CounterPoint at the Nuance 2008 show
CounterPoint is the kind of band that you DO NOT want to miss seeing live at least once in your life. These guys are just that good.
I read their bio’s from the evenings program and it was so nicely done that I have decided to show you all what was in it.
Member Biographies taken from the Nuance 2008 program:
Rick Kazmirchuk, Keyboards & Backing Vocals.
In February of 2008 he went out on my own to start the CounterPoint project as I wanted to write a more aggressive style of progressive rock. I needed to find players with a high level of musicianship to pull this off which I am happy to say has been accomplished with Jeff Morrison handling vocal duties, Chris Noto on bass and Joe Pawslowski on drums.
Joined my first band (Purple Haze) at 15 playing cover material and some original. Worked with numerous original bands over the years (Meshiana Wish, The Wish, Spinal Tramp, Media, NRG) still writing and performing original material and playing more cover material that was progressive-oriented along the lines of SAGA and Genesis and played in a SAGA clone band in the early 1980’s.
In 1986 I joined CERAFIM and was the major contributor and influence to the writing of the band’s
music in the styles of progressive and contemporary rock. CERAFIM went on to record 4 well received CD’s and is still musically active through Internet radio stations and is distributed internationally by a number of independent record labels.
In January of 2005 I ventured into a new musical partnership as keyboardist with the Canadian original progressive rock band THE LAST PLACID DAYS OF PLENTY.
Chris Noto, Bass guitar
Chris has been playing bass guitar since 1972 and has been surrounded by music as far back as he can remember as his father Sam Noto is one of the best jazz trumpet players in the world.
Chris brings a unique style of bass to the band, a cross between prog rock greats such as Chris Squire (YES) and Greg Lake (ELP) as well as a be bop jazz influence from his father. Chris grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Toronto in 1975 and has been here off and on ever since.
Chris opened for the band Mountain in Las Vegas when he was a mere 21 years old. He has played with keyboardist Rick Kazmirchuk in NRG, CERAFIM and a brief stint with the Last Placid Days of Plenty before teaming up with Rick as bassist for the CounterPoint project.
Joe Pawlowski, Drums & Percussion
I’ve been playing drums for almost 30 years. My main influences are Gene Krupa, John Bonham, Carl
Palmer, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy. I have been in a variety of different bands, from Rock, Jazz and Progressive.
I plan to give you a blow by blow description of their show in upcoming posts in the future. Stay tuned for more … I promise it will be more then worth the wait!
CounterPoint, Keep on Jammin’
February 8th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
[...] of downtown Toronto, and want to see one of the best prog. rock bands out there, then check out Counterpoint at Timothy’s [...]
May 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
[...] lineup are Wilton Said, Half past four and CounterPoint. You may have noticed that Wilton Said and CounterPoint played at last years Nuance Festival so I don’t have to explain the level of musical [...]
May 10th, 2010 at 1:39 am
[...] is the band that impressed me, and I’m sure everyone else, the most at this years show. The brilliant musical virtuosos of each member was breath taking to hear. If I were to see them [...]
July 25th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
[...] if you do have these guys in your collection Chris, then my question for you is does Counterpoint play any of their tunes? I’d love to hear one of them at your next [...]