Jon Day originally moved to Montreal from Vancouver to pursue a career in jazz piano, but it was vocal music that filled him with passion and eventually changed his path.
“I started falling in love with vocal music a lot and I realized that was missing in my jazz world,” he said. “There’s something great about the human voice that you can’t get out of instruments that easily.”
Day said it was the soul-based music that really inspired him, including gospel, and he came out with his debut CD Exhibit B in 2008.
It was a tough time to release an album however, and Day said although his concert was broadcast on CBC, after that it was left alone as the music industry suffered and many music distributors were going out of business. So Day took work as an accompanist gaining experience and recognition around Canada and Europe singing background vocals and playing the keyboard.
In the last six months things have taken a change for the better in Montreal, Day said, which is why he's re-releasing Exhibit B on a debut homecoming tour in B.C. along with a new vinyl release of the album.
Day has been receiving positive feedback from his music recently, invited to a number of shows and festivals including the Montreal International Jazz Festival this summer. A live YouTube video of his song Pity was recently featured on Sirius Backstage Series in February/March 2011, shown at all Cineplex /Odeon theatres across Canada on the big screen before the feature presentations.
Day said he has a vast array of influences but describes his music as melodically influenced with elements from a number of genres.
“It’s vocal music, its soul influenced, it's jazz influenced and melodically it's pop influenced," he said.
Along for the B.C. tour are Morgan Moore on bass and Mark Nelson on drums, two friends and celebrated musicians in the Montreal music scene who have been playing with Day since 2005.
"There’s lots of musicianship on stage coming from Mark and Morgan,” he said, “They are both incredible musicians in their own right.”
The album Exhibit B followed Exhibit A, an underground Montreal-style demo that only a few people got their hands on. Day is also currently working on another album, which he hopes will come out in the fall.
Day and the Exhibit Trio will play at the Errington Hall this Saturday June 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for under 12 and free for 5 and under. They can be purchased at Cranky Dog in Parksville, Heaven on Earth in Qualicum Beach, and at the Errington Store. For music samples and more visit www.jonday.ca.