FEATURING:

Jeff King -- Sax

Luis Deniz -- Sax

David Braid -- Keys

Rich Brown -- Bass

Mark Kelso -- Drums

"Juno award winning musician Jeff King is a Toronto-based saxophonist that performs all over Canada, the U.S., and internationally.  Along with running his own band, he has performed and recorded with the likes of Paquito D'Rivera, Paul Shaffer, Tony Bennett, Randy Brecker, Paul Anka, Lonnie Smith, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Jeff Healey, Lorne Lofsky, Hilario Duran, David Braid, Joel Haynes, Keiran Overs, Rich Brown, Alexis Baro, Robi Botos, Archie Alleyne...and pretty much everybody else in the Canadian jazz scene!

His new band "Catalyst" features the unbelievably talented lineup of regular members Luis Deniz, David Braid/Robi Botos, Rich Brown and Joel Haynes. He considers this his "anything goes" band, and is using it to explore many different musical directions.

Luis Deniz - http://www.myspace.com/luisdeniz

Luis Gonzalez Deniz was born in Camaguey, Cuba on April 21st, 1983. In 1993, Luis started his musical studies at the Escuela Vocacional de Arte Luis Casas Romero in his hometown of Camaguey, where he subsequently continued at the Escuela Profesional de Musica Jose White. Luis later moved to the Cuban capital, where he graduated at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Musica (ENA), the alma mater of several of Cuba's most prominent musicians.While in Cuba he kept a busy schedule,both teaching saxophone at the National School of Music and playing locally and touring international as well,past dates includes a USA West Coast Tour(Los Angeles,San Francisco,California,2002)and several dates for the Bermuda Jazz Festival(Bermuda Island,2004).

Upon his arrival in Toronto in 2004, Denis has performed/ recorded with some of Toronto and International most outstanding musicians, including Mark Turner,Tony Allen(Fela Kuti's Drummer) Hilario Duran, Luis Mario Ochoa, Paquito D Rivera, Horacio El Negro Hernandez, Reg Schwager, Dafnis Prieto, Francisco Mela, Barry Romberg, Rich Brown's Quartet, NOJO, Roberto Occhipinti,Canadian Idol jazz Orchestra,The Art of Jazz Orchestra, Jane Bunnett, among others. Luis is involved in several upcoming projects including the David Virelles Quintet which he co-leads. As a Part of the David Virelles Quintet,he has performed in several major jazz festivals in Canada, winning the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2006,which lead to the recording of an album for the Canadian jazz label based in Montreal , Justin Time,the David Virelles Quintet Released their first album entitled "Motion" and it features New York tenor saxophonist Mark Turner,Tres player Pablosky Rosales,singer songwriter Jose Aquiles and Brazilian/Canada based multi-instrumentalist Celso Machado. He has also shared the stage with international figures such as Barry Harris,Howard Johnson,Ray Vega,Steve Turre,Randy Brecker and Donald Harrison.
Robi Botos - http://www.myspace.com/robibotosmusic

"Born into a musical Romani (Gypsy) family in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, the mainly self-taught Robi Botos (27) began his musical career when he was just a child, playing drums, and percussion with his father and two brothers. It was at age seven when Robi first took up piano, the instrument he has since mastered and with which he has made his mark. Robi's notable performances include: Concert at the Long Beach convention and entertainment centre. Opening concert for Bela Fleck, Stanley Clark, and Jean Luc Ponty, at the 2005 International Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival on the main stage. As well in the same year Robi opened for Oscar Peterson at the prestigious Stravinsky hall in Montreaux Switzerland. Since immigrating to Canada in 1998, Robi has made great contributions to Canada's jazz scene. He has been featured with many local and international greats including: Pat Labarbera, Marcus Belgrave, Terri Lyne Carrington, James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid, Donald Walden, Archie Alleyne, Dougie Richardson, Roberta Gambarini, Peter Appleyard, Jackie Richardson, Jake Langley, Vito Rezza, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Young, Norman Marshall Villenueve, Dennis Coffey, John Lamb, Joey DeFrancesco, Michael Brecker, Peter Cardinali, Toots Thielemans, Guido Basso, Avishai Cohen, and Richard Bona to name a few."

Rich Brown -http://www.myspace.com/richbrown35

Rich Brown has been an active member of Toronto's culturally diverse music scene since 1992. He taught himself to play bass at the age of 17 by listening to artists such as Jaco Pastorius, Victor Bailey, Jimmy Haslip, and Alain Caron. Later, he expanded his vocabulary by drawing on influences outside the bass realm. In a recent interview Brown explains, "I wanted to sing like Stevie, play like Miles, and phrase like Scofield and do it all on this instrument." Rich is one of the most in demand musicians in Toronto. He is currently a member of the JUNO nominated indo-jazz group autorickshaw and has performed and recorded with some of the finest musicians in the world including jazz vocalist Carol Welsman, Jane Siberry, Glenn Lewis, Dapp Theory, Steve Coleman & 5 Elements, James "Blood" Ulmer, Andy Narrell and Bruce Cockburn to name a few. He has appeared in the feature film "Glitter" starring Mariah Carey and the made for TV movie "The Natalie Cole Story" starring Natalie Cole as well as the television series "Soul Food". Rich is currently at work on a new solo project called rinsethealgorithm and has appeared on over 40 recordings ranging from Jazz to Funk to Latin to traditional Asian and Arabic music. He can currently be seen in a feature interview with the online magazine

Joel Haynes - http://www.joelhaynes.com

Joel Haynes is an emerging, dynamic drummer on the Canadian jazz scene. Since a very young age, he has been playing and studying the drums with absolute dedication and determination. Joel has grown from his early community musical experiences in his hometowns of Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario, and has progressed to playing with some of the finest jazz artists in Canada. Highlights include being nominated for a "National Jazz Award" in 2003, and being invited to perform with Oscar Peterson and Dave Young for the Canadian Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert in January, 2005. He has been an active musician in Canada and has been "…known by his fellow musicians as an unfailing, solid, and devoted player who demonstrates courage, swing and sensitivity in a variety of musical situations" (Andre White, 2005). Many influences have formed Joel's musical styling. His jazz studies at Humber College, McGill University, and the University of Toronto have given him a broad base of skills and knowledge which have shaped him into a highly technical, defined, inventive and diverse musician. Instructors in Montreal and Toronto include: Andre White, Dave Laing, Chris McCann, Bob McClaren, Don Vickory, and Barry Elmes. During and following his educational experiences, Joel has performed at many major jazz festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Japan, Korea and the Caribbean. While in Ontario, he has played with many outstanding jazz artists, such as: Russell Malone, Bill Mays, Ray Anderson, Rob McConnell, Sam Noto, Dave Young, P.J. Perry, Cornelius Dupré, Don Thompson, Neil Swainson, Jim Vivian, Bernie Senensky, David Braid, Steve Koven, Andrew Scott, Billy Robinson, and Verve recording artist Denzal Sinclaire. While Joel is admired for his skills within the jazz idiom, his diversity and excellent reading skills have enabled him to perform for popular musical theatrical productions, such as: Cats, West Side Story, the Rat Pack, Urinetown and several other major shows. Joel's largest project to date is his debut CD, released in November, 2005, titled The Time is Now, (Cellar Live Records, Vancouver). It is a collaborative collection with Tilden Webb, Jodi Proznick, and special guest vocalist, Denzal Sinclaire. The trio of Haynes, Webb & Proznick was first formed in 1993 while they were all attending McGill University in Montreal. They have been performing together as a trio and as a backing rhythm section ever since their university days. Despite the geographical distance between Joel in Toronto and Jodi, Tilden and Denzal in Vancouver, they still find it necessary to continue working together to explore new ideas and develop upon older ones. Joel is looking forward to the Trio's second recording with Webb and Proznick, recorded live at Vancouver's Cellar Jazz club in February 2008 with special guest Seamus Blake.