SHORT FILM DIVES IN TO THE CREATION AND INSPIRATION
BEHIND HIS LATEST ALBUM JOY

INSPIRED BY THE NY TIMES BEST-SELLING DETECTIVE NOVELS BY LOUISE PENNY

"...a compositional tour-de-force, with strong melodies scored for diverse instrumentations." - Downbeat Magazine

TORONTO, ON – January 24, 2023 – In October, JUNO Award-winning drummer and composer, Ernesto Cervini, released his stunning new record, Joy - a collection of compositions inspired by Louise Penny's NY Times Best-Selling Armand Gamache Investigates series of detective novels. Today, Cervini unveils a visual companion piece to the album, in the form of a documentary that sees Cervini visiting and exploring the Canadian town that inspired Penny's world of Three Pines , while discussing the creation and inspiration behind Joy. Watch the short film, aptly titled Finding Joy, here.  

“About five years ago, I discovered the universe of Three Pines,” reflects Cervini. “I was literally captivated by Louise Penny's incredible stories and characters, by her storytelling talent, by the kindness and joy that emanates from her books. I immediately wanted to compose music inspired by the series.”

Finding Joy follows Cervini and his sister, Amy - who first introduced him to the novels, and also acts as co-producer and vocalist on the album - as they visit Knowlton, QC, the Canadian city that inspired Louise Penny's world of Three Pines. As they explore the iconic locales that appear throughout Gamache series, the siblings discuss their love of and connection to the books, while diving in to how the imagery, themes, and characters would go on to inspire Cervini's new music - which perfectly soundtracks the film's visuals. 

"With this documentary, we wanted to further explore the world of Louise Penny and Three Pines," Cervini continues. "It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to travel to Knowlton (the town that inspired Three Pines) to check out all of the landmarks and explore the area.  It was also a lovely chance to chat with my sister, and co-producer, Amy Cervini, about our childhood, growing into performing musicians and how we've been moved and inspired by Penny's books."

About Joy:
Featuring Cervini's Turboprop, Tune Town, Tetrahedron groups as well as other sonic surprises, Joy (out now via his own TPR Records) showcases Canada’s finest musicians and is the first of Cervini’s albums to include vocalists; two songs showcase Alex Samaras (Queer Songbook Orchestra), and an additional track features Felicity Williams (Bahamas, Bernice), Emilie-Claire Barlow (two time JUNO Award winner, six time nominee) and Amy Cervini (Duchess), who co-produced the album. Listen to the album here. 

DOWNLOAD – album cover artwork | DOWNLOAD – press photos

ABOUT ERNESTO CERVINI:
JUNO Award winner Ernesto Cervini is a sought-after drummer, composer and bandleader and an influential presence on Canada’s modern jazz scene and beyond. He has documented his vision with the Ernesto Cervini Quartet (featuring Joel Frahm), the innovative sextet Turboprop, numerous co- led trio projects including MEM3, Myriad3 and TuneTown, and also the quartet Tetrahedron, featuring acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, electric bassist Rich Brown and alto saxophonist Luis Deniz. Cervini’s album Abundance won the 2020 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year: Group. In addition to his performing career, he founded Orange Grove Publicity in 2014 and has quickly become one of the most sought-after jazz publicists in Canada. He is also co-founder of TPR. Cervini is on faculty at the University of Toronto.