We all have heard the adage, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Where it came from and who came up with it is not clear. Some say its origins were created in folklore, during the time Isaac Newton discovered the theory of gravity by watching an apple fall from a tree. Regardless of its identity, this saying appeals to many of us today.
Quincy Bullen, a 22-year-old Toronto-based keyboard player and singer, has been performing at concerts and festivals since the age of 14. Now, Quincy has proven to be a formidable interpreter of jazz and proves there is a vibrant spirit in the world of jazz.
In a recent interview with a local newspaper, Q says: “What I want to do is take jazz and bring it to that level of understanding where you can dance to it again. I want to take jazz and modern techno and dance music and create them in harmony with each other.”
He is the son of Eddie Bullen, multi-talented jazz pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer and his mother, Joan Bullen is a top hairstylist and successful entrepreneur. Although she doesn’t play an instrument, she is quite familiar with the workings of the industry and in the early stages of her career; she worked in artist management and promotions.
Following in his Dad’s footsteps, Quincy’s music is also rooted in the jazz idiom. Further into the interview he expressed his love for the music and described how he likes integrating it into a modern feel of today’s music: a mix of funky, jazzy, bluesy sounds.
Quincy released his first solo album, On Q in late 2010. It is mostly original material featuring Larnell “Sticks” Lewis on drums, Alex Toth on bass and Rob Christian on sax. The CD reflects Quincy’s funky jazz vibe and his sensitivity as a composer.
Duchess of Bass
“Zuri Appleby looks like a million dollars and plays bass like five million. She is a musician in all senses of the word and she can SING! Bonus points there! She makes the music feel good,” says Joseph Wooten, keyboardist for The Steve Miller Band & Victor Wooten.
Her parents are well-respected musicians in the community – Rodney Appleby, one of the most professional musicians to come from Buffalo, and Linda Appleby, a music teacher who is best known as a musical mentor and the unofficial godmother of the Buffalo music scene.
They were incredibly instrumental in introducing her to something she would end up loving. After stints with piano, vocals, French horn and guitar, the bass fell on her lap, as she was asked to fill in on bass with her Dad’s youth jazz ensemble, and it took off from there.
Zuri’s versatility has enabled her to open for national recording artists such as PJ Morton, Sisqo. Anthony Hamilton, Orgone, Alan Evans Trio, Grammy Award winner Snarky Puppy, Bernard Purdie, Avery Sunshine and she has also played for national recording artists like Ginuwine, Silk, Grammy-nominated Maysa, Soulive, Christopher Williams, Marvin Sapp, Martha Munizzi and Steve Miller’s own keyboardist, and three-time Grammy-nominated artist Joseph Wooten.
She currently is a bassist and vocalist for numerous bands around her hometown of Buffalo, such as her original group Forealists, Verse, Breakerbox, Critts Juke Joint, ReBop, Vitamin D, Michael King and Dan Ross Band, and Drea D’Nur, to name a few.
On Sunday at 8 p.m., Quincy and Zuri will perform at The Avenue Restaurant & Lounge, 1085 Bellamy Rd., Scarborough, Tel. 647-450-5463.
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