Having strummed since the sixth grade on his grandfather’s old guitar, Keith Price landed his first gigs at age fifteen. First influenced by pop, punk and heavy metal, he discovered jazz through the intensity and spirituality of John Coltrane. Price began his formal studies in music at age nineteen at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Upon his return to Winnipeg, he turned down a scholarship from The New School in New York City and instead, opted to study with local guitar genius Larry Roy as part of Steve Kirby’s newly established jazz program at The University of Manitoba. Price has also studied in Boston with Mick Goodrick, a renowned guitar educator.
Price is known for his simple and expressive approach to improvisation and his warm, spacey guitar tones. His original material is melodic, introspective, and connects with ideas and feelings that are of a spiritual nature. Price’s choice to cover material by artists like Nirvana, St. Vincent, and Sufjan Stevens is an intentional decision designed to bridge the gap between the every-day music lover and the sometimes hard-to-understand world of jazz.
The 31 year-old musician has released three full-length albums; Solo Guitar (2013), Gaia/Goya (2011), and Breakfast Of Champions (2009). He has also produced albums for Toronto-based singer-songwriter Michael Peters and Artists In Healthcare Manitoba.
Solo Guitar was the 27th most played album on CKUW 95.9’s top 100 of 2013. Gaia/Goya peaked at #2 on Canadian jazz radio (!earshot) and was also runner-up for the 2013 Julian Award for Excellence for Emerging Canadian Artists. Breakfast Of Champions was nominated for the TD Grand Prix Du Jazz and The Galaxie Rising Star awards at the 2010 Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Price has also been busy as a composer, writing a new score for the classic film, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, as part of Jazz Winnipeg’s 2013 Nu Sounds Series. He worked with musician Nathan Reimer on a full-length documentary film score for director Kevin Nikkel and collaborated with Justin Delorme, producing music for three silent 8mm films and a new short directed by Madison Thomas.
Performance highlights include The Montreal International Jazz Festival, CBC Canada Live, Edmonton’s famous jazz club Yardbird Suite, The TD Jazz Winnipeg Festival, Jazz Winnipeg’s Nu Sounds Series, and opening shows for The Bad Plus, and Robert Glasper.
Here is the Keith Price Trio….
