Band Biographies
Steve Bell / Singer-Songwriter
“I never saw it coming.”
It could be the disclaimer for a car crash, but in this case it is Steve Bell’s attempt to account for his symphony projects – the concert premier of his songs in a symphonic setting in 2007, a full-length studio album recorded with a complete symphony orchestra the following year, and twenty two subsequent concerts with North American symphony orchestras in the years following.
Bell’s career has been full of unanticipated events. He never planned to be a solo artist. It was the invitation from a family friend to join him on an international trip that revealed what he now regards as his vocational calling. He never planned to tell stories from the stage, but one night on a festival stage in Altona, Manitoba, he opened his mouth to sing a song and out came a story. Story telling is now a cornerstone of Bell’s live performances; of such consequence it has launched a series of live albums entitled “Story and Song.”
Bell’s tweny year, fifteen album career has produced multiple JUNO awards and a host of other industry accolades. He has performed all over the world, most recently completing trips to the Middle East and New York. Supported by Signpost Music (Bell’s own independent record label), he has sold over 300,000 units worldwide and gathered thousands of loyal fans. Larry LeBlanc (Billboard Magazine) calls Steve “a Canadian musical treasure.”
Steve lives in Winnipeg, MB with his wife Nanci and their sons Jesse and Micah. Their daughter Sarah is recently married and lives with her husband Steve and their young son Luca in Ontario.
Mike Janzen / Orchestrations & Piano
Mike Janzen is a piano playing puzzle. On the one hand (perhaps his left), Mike is a well trained classical musician with strong technical and music theory skills including a Bachelor of Music degree from Brandon University and a Master of Composition from the University of Toronto. On the other, his musical journey includes forays into the worlds of rock, funk, folk and jazz.
Now living in Toronto with his wife Jodi, Mike is a regular on the Toronto music scene. Current projects include arranging, composition, studio work, live touring, a film scoring collaboration with Daniel Lanois, and his recent award winning jazz trio albums “Beginnings” and “Mombacho”, with drummer Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn, Michael Kershammer) and renowned bassist George Koeller (Holly Cole).
Steve Bell says, “Mike is a brilliant arranger. In performance, his extraordinary improvisational intuition and skill set songs ablaze with virtuosity. And…he’s just a great guy!”
Gilles Fournier / Upright Bass
Bandleader, composer, producer and educator Gilles Fournier is a bass virtuoso who has performed with jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Arturo Sandoval, Kevin Eubanks and Tito Puente.
Besides leading his own sextet and funk/jazz band, Egospank, he performs regularly with the Ron Paley Big Band, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, the Buhr Quartet and Papa Mambo.
He was awarded the WCMA Musician of the Year honor in 2005. He has been on four national tours as the bass player in Steve Bell’s acoustic trio (Steve Bell, Mike Janzen, Gilles Fournier), and has anchored Steve’s band for all 22 of the Symphony Sessions touring concerts.
Daniel Roy / Drums & Percussion
Daniel Roy is one of the most in demand drummer/percussionists on the Manitoba music scene.
He has recorded and toured with such bands as Nathan, Madrigaia, Twilight Hotel, the Wyrd Sisters, Daniel Koulack, Steve Bell, Ted Longbottom, Matt Epp, and Papa Mambo.
Having been wooed by the craft of songwriting, Daniel has recently completed his first album of original francophone material.