louisedenson.com

Sunnie Award winner, 2003 Best Album – Jazz:  LDG – CLEAN START

Louise Denson – piano
Helen Russell – bass
Joe Marchisella - drums

Featuring Ingrid James - Vocal 

LDG was formed in the year 2000, shortly after pianist/composer Louise Denson emigrated from Canada to Brisbane to teach at the Queensland Conservatorium.  It is the Australian incarnation of a Montreal-based group, started in 1996, which had a remarkably similar name…..LDG started as an originals and standards project, but has gradually morphed into an originals only project as Louise has written more tunes worthy of public airing.

The group released a CD of Denson’s original music, Clean Start, in June, 2002, and it was recognised by the Qld Recording Association with a 2003 Sunnie Award for Best Jazz Album of the year. LDG has performed at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival, the Valley Jazz Festival (Brisbane), and the Brisbane Festival as well as performing in and around Brisbane.

LDG features the talents of Helen Russell on double bass and Joe Marchisella on drums. Originally from Toowoomba, Russell comes from a family of excellent musicians. She has appeared with a number of well-known artists including Shirley Bassey, George Cables, James Morrison, Mark Isaacs and Dale Barlow. Her own groups have toured Australia and appeared at the Manly, MacKay and Kiama Jazz Festivals. Arranger and musical director as well as player, Russell has been behind the music in many successful local productions such as Women in Voice, La Boite Theatre’s Way Out West and the QBFM’s Noel Coward review, We Were Dancing. Brisbane audiences also know Helen from her bass/voice duo project with Leah Cottrell, or the country band 18 Wheels.

Joe Marchisella, winner of the James Morrison Jazz Scholarship and the Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor’s Performing Arts Fellowship Grant, has become one of the most sought after drummers in Queensland, because of his fluid, understated yet powerful style. He has performed with James Morrison, Don Burrows, Vince Jones, Ray Brown Don Radar and Dale Barlow, to mention only a few of an already long list of national and international figures. A versatile player, Joe is as likely to be backing a commercial artist at Jupiter’s Casino, as he is to be in a pit orchestra at QPAC, or recording with the West End Composers’ Collective.