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NIKKI'S CANADIAN TRIO TO PLAY AT THE IAJE IN TORONTO 9-13TH JANUARY

The year begins for Nikki with a trip to Canada where she performs with her Canadian trio as part of the British representation at the IAJE Conference in Toronto. Whilst there she will recording a live broadcast with Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler for CBC Radio. She will complete her brief visit to Canada performing with the same group in Kenny’s hometown of St. Catherine’s, Ontario.

This year promises to bring a string of new projects including a ten-piece ensemble playing all new music featuring, amongst others, Stan Sulzmann, Iain Dixon, Julian Arguelles and Chris Batchelor. Also there will be more from a new group with Norma Winstone, Mike Walker and Mark Lockheart and a new string project featuring Tony Coe with Tina May’s quartet.

Alongside these new projects Nikki will, of course, continue to take her quintet and trio around the country and there are plans for follow-up recordings to document this music.

DUNCAN HOPKINS (double bass)
Duncan Hopkins has been busy establishing himself as a bassist and composer around the world. While primarily self taught, Duncan has studied with the best, including Michel Donato in Montreal, Rufus Reid at the Banff Centre for Fine Arts, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen in Denmark and Dave Holland in New York City. Aside from his own projects, he has become a popular sideman for a wide variety of artists such as: Mark Murphy, Lester Bowie, Kenny Wheeler, Peter Appleyard, and arrangers Robert Farnon and Ralph Carmichael. He is also the current bassist in the famed Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass. www.duncanhopkins.com

ANTHONY MICHELLI (drums)
Anthony is a graduate of Mohawk College, has studied at the Banff Centre and the Lake Placid Centre for the Arts and has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto specialising in Jazz Performance. He is also the recipient of the 1995 Jazz Report Award for National Post-Secondary School Musician of the Year. He has performed at various club and concert venues both nationally and internationally in large and small ensembles with various artists, some of which include: Anthony Braxton, Reggie Workman, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Harry Connick Jr., Dick Oates, Ingrid Jensen, Pat Labarbera, Ed Bickert and Don Thompson. www.anthonymichelli.com