**Reservation Required
- Pianist and composer - James McGowan
- Guitarist - Alex Moxon
- Bassist - J.P. Lapensée
- Drummer - Jamie Holmes
Modasaurus is a quartet based in Ottawa that was assembled last year by Carleton University music professor and keyboardist James McGowan. McGowan wanted to compose a group that would use a collaborative approach to perform compositions with a contemporary, jazz-fusion sound. When forming Modasaurus, McGowan felt the need to tap into strong musicians who are easy to get along with, who are strong readers, aren’t afraid to tackle a challenge, who can handle a wide and diverse range of styles, and who can approach the music both as expert improvisers and thoughtful performers of often complicated composed-out sections.
The quartet brings together a vast array of stylistic influences from funk to ECM free-jazz to Latin rhythms to sounds from the Middle East into an impressively rich and dynamic jazz fusion. As you might guess from their dinosaur-inspired name, Modasaurus has a big sound – not excessively loud, but full-bodied and complex. Their repertoire consists mostly of original compositions by McGowan that use the talents of every member of the quartet, thereby allowing for considerable interaction and interplay.
Funky Pteradactyl