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Daniel Gassin
Daniel Gassin is an Australian pianist and composer of Franco-American descent based in Paris.
Before relocating to France in 2013, Daniel garnered both local and international acclaim in his hometown of Melbourne. He was a finalist in the Jazz Solo Piano Competition at the iconic Montreux Jazz Festival in 2007, reached the final three at the Australian National Jazz Awards in 2013, and was nominated for the prestigious Freedman Fellowship in 2016.
He recorded his second Trio album “Crossover” in 2008 for ABC Jazztrack, and in 2011 the Daniel Gassin Sextet's debut album was released to critical acclaim and widespread national airplay. The self-titled album was nominated for “Best Jazz Album” at the Independent Music (AIR) Awards, and the track "Banff Song" earned a nomination at the 2012 Jazz Bell Awards for “Best Australian Jazz Song of the Year.”
Since his move to France, Daniel has added an international dimension to his career, as well as becoming an integral part of the Paris jazz scene. In 2016 he became the first pianist to perform at Quincy Jones' new club in Dubaï - Q's - inaugurating the venue as part of UK drummer Ollie Howell's band and playing over 20 concerts there over five weeks. The same year, he completed a five-concert tour of Sweden with his Trio. In 2018 Daniel toured Burkina Faso, Angola, Mauritius and the Seychelles as part of US State Department tours conducted by its Africa Regional Services program.
In 2019, Daniel’s new Crossover Band recorded its debut EP, was selected to showcase at Jammin' Juan, performed at the Sibiu International Jazz Festival in Romania, and took up a monthly residency at the Caveau des Oubliettes in Paris.
Daniel appears in the first episode of Damien Chazelle’s recently-released Netflix series The Eddy.
Daniel is also an in-demand sideman in numerous projects including Grammy Award-winning trumpeter/guitarist Josiah Woodson's “Quintessential” (he also appears on the band's debut album released in 2017) and “JWP”, trumpeter Rachel Therrien's Quartet (appearing on her soon-to-be-released album “Vena”), and vocalist Alita Moses' European ensemble, with which he performed at the 2018 and 2019 World Minds annual symposia in Zürich and Belgrade respectively.
In addition to playing and touring extensively with many of Australia's – and now France's – finest jazz musicians, Daniel has also performed and recorded with U.S. greats Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Leroy Jones, Rick Margitza, John Riley and Bob Sheppard.
The Daniel Gassin Crossover Band will release its debut album ‘Change of Heart’ in April 2021 on the Jazz Family label.
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Rachel Therrien: Vena
by Mike Jurkovic
A hot organ intro accompanies the simple, fifty-two second, folk-dance breeze of Folks Jam" before sweeping you into the grander, ballroom dance that is V for Vena." It's an alluring intro to trumpeter/flugelhornist Rachel Therrien's fifth album as a leader. You quickly hear the beauty of Therrien's playing: there's no need to nerdily testify which horn she's playing on any given solo (even if you could spot the difference). Just gasp and when she's done soaring or imploring, ...
Continue ReadingDaniel Gassin: Daniel Gassin Sextet
by Edward Blanco
Daniel Gassin's third album ventures into new territory, leaving behind the intimacy of the trio format which has been Australian pianist's preferred musical setting until now. Daniel Gassin Sextet features ten original pieces of modern jazz performed by a standard rhythm section, with a small horn section of trumpets and saxophones, to produce a superb, light ensemble sound. While the performance of the players is always contributes to the caliber of the project, it is Gassin's compositions that make this ...
Continue ReadingDaniel Gassin Trio: Crossover
by Edward Blanco
Described as a brilliant, lyrical young Melbourne pianist/composer," Australian jazz pianist Daniel Gassin reveals but a glimpse of his talents on Crossover, as evidenced by the quality of his compositions and the elite caliber of his performance. A follow up to his debut, Roundtrip (Vorticity Music, 2004)--which was rereleased in 2010--Crossover is an enchanting recording of modern jazz, featuring one of the most unheralded young pianist in jazz today. As with his first album, this also adopts the piano trio ...
Continue ReadingPianist Daniel Gassin Announces New Website at danielgassin.com
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Michael Ricci
Go to danielgassin.com for everything you need to know about Daniel Gassin's music, including releases for sale, track samples, photos, videos, blog and more!
About Daniel Gassin Pianist Daniel Gassin recorded his debut album, Roundtrip in 2004 with funding obtained from winning the Banyule/La Trobe University Young Artists' Award. The album was influenced by seven months spent living in Paris In 2002-2003 (where he studied with local stalwart Laurent Fickelson), and has received significant airtime on prominent national and local ...
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"Inviting but tight... enormously innovative." **** Leon Gettler, The Age
"A superb, light ensemble sound... It is Gassin's compositions that make this album compelling... Whether performing in a trio format or expanding the band, Daniel Gassin is a marvellous pianist and an exciting composer... A truly engaging recording." Edward Blanco, All About Jazz
"A brilliant, lyrical young Melbourne pianist-composer... Sizzling, beautiful stuff." —Richard Mohr, Readings
"The landscape of jazz contains a plethora of piano trio performances, but only a few measure up to an elite standard. ‘Crossover’ deserves to be elevated into that elite category, with Daniel Gassin the primary reason." —Edward Blanco, All About Jazz