Mark Kelso is not your typical Canadian or your typical drummer. He doesn’t follow hockey, root for The Toronto Maple Leafs, live on poutine, or eat all of his meals at Tim Hortons. However, after getting over that initial shock, you’ll find that this Toronto resident is not only a very well-rounded musician, he’s the drummer extraordinaire for the kick-ass band, The Jazz Exiles. And not only does Mark Kelso lead, play drums, and produce the band’s recordings, he also composes for the band. The Jazz Exiles current line-up has been together for five years, so their sound is even tighter, punchier and more cohesive than on the previous two recordings (Elementals and Stealing from My Youth.) The Jazz Exiles feature the all-star talents of Canadian bass virtuoso Rich Brown, Cuban-born alto sax player Luis Deniz, guitar whiz Elmer Ferrer and Jeremy Ledbetter on piano & keyboards. These players bring […]

February 2023 Issue