Saxophone, flute, and woodwind specialist VERN DORGE has long held an integral place on the Canadian and international music scenes, featured in live concert, on television, and multiple recordings in a variety of music genres. Arriving in Toronto from Alberta in 1974, he became known as a featured soloist with ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’, Gordon Lightfoot, and Anne Murray, and performed with a long list of other acclaimed artists including Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Aaron Neville, Gino Vannelli, Diana Krall, and Herbie Hancock.
Since joining the fertile music culture of Toronto in the ’70s, Dorge has spent time playing with music icons including Guido Basso, Doug Riley, Howard Cable, Domenic Troiano, and Moe Koffman. As a performer, composer/arranger, and teacher, he is involved in many settings including Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Orchestral, Musical Theatre, and as a busy studio musician.
He is a graduate of the Humber College Music Diploma program. He currently leads a sextet laying down Jazz, Blues, Soul, Latin, and Groove oriented music, and has released a well-received solo recording entitled Soul Searchin’.
This evening’s stellar VERN DORGE QUARTET features jazz masters TREVOR GIANCOLA on guitar, PAUL NOVOTNY on bass, and MIKE RAJNA on drums, entertaining in the up-close-and-personal ambience of The Home Smith Bar.