ERNESTO CERVINI SHARES I'M FINE AS FINAL PREVIEW OF FORTHCOMING ALBUM JOY SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 7

WATCH PERFORMANCE OF ALBUM STANDOUT RUTH'S ROSA

ALBUM INSPIRED BY THE NY TIMES BESTSELLING
DETECTIVE NOVELS BY LOUISE PENNY
 
PERFORMANCES IN TORONTO, OTTAWA AND MONTREAL THIS FALL WITH MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

TORONTO, ON – September 23, 2022 – Today, JUNO Award-winning drummer and composer, Ernesto Cervini, shares I'm FINE - the final preview track from his forthcoming record, Joy – set for release on October 7 on Cervini’s own label, TPR Records. I'm FINE, is the name of Ruth Zardo’s book of poetry. Although the title sounds optimistic, it’s actually an acronym which stands for Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic and Egotistical. This piece captures the feeling of sighing, and saying "I’m Fine" when that might not be totally true. Listen to it here.

Joy, the album, draws inspiration from Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache Investigates, a series of detective novels (NY Times Best-Sellers), and the qualities of goodness, decency, courage and the love that permeate them, Cervini was moved to compose music that captures the characters, landscapes and relationships created by Penny. Pre-order Joy here.

Evocative of the sound of cool jazz, the laid-back and hard-swinging track I’m FINE features JUNO-winning drummer/composer Ernesto Cervini’s three-horn group, Turboprop. This track is inspired by the mercurial but ultimately kind and loving character Ruth Zardo, from the best-seller Gamache series of books by Louise Penny. As cool as a glass of lemonade on a hot summer’s day, the three-horn melody is followed by a soulful and bluesy saxophone solo and then a melodic acoustic bass solo before that infectious melody returns to end out the song. 

To get a glimpse of the project in a live setting, watch Cervini's performance video of album standout, Ruth's Rosa, here. The song is a musical portrait of a duck and her cranky, poet laureate owner, further shaping the sonic narrative of Joy.

I'm FINE follows previous single and album opener, Three Pines. An evocative, accessible and beautiful modern jazz original,Three Pines, is named for the village where most of the books – that the new album was inspired by – take place. A refuge as well as a safe place, the song resonates as Ernesto captures the idyllic nature of the village. 
 
The lead single, Surprised by Joy, is a riveting contemporary jazz song featuring Cervini’s beloved group, Turboprop. A churning drum solo opens the track and from the first strains of the rhythm section it is clear that this song is going to be a barn-burner, building up to an explosive entrance by the horn section and opening up into angular and swinging solos by pianist, Adrean Farrugia, and tenor saxophonist, Kelly Jefferson.

About Joy:
Featuring Cervini's Turboprop, Tune Town, Tetrahedron groups as well as other sonic surprises, Joy 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.
 
On September 3, Cervini delivered an extraordinary performance at Théâtre Lac-Brome, in Penny’s hometown of Knowlton, QC. Ernesto Cervini’s Joy: A Musical World inspired by Three Pines was the global premiere concert of the new record, bringing the songs and stories to life on stage. In addition, Cervini will perform in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa this fall, with more dates to be announced soon. See below for full tour details. 
 
Cervini’s music and personality beam with unbridled joy, and this record is a true reflection of that. Stay tuned for more to come this fall while we celebrate the release of Joy next month! 

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
November 2 - Toronto, ON - Alliance Francaise 
November 3 - Montreal, QC - Société Jazz St Henri
November 4 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre
*more to be announced soon!

DOWNLOAD – album cover artwork 
DOWNLOAD – I'm FINE single 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.