Billy Bryans

Billy Bryans (b. Montreal,[1] September 15, 1949)[2] is a Canadian percussionist, songwriter, music producer and DJ, known as one of the founders of The Parachute Club, among other accomplishments in music. He has produced such artists as Dutch Mason and The Downchild Blues Band.[2] He has been particularly supportive of world music, as both a promoter and publicist, and has focused in particular on bringing the music of Cuba to a wider audience.[1]

Contents

History

Billy Bryans' childhood was spent in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, where he was associated with his first professional band, M.G. and The Escorts. This band released three singles, and primarily played in the area bounded by Montreal, Ottawa, Brockville and Kingston.[3]

Bryans moved from Montreal to Toronto with his group Theodore's Smokeshop (previously called Attic Dust) in 1970,[4] and soon developed a reputation as a musician, engineer and record producer. He quickly became associated with the Downchild Blues Band and was the engineer on the band's seminal album, Bootleg (1971),[5] considered to be the first artist-produced and independently distributed album in Canadian history. In 1972, Theodore's Smokeshop, now renamed Horn, recorded its only album, On The People's Side, where Bryans was the percussionist, a sound remixer and a co-producer.[6]

During the 1970s, Bryans continued to develop his reputation as a musician, engineer and producer. He produced records by the Time Twins, The BobCats and the Downchild Blues Band. In 1979, he was introduced to Lorraine Segato, who was then the lead singer and a principal songwriter with Mama Quilla II. The two have collaborated musically since that time. Their first collaboration was the band V, playing a mix of funk, soca and reggae music with Mojah, then the lead singer well-known Toronto reggae band, Truth and Rights.[7]

The next collaboration of Bryans and Segato was The Parachute Club. Prior to that time, Bryans was the drummer for the Toronto New Wave and Art punk band The Government, while Segato continued her association with Mama Quilla II. The Parachute Club was formed in the summer of 1982, in response to an invitation to Bryans to play at a party at the Toronto International Film Festival. Based on the performance invitation, Bryans and Segato formed a band which ultimately became The Parachute Club.[7]

In 1997, Bryans was one of the producers and mixers associated with the film soundtrack to the Disney movie, Jungle 2 Jungle, which featured much African music.[8]

In 2006, Bryans announced that he was suffering from lung cancer, and was incapacitated for a period of months, commencing in April of that year. In August 2006, in celebration of his recovery, a number of notable Toronto musicians performed a benefit in Bryans' honour.[4]

Partial Discography and Other Recordings

As A Musician

As A Producer

As An Engineer, Sound Mixer

Other

References

  1. ^ a b Biography of Billy Bryans, Toronto Jazz Festival; www.tojazz.com.
  2. ^ a b Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, Biography of The Parachute Club;www.thecanadianeyclopedia.com
  3. ^ Biography of M.G. and The Escorts; www.garagehangover.com, incorporating comments from Billy Bryans, found at www.misterbryans.com.
  4. ^ a b Planet3 Communications News Release, For Billy: A Night to Celebrate, and Support Toronto Musician, Promoter, DJ, and Friend, as reprinted at djgurygury.typepad.com, posting of August 18, 2006.
  5. ^ Billy Bryans Credits; www.allmusic.com.
  6. ^ Horn was composed of Bryans on drums, with Les Clackett (vocals), Bruce Barron (guitar), Alan Duffy (bass), Gary Hynes (guitar), Wayne Jackson (trumpet) and David De Launey (keyboards). Both Bryans and Jackson would later become members of The Downchild Blues Band, with Bryans also acting as Downchild's producer. See Vernon Joynson, Dreams, Nightmares & Fantasies (Canada) for band membership and discography; www.alextsu.narod.ru/borderlinebooks/canada.
  7. ^ a b Lynne Fernie, A Short History of The Parachute Club ('til 2005); www.pcclubblog.wordpress.com.
  8. ^ Jungle 2 Jungle credits; www.allmusic.com.
  9. ^ Particulars via www.amazon.com; accessed 09-02-07.
  10. ^ Credits for So Far; www.allmusic.com.
  11. ^ Jerome Godboo Biography; www.canadajams.ca.
  12. ^ Evergreen Everblue credits; www.allmusic.com.
  13. ^ Nominated for a Genie Award, Best Music Score; see Hostile Takeover Awards; www.imdb.com. The Canadian title of the movie is The Office Party. See Billy Bryans Filmography; www.imdb.com.

External links