Chris Andrew & Kodi Hutchinson perform at Tommy Banks 80th Birthday 

Pianist Chris Andrew and bassist Kodi Hutchinson were honoured to be asked to perform with Canadian jazz icon PJ Perry to perform for the 80th birthday celebrations for Tommy Banks.

Recorded live at CKUA radio in Edmonton, the concert was broadcast across Alberta on CKUA radio on December 17th for Tommy Banks birthday. It was a beautiful celebration in honour of one of Alberta's and Canada's most staunch arts advocates and important pianists.

Tommy Banks, who started his career as a jazz musician and big band leader, then went on to be a media personality across Canada on TV and radio, then a member of the Canadian senate. An advocate for the Canada Council and Alberta Foundation for the Arts, he has impacted the careers of countless musicians and artists across the country. Tommy has been a major inspiration and mentor to notable artists including pianist Chris Andrew and other luminaries such as David Foster.

The band for the evening and live broadcast was:

PJ Perry - Saxophone
Al Muirhead - Trumpet
Bobby Cairns - Guitar
Chris Andrew - Piano
Kodi Hutchinson - Double Bass
Sandro Dominelli - Drums

and special guests Tommy Banks on piano and Mallory Chipman on vocals.

www.ckua.com

WCMA Awards to be given out tonight at Breakout West! 

HAT is excited to be nominated for our 4th time with our 4th album Hollow Trees.

This will be the first year the band is nominated for instrumental album of the year.

Bassist Kodi Hutchinson will representing the band in Regina, SK and be performing at the WCMA's with jazz nominee Al Muirhead tonight and with his own trio at the 20Ten City Eatery tomorrow night.

More news to follow!

HAT a Finalist for the inaugural YYC Music Awards 

Very pleased to find out today that we were nominated for Calgary's brand new YYC Music Awards (yycmusicawards.com)!

Our new album Hollow Trees has helped us become a finalist for the Jazz Recording of the Year category. Such great artists joining us including fellow Chronograph Records artists Al Muirhead and Tyler Hornby. Really great to see this new award celebrating artists from Calgary!

The awards will be given out on September 25th, 2016.

#4 on CKUA Radio! 

Great to see 'Hollow Trees' just hit #4 on CKUA Radio's top 30 this week. Jazz music sneaking up the charts on an multi-genre station! Thanks to all the hosts who have been supporting our music in our home Province of Alberta!

4th WCMA Nomination for HAT at Breakout West! 

Great news today! Found out our new album Hollow Trees has helped us garner a Western Canadian Music Awards Nomination for Instrumental Artist of the Year! This is our 4th nomination and first in this category! Great start to the month of May! Thanks to everyone involved in the project:

Chris Andrew, Karl Schwonik, Kodi Hutchinson, Andrea Case, Elisa Milner, Diane Lane, Patricia Higgins, Paul Johnston, Spencer Cheyne, Stephanie Hutchinson, James Bundy, OCL Studios, Guy Hebert of Karisma Audio, Dr. Bill & Margaret Taylor, Brennan Kennedy, Michael Dangelmaier, James May, DMA Discs, Lisa Reedy Promotions, Jennifer Eisler Publicity and of course the Alberta Music Alberta Foundation for the Arts!

http://breakoutwest.ca/fest/blog/breakout-west-2016-wcma-music-and-industry-award-nominees/

Amazing Show at JazzAhead! 

Yesterday evening we had the chance to play the Canadian Blast showcase at JazzAhead in front of a packed house in Bremen, Germany!

The band traveled long and far to get there, but it was absolutely worth it! Chris flew in from Edmonton, Kodi from Calgary and Karl from Los Angeles. A lot of travel to play 1 hour and 12 minutes of music.

This was our first trip to Germany with the band, and our first time using a string quartet other than the Lily's from Canada. We showcased with a fantastic string quartet from the Bremen symphony called Quartetto Con Brio. Led by Steffen Drabek (viola) the group proved how strong the classical scene in Germany is. With only one rehearsal and a soundcheck, we walked onstage and played an amazing set for VIPs from JazzAhead and jazz fans from Bremen! Steffen helped warm the crowd up by speaking German before performing a beautiful version of Grey Dawn with Chris.

Some great company to be in for the Canadian Blast: Emi R. Roussel Trio, Matt HErskowitz & the Kirk MacDonald Quartet. Chris wrapped the evening up playing piano for Kirk MacDonald, impressing not only the Europeans, but the Canadians as well.

So great to see so many of our musical friends and colleagues from Canada including Myriad 3, Laila Biali, Peter Cardinelli (Alma Records), Jim West (Justin Time), Emie R Rousell Trio, Matt Herskowitz, Kirk MacDonald, Heidi Fleming (FamGroup), Parc X Trio, George Koller, Ben Whitman....the list just goes on....

This trip proved to us that our new album Hollow Trees with strings is meant to be toured in Europe. Stay tuned as we set up dates in 2017 for a European tour!

Thanks again to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Alberta Music & Harvard Broadcasting and CIMA for helping make this trip a possibility.

-kodi

Great CD Release in Medicine Hat 

Thanks again to everyone who came out to Ye Olde Jar Bar last night in Medicine Hat. So happy to come play a sold out show at one of our favourite venues in Canada!

Always enjoy the hospitality shown by Piet & Ina Visser who run the venue and thanks to Dr. Bill & Margaret Taylor as well as Lyle Rebbeck from the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival Society for making the show a possibility with so many musicians.

It was fun having our full string quartet onstage with Andrea back in Canada from Los Angeles. Unfortunately our drummer Karl was unavailable, but kudos to Jon May for filling in admirably. We all had a great time!

JUNO Week - HAT Activities & Chronograph Records Showcase 

Exciting week ahead for the group as well as Chris Andrew and Kodi Hutchinson Individually!

Join HAT at the Chronograph Records Showcase on Thursday March 31st at Wine-OHs at 11pm. Special guest Brent Mah from Vancouver on Sax.

Chris and Kodi will be very busy during JUNO fest performing with a number of artists! You can check out Chris and Kodi at the following:

Thursday March 31st

Wine-OHs - Chronograph Records Showcase
7pm - Johanna Sillanpaa Quartet (Chris & Kodi)
9pm - Al Muirhead Quintet featuring PJ Perry (Chris & Kodi)
11pm - Hutchinson Andrew Trio with Brent Mah (Chris & Kodi)

Friday April 1st

The Ranchmans Club - JUNO fest / JazzYYC
5pm - Alex Pangman & Johnny Summers Quartet (Kodi)

Ironwood Stage & Grill - JUNO fest Jazz Showcase
8pm - Dan Brubeck Quartet (Chris)
9pm - Al Muirhead Quintet featuring PJ Perry (Chris & Kodi)
10pm - Robi Botos Quartet (Kodi)
Midnight - Chris Andrew Trio (Chris & Kodi) - Jazz Jam

Saturday April 2nd

Telus Convention Centre JUNO Gala & Dinner
6pm - JUNO Jazz All-Stars - Al Muirhead, Allison Au, Jerry Granelli, Kodi Hutchinson, Mark Kelso, Rich Brown, Robi Botos, and Tommy Banks

Lolita's - JUNO fest Jazz Showcase
9:30pm - Ladies of the JUNOs - Tara Kannangara, Alex Pangman, & Jaclyn Guillou (Kodi) 
Midnight - Chris Andrew Trio (Chris & Kodi) - Jazz Jam

CD Review - Hollow Trees - Edmonton Journal 

4 of 5 Stars from Roger Levesque of the Edmonton Journal! For the entire review visit:

http://bit.ly/21ayBgM

Hollow Trees Alberta CD Releases Coming Up this weekend! 

After a long wait, it's time to let everyone know 'Hollow Trees' from the Hutchinson Andrew Trio featuring the Lily String Quartet is ready to meet the world!

Two shows in Alberta this weekend: 

1.    Fri. Feb. 26th - Yardbird Suite - Edmonton - 8pm 
       www.yardbirdsuite.com for info 

2.    Sat. Feb 27th - Ironwood Stage & Grill - Calgary - 8pm 
       call Ironwood for reservations at (403) 269-5581 or tix at eventbrite http://bit.ly/1moHMag