John Stiver

?This project is about trying to spread feelings of warmth and positivity; sounds which soothe you, move you, and groove you.?
John began playing the guitar in 1988, and has been playing professionally since 1992. He started his career playing in blues bands, in and around Vancouver, and later branched out into funk, jazz, and rock music. John has toured throughout Western Canada on the college and club circuit. He has studied music at Loyola University in New Orleans, and with Lorne Lofsky at Toronto?s Humber College. His recordings include two independent CD?s with the band Workshop (?Urban Evolution? and ?Rejuvenated?) and a number of sessions and television commercials. John has been a repeat performer in Vancouver?s DuMaurier International Jazz Festival, as well as the Whistler Jazz and Blues Festival.
John is currently finishing up his first solo project, ?Uptown Jazz-Funk?. Recorded over the period of several months at Vancouver?s Stella Sound, the album?s tunes contain a heavy dose of New Orleans funk, combined with what he describes as ?...smooth urban grooves with a hint o? the blues.? During the writing of this project John drew upon such influences as George Benson, The Meters, and Steely Dan for inspiration. ?Uptown Jazz-Funk? features the talents of Max Murphy on tenor sax, Mike Kenney on keyboards, Dave Hall and Andy Milne on bass, and Geoff Hicks on the drums. ?Part of the fun of these tunes is that the players are some of my closest friends.? says John. ?The sessions were so comfortable?I had so much trust in what those guys would play.? The results produced by the sessions reflect the warmth, and the deep roots shared by these musicians. Sit back and enjoy!