Sicoly, Ebata, Bjornson, Walt
Top musicians from various categories play together.
Mary Lou Sicoly has been singing jazz all her life, doing guest spots as a teenager with her Dad’s dance band in Sault Ste. Marie. She has sung with everything from big bands to small ensembles as well as solo performances at the CNE and special events such as the Hockey Hall of Fame Induction dinners. Her repertoire ranges from the classics, to world to jazz standards. Her influences are as diverse as Ella FITZGERALD, Sarah VAUGHAN, Dianne Reeves and Jackie Richardson. Equally adept in the recording studio she has appeared in commercials and recorded jingles.
She has written and recorded five children’s albums and recently toured a “Classic Duets” album with Musical Director John Ebata and vocalist Mark Riley of Nova Scotia. She is presently working on an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion project with Waleed Abdulhamid and John Ebata entitled “Songs For Humanity”.
Mary Lou is also an award winning music educator and recipient of the CARAS (Juno) Award for Music Education, TVOntario Award for Innovation in Music Education and was the 1999 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. She received these awards while head of Vocal Music at Dante Alighieri Academy in Toronto. She has presented at several education conferences and has toured in the Arctic with “Strings Across the Sky”, leading music camps in Tuktoyaktuk and Iqaluit.
Larry Bjornson Larry’s music education began at Detroit’s Centre for Creative Studies Jazz Workshop, led by trumpet great Marcus Belgrave. Bjornson flourished in this environment as have the likes of Kenny Garrett, James Carter, Geri Allen, Rodney Whitaker and Bob Hurst to name only a few. Larry continued his studies earning a bachelor of music in jazz performance at Mcgill University in Montreal then continued graduate studies in performance at Wayne State University back in Detroit. Upon returning to Detroit, Larry became a regular bassist for his mentor Marcus Belgrave maintaining a busy concert, club and touring schedule.During this time he also became a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre orchestra, Detroit’s Opera. Larry has performed with a very broad spectrum of artists ranging from The Moody Blues, Nell Carter, Mitsou, top jazz musicians; Charles MacPherson, James Carter and Charles Tolliver to backing up personalities like Joan Rivers, and Regis Philbin. Larry is currently a member of the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, and resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his wife and three children.
John Ebata His talents are Versatile with a capital V. He is respected in all the extended categories of musician, song writer, producer, musical director, arranger and recording engineer. Equally versatile in all musical styles from jazz to world folk songs to rock and R&B. He has become the first choice accompanist of many great singer songwriters and acclaimed to be of the very top Canadian piano-keyboardists and continues to work with artists from all parts of the world.
Shimon Walt was the Assistant Principal Cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia. Since his arrival to Nova Scotia in 1976 he has been an integral part of the province’s musical life. Whether on concert stages with Symphony Nova Scotia, in solo recitals or in chamber music concerts, or teaching in the classrooms of Dalhousie University, he is totally dedicated to the art of music. Shimon is also one of the founding members of Symphony Nova Scotia. Mr. Walt was educated in Tel Aviv and Boston, where his principal teachers were Uzi Wiezel and George Neikrug. He has performed with major orchestras under such noted conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and Pablo Casals. Today he shares his time between Symphony Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University and operating Walt Music.
