François Bourassa (born 26 September 1959, in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

) is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist from

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. He is the son of

Robert Bourassa Robert Bourassa (; July 14, 1933 – October 2, 1996) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd premier of Quebec from 1970 to 1976 and from 1985 to 1994. A member of the Liberal Party of Quebec, he served a total of just un ...

. His music is influenced by pianists such as

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Quar ...

, and

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

, as well as art music from the Classical and Romantic eras.

Awards

*1985 – ''Winner'' of the Festival de jazz de Montréal contest. *2001, 2002 –

Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year The Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year was presented as recognition each year for the best contemporary jazz album in Canada. It was first presented in 1994, after the Juno Awards split the former award for Best Jazz Album into se ...

*2004 – Prix Opus, concert of the year *2004 – Prix Opus, concert of the year (jazz/world music) *2004 – Prix Félix, jazz album of the year *2007 – Prix Oscar Peterson from the ''

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourassa, Francois Canadian jazz pianists Musicians from Montreal Living people 1959 births Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year winners 21st-century Canadian pianists