently, Béla Fleck. Jayme has received grants from the Toronto and Canada Councils for the Arts for study, composition and travel. He has played folk, jazz, african, classical and free-improvised music with the likes of Tim Posgate, Nick Fraser, Jean Martin, Oliver Schroer, Gordon Allen, Lori Cullen, Jennifer Gilmor, Mansa Sissoko and Andrew Downing.
Kevin Manaugh is a guitarist and composer steeped in jazz, roots, african and classical music. His career has taken him from Prague to Paris, Utah to Toronto, teaching and performing along the way. Kevin can be heard playing jazz with Brodie West, Rob Clutton, Kelly Jefferson, Jonathan Marks and Julie Michaels. He has performed and recorded with songsters Reid Jamieson and Michael Johnston. Kevin pursued his formal music training at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO, where he studied with ECM pianist Art Lande and guitar virtuoso Tuck Andress. Kevin has studied extensively with Brian Katz, an eminent local guitarist and composer. He was recently awarded a Toronto Arts Council Composition Grant.
Drummer Kevin Coady hails from Newfoundland, where he began a love affair with things that make noise at an early age. He hasn't stopped since, experimenting with the textures of percussion and playing with Big Rude Jake, Jack Zorawski and Joel Miller. He studied music with Andre White at McGill University and has performed at the prestigious Montreal Jazz Festival and the Sound Symposium in St. John's. Kevin is interested in time travel, perpetual motion (it's what he does best) and tricycles.
Paul Mathew graduated from University of Toronto in 2002 with a Jazz Performance degree. When not with Tricycle, Paul can be found playing guitar, bass, keyboards and drums with the Hidden Cameras. He also performs regularly with Zam-Cab, Dan Goldman, Craig Cardiff and Exit Man. Paul also leads a pop-trio called myonlyday, where he sings, plays guitar and writes the music.
Read more...