Michael Occhipinti's Shine on : The Universe of John Lennon
February 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 8:00pm

Elizabeth Shepherd - Piano / Vocals
Yvette Tollar - Vocals
Mark Kelso - Drums / Vocals
Tyler Emond - Bass
Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet
Michael Occhipinti - Guitar / Vocals

Shine On: the Universe of John Lennon is a super group bringing some of  Canda’s most acclaimed musicians together to perform music by John Lennon and  the Beatles. Uniquely arranged by guitarist Michael Occhipinti, the all-star lineup  collectively boasts over 20 JUNO Award nominations, and includes the unique  voices of Elizabeth Shepherd, Yvette Tollar, and singer/drummer Mark Kelso, joined  by Tyler Emond (bass), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), and Michael Occhipinti (guitar/ 

vocals). 

Named as a best of they year album by the radio hosts at Jazz FM, The  Universe of John Lennon was released in 2012, and and the band have since  appeared at festivals and venues from St. John’s to Victoria to New York.       Michael Occhipinti is no stranger to reinventing popular music, having received  JUNO nominations for his albums Creation Dream - The Songs of Bruce Cockburn,  The Sicilian Jazz Project, and (as ES:MO with Elizabeth Shepherd) The Weight of Hope  celebrating a variety of singer-songwriters from Stevie Wonder to Gordon  Lightfoot. 

          With John Lennon’s music so deeply engrained in our cultural fabric,  Occhipinti took a huge risk re-imagining songs that are so familiar. Michael,  however, felt that too many artists miss the opportunity to do something new  with Lennon’s material.   

    “Our familiarity with Lennon and the Beatles is kind of liberating from an  arranger’s point of view. It allows us to alter the songs in imaginative ways that  make them new for the audience, but at the same time they still recognize the  songs and feel the emotions Lennon wove into the music” he explains. “For me it’s  never been about recreating songs the way so many tribute bands do, but rather  trying be creative and personal, while still expressing an honest admiration for  John Lennon’s music”   

    That sentiment is beautifully expressed throughout the album. From the  inventive takes on “I Am The Walrus” and “Working Class Hero” featuring  Elizabeth Shepherd’s cool vocals, to Yvette Tollar’s surprising version of “I’m Only  Sleeping.” Michael Occhipinti’s creative palette of guitar sounds wind throughout  the project so that The Universe of John Lennon makes the familiar into something  new. Tracing an arc from Lennon’s best work from Beatles’s albums such as  Revolver and Rubber Soul to his last solo work, Shine On is a genre-crossing  group that is a tribute like no other.