“I started guitar seriously at age 13 and literally haven’t put it down since. I would play five hours a day during high school – I sorta had it permanently slung around my back. I started piano when I was six and worked a lot at that as well. My first year of university was actually at York studying classical piano under the great, late Antonic Kubalek. I had many great piano teachers over the years as well—James Tweedie really helped me with my technique and musicality.

My interest in jazz music started when I was 15… I loved the classiness of the genre and how much it lent itself to introspective creativity. Toronto was a great city to grow up in as a jazz guitarist… watching Ed Bickert perform at the Montreal Bistro and Top of the Senator was life changing.”

Mark Pellizzer