FRANÇOIS BOURASSA
Genres: 21st Century Modern, Third Stream, Post Bop • Canada

Born in Montreal in 1959, Bourassa was initially captivated by the electric guitar and the blues rock of Johnny Winter and Jimi Hendrix. Keyboard‑centric progressive rock was the catalyst to return to the piano at the age of 17. Through the gateway of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever, Bourassa worked his way backwards through the jazz tradition. After completing a degree in composition at McGill University, Bourassa pursued a master’s at the New England Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Fred Hersch and George Russell, among other professors. Bourassa has also spent years as a teacher and clinician (McGill, UQAM, University of Montreal). François Bourassa—now with ten albums of original music under his belt—has become an ambassador for Canada’s thriving jazz community at an international level. A paragon of both consistency and evolution, he continues to seek out new challenges for himself, his colleagues, and his growing community of listeners. read more...