Upper Canada College private music teachers Trevor Hogg and Mackenzie Longpre ’06 were involved in musical projects that were up for Juno Award consideration in Calgary over the weekend.
Hogg is a saxophone teacher and member of Peripheral Vision, which was nominated for the group jazz album of the year for its independently released Sheer Tyranny of Will. The award ultimately went to Allison Au Quartet for Forest Groove.
Still, it’s been a good run for Peripheral Vision. The Toronto-based quartet of Hogg, guitarist/composer Don Scott, bassist/composer Michael Herring and drummer Nick Fraser performed last Friday night as part of the JUNOFest music festival that was part of last weekend’s celebration of music.
Peripheral Vision previously received the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the 2012 Montreal Jazz Festival and the group has maintained a busy touring schedule in support of Sheer Tyranny of Will and the earlier Spectacle: Live! and Peripheral Vision albums.
Hogg also contributed to Tara Davidson’s Duets, which lost out to Robi Botos’ Movin’ Forwardin this year’s solo jazz album of the year Juno competition.
Longpre is an Old Boy who teaches percussion at UCC and performed on the vocal jazz album of the year nominee Some Version of the Truth from Tara Kannangara. Emilie-Claire Barlow’s Clear Day ultimately took the Juno in that category.
Longpre has had an eventful career since taking music classes at UCC with Tony Gomes, Myles Crawford, Peter Smith and Peter Merrick. He studied drums in the University of Toronto’s jazz program, performed with a variety of people in different genres as an in-demand sideman, and started teaching drums at UCC to supplement his income.
“Like most freelance musicians in town, I’ve always been a part of roughly a dozen different groups,” says Longpre. “This constant playing has also afforded me the opportunity to travel and tour.
“I’ve played in Chile, Japan, Europe and all over the U.S. and Canada. I also started writing my own music and leading my own groups and have put out an EP and full-length record.”
Longpre appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this year, backing alternative pop artist Banners, who released a self-titled record in January and has been touring extensively in support of it.
