The past seven years have been busy and rewarding for TONY QUARRINGTON. The jazz guitarist and composer received great critical acclaim – uniformly glowing reviews – for his October 1999 release ‘ONE BRIGHT MORNING’ (Cordova Bay 0192), which featured stellar performances not only by the leader, but by such noted jazz soloists as Bernie Senensky and Kirk MacDonald. People seemed to notice particularly the South African groove-piece ‘Savannah’, with its rolling lines and hypnotic rhythms, and the unusual treatment of Monk’s ‘Round Midnight’ (as a fast samba!). The album actually charted, albeit briefly, on campus and community radio. And on the strength of this release, TONY appeared at several Ontario jazz festivals (Toronto Du Maurier Downtown Jazz, Hillebrand Winery, Markham Jazzfest, Guelph Jazz Festival) and at innumerable local clubs
( Whistler’s, Quigley’s, Gate 403, Charlotte Room, Manhattan’s, Graffiti’s, Windsor Arms). He undertook a series of appearances at CHAPTERS Bookstores to promote the new recording. CANADIAN MUSICIAN MAGAZINE did a ‘Spotlight’ on him, and he represented the world of jazz in a guitar seminar in that magazine (May 2000), alongside such rockers as Rik Emmett and Joe Satriani. He worked, both as producer and guitarist, on a recording with jazz piano luminary Joanne Brackeen. He became busier as a producer following his 1999 Juno win ( for Roots Album 'Heartstrings' by Willie P. Bennett). He also produced, and played on, a new project for singer Daisy DeBolt, which featured Jane Bunnett, Phil Dwyer, and Dave Restivo, among others. He continued to be a highly employable jazz sideman/ accompanist too, in Club Django, the Jeff Bird Trio, in violinist San Murata's band, with tenor saxists Chris Robinson or Ryan Oliver, and with singers like Dee Kaye. He also continues to work with specialty bands like Mike Scott's HAWAIIANAIRES, and the YIDDISH SWINGTET, with Jonno Lightstone and Jordan Klapman.

But he also found time in 2000 to record a new album, ‘DEEP RIVER’ (Cordova Bay 0222). ‘Sixteen months had gone by since the sessions of ‘ONE BRIGHT MORNING’, he says, ‘and I was itching to get on to something new and different. I had some material I felt was very simple and very strong, and I wanted to explore it with an energetic small group.’ The new CD features 2002 Juno-winner Pat LaBarbera on tenor and soprano sax, with his long-time band mates Neil Swainson on bass, and Greg Pilo on drums. On four numbers, the quartet is augmented by keyboard giant Doug Riley (Hammond B-3 and Fender Rhodes piano). Seven of the nine selections are original- blues, Latin grooves, and ‘rhythm’ tunes – and the two others are a solo guitar treatment of the standard, ‘Old Devil Moon’, and a re-worked version of the Afro-American spiritual “Deep River", which gives the collection its name. This is profound and swinging music: it is both a musical, and a human, statement.

In 2001 Tony fulfilled another dream - he was able to record his eight-part work, GROUP OF SEVEN SUITE, which had actually been composed ten years earlier. The tunes try to present musical analogues to particular canvases by the famous Group, and Tony was able to assemble a cast of Canadian jazz all-stars for the session, including Jane Bunnett, Kirk MacDonald, John MacLeod, Brian Dickinson, Don Thompson, and Barry Romberg. These fine musicians were joined by multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird, of the Cowboy Junkles, and pop diva Jane Siberry, who sang the Suite's one vocal. The album ranges through a wide variety of jazz, rock, and roots grooves, and features dazzling, free-wheeling improvisations from the players. A further level is added by sound effects, both recordings of natural sounds, and those produced via physical devices by Jeff Bird. CBC Records picked up the Suite for its new jazz label, and it was released by them in December 2002. In 2004 Tony was able to stage the work live four times at the DISTILLERY JAZZ FESTIVAL..

At about the same time as this recording, Tony began a weekly stint at Toronto's REX JAZZ AND BLUES BAR with the trio SWING STREET, also featuring Ron Davis on piano and Cheung Liu on bass. Ultimately, this gig lasted almost four years, and the trio recorded the independent CD SWING STREET, with guests Kelly Jefferson on tenor sax, and the wonderful Sarah Latendresse on vocals. [Tony also got to do a bit of singing on this recording!] And his most recent release [Nov. 2003] is the soulful HAMMOND GRITS, a collaboration with veteran B-3 organist DENIS KELDIE, which features a rich blend of blues, standards, originals, and another favorite Afro-American Spiritual ['Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child'].