2020 JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO | The Mark Kelso Jazz Project | | The JUNO Awards

Drummer, composer and educator, Mark Kelso (originally from Belfast) has made Toronto his home for many years. As a first-call drummer, Mark has built his reputation as a musical chameleon and is one of the most in-demand session/live players in Canada.

Mark has worked with musicians such as Pat Metheny, Donny McCaslin, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Michael Bublé, Changuito, Holly Cole, Larry Coryell, Eliana Cuevas, Paquito D’Riveria, Hilario Duran, Herbie Hancock, Olivia Newton-John, Chaka Khan, Pat LaBarbera, Donnell Leahy, Natalie MacMaster, Donny Osmond, Danilo Perez, Bonnie Raitt, John Scofield, Joe Sealy, Mike Stern, Soul Stew, James Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Gap Mangione, Ian Tyson, Gino Vannelli, and his own JUNO nominated band, The Jazz Exiles.

Mark has been the head of the drum dept at Humber College since 2005 and has been the Artistic Director for the Jazz Room in Waterloo since 2016. In his spare time, he also runs “Groovy Drums Studio”. To date, Mark has played on over 350 recordings. In 2015 Mark released his first instructional drum DVD, “Musician First, Drummer Second” to great acclaim. Mark is a featured clinician for Yamaha drums, Paiste cymbals, Evans drumheads & Headhunters drumsticks.