Bio

Patrick Hewan

Patrick Hewan is a rising star in the Toronto Jazz scene whose energetic, virtuosic playing captivates and moves his audiences. Drawing on the vast vocabulary of the legendary jazz pianists who came before him and his Jamaican background, he adds his own spirit and passion to create a unique sound and style. Influenced by artists such as: Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Hiromi Uehara, Oscar Peterson, and Phineas Newborn while studying under the tutelage of legendary pianists such as Mark Eisenman, Brian Dickinson, Richard Whiteman, Robi Botos, and Hilario Duran it’s no secret where Patrick developed his unique, high-octane style that clearly adheres to the art forms tradition.

Patrick grew up listening to his father playing reggae bass and his mother playing classical piano and those two styles greatly inform his playing. He began studying classical piano at the age of 4 and was later introduced to the saxophone where he developed a great love of jazz. His education includes York University and Humber College, and he is a recipient of the Berklee World Tour Scholarship for both sax and piano.

Performances include many venues across Canada, Japan, and throughout the globe with such artists as: Ron Westray, Molly Johnson, Luis Mario Ochoa, Ted Quinlan, Mike Downes, Kelly Jefferson, Barry Romberg, Lorne Lofsky, Artie Roth, Kieran Overs, Mike Murley, John Macleod, Anthony Michelli, Chicago’s Ernest Dawkins, and many more. He has played for such organizations as: Scotiabank, Via Rail, The Peel District School Board, York University, The CAW Auto Union, and has played at venues such as: The Rex, The Jazz Bistro, The King Edward Hotel, and many festivals globally. Patrick was recently rated one of BlogTo’s top 5 upcoming jazz artists in Toronto.

Some Quotes About Patrick:

Patrick has a playing style that harkens to Horace Silver with an introspective quality reminiscent of Thelonious Monk.  – Ron Westray — Former Lead Trombonist at the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra and current Oscar Peterson Chair at York University.

Patrick was one of my most talented and hard working students.I believe him to be a serious student of jazz music and music in general. His hard working attitude and respect for the music is evident in his playing. He is also diligent in studying the jazz tradition on record, which in my opinion is absolutely essential to learning jazz as a “second language”. I’ve had many students and have found him to be one of the quickest at applying the musical concepts that we discussed. 

At this point in time, with years of hard work work and respect for the tradition, Patrick is finding his own voice in the field of jazz piano.  – Mark Eisenman — Toronto Jazz Icon and Jazz Reports 1999 acoustic pianist of the year. 

“Patrick Hewan is an impressive pianist who’s not afraid to take the music in new and interesting directions.” – Ted Quinlan — Head of guitar at Humber College and Canadian jazz icon.

“Patrick Hewan is a very talented and accomplished young jazz pianist who plays with great drive and fire and shows great promise for the future.” – Richard Whiteman — Professor at Humber College, and York University and Candian Jazz Icon. 

“Patrick Hewan…is an adventure to watch, never mind listen to. As he plays, you can see on his face, and in every gesture, the excitement he gets out of exploring the piano. And if you’ve seen him perform more than once, you’ll know: he’s not the type of player to repeat himself much. He keeps it fresh, as it should be.” — The Whole Note Magazine

 

 

 

 

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