Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Ernesto Cervini’s upcoming album Joy is based on author Louise Penn’s “Gamache” series of mystery books.
(Photo: Courtesy of Ernesto Cervini)The Canadian label Three Pines Records has announced the upcoming release of Joy, an ambitious recording by JUNO Award-winning drummer, composer and bandleader Ernesto Cervini, based on author Louise Penny’s popular “Gamache” series of mystery books.
Three Pines Records is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Canadian music, with a specific focus on jazz and improvised music. The label was launched last year by the three-person team of Cervini, his sister vocalist Amy Cervini and composer/producer Oded Lev-Ari — all three of whom have extensive experience in the business of music. TPR is committed to creating a safe and supportive space where musicians can focus on creating and sharing their work with a growing fanbase they help create. The company seeks to help artists across Canada and the spectrum of jazz create a sustainable career and share music with fans across Canada and the world.
Born and raised in Toronto, Cervini graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music with degrees in classical piano and clarinet performance before focusing his energies behind the drum kit. After completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto, he began a four-year stint in New York in 2003, earning a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, forming deep connections with the highest-echelon musicians and performing on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Returning to Toronto in 2007, he has cemented his status as one of the leading champions of the local modern jazz scene and Canadian musicians more broadly. He has documented his vision with the Ernesto Cervini Quartet (featuring Joel Frahm), the innovative sextet Turboprop, numerous co-led trio projects including MEM3, Myriad3 and TuneTown, and also the quartet Tetrahedron, featuring acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, electric bassist Rich Brown and alto saxophonist Luis Deniz.
Cervini is also an experienced educator, on drums as well as piano and clarinet. He is currently a drum instructor at the University of Toronto. In addition to his performing career, he founded Orange Grove Publicity in 2014 and quickly became one of the most sought-after jazz publicists in Canada.
In addition to the highly anticipated Joy, upcoming TPR releases for the remainder of this year include Cha-Ran (Aug. 26) by composer/bass player Robert Lee; Walls Made Of Glass (Sept. 23) by pianist Gentiane MG; Twelve (Oct. 21) by the Noam Lemish Jazz 12tet; and Songs Of The Doomed (Nov. 11) by vibraphonist-composer Dan McCarthy. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
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