Canada’s foremost R&B
saxophonist, GENE HARDY began his musical journey on violin at age 9
then on saxophone a year later in Victoria, British Columbia. After
studies at Victoria’s Conservatory of Music & UVic, he moved to
Toronto in 1986 and traded in his classical pursuits for a
post-graduate degree in funk with Toronto’s infamous Bourbon
Tabernacle Choir.
Chances are, you’ve heard him play.
Since the Bourbon’s mid ‘90s break-up,
Gene has
become the horn player of choice for many of
Canada’s best known exports & domestic successes. He’s
recorded and performed in the US & Canada with Michael Bublé and
is the latest addition to Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie
Hawkins’ band, The Hawks. In fact, Gene has recorded and performed
with hundreds of acts - pop & rock, jazz & blues, country to
punk and everything in between with the likes of Barenaked Ladies, Big
Sugar, Colin James, Esthero, Rheostatics, Downchild Blues Band, Tyler
Yarema & His Rhythm, Hock Walsh, Roger Clown, Veda Hille, Kevin
Quain & The Mad Bastards,Big Daddy G, Colin Linden, Bruce Cockburn,
Ford Pier (of D.O.A.), Dutch Mason, Prakash John & The Lincolns,
Stoopy, Bocephus King, The Big Band Trio, Tabarruk, Michael
Kaeshammer, Dr Hilly Sands Esq. and Jamaica’s
Third World.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
(Want the complete list? Visit the website & click on ‘BANDS’)
In 2001, 2002 and again in 2003, Gene Hardy
was nominated as Horn Player of the Year at the Canada’s Maple Blues
Awards in recognition of his extensive contributions to the blues
genre, both live and in the studio.
Constantly on tour, Hardy typically plays
over 300 live shows a year around the world.
