History Denny Christianson Big Band

Rising to prominence as the leader of the 18-piece Denny Christianson Big Band in Montreal in 1981, Christianson was a widely acclaimed trumpeter, flugelhornist, arranger, composer, conductor and bandleader with a career that lasted several decades.

In 2001, Christianson became the director of music studies at Humber College in Toronto, where he made a lasting impression on the past, present and future of jazz in Canada. He retired in 2018.

During a long and storied career that saw him move from Los Angeles to Montreal and finally Toronto, Christianson worked alongside a who's who of jazz and pop musicians: Guido Basso, Tony Bennett, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Kenny Drew, the Jackson 5, Oliver Jones, Diana Krall, Ranee Lee, Carmen McRae, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, to name only a few.

"Denny had a long history in music and brought his extensive experiences from touring and working in L.A. and Montreal to the Humber College music degree program," wrote jazz bassist Mike Downes, a Humber College colleague, to CBC Music. "He touched many people's lives and was a shining and deeply passionate advocate for music education. He brought that passion to all aspects of his life.

Denny Christianson, the jazz musician and educator who appeared on more than 250 albums and inspired generations of Canadian jazz students along the way through his work.

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