Jon Ballantyne

A Canadian expat long based in
New York, piano virtuoso Jon
Ballantyne grew up in a jazzfriendly
home and didn’t waste
much time getting schooled by
the likes of Joe Henderson, Elvin
Jones and Nat Adderley. Currently
he gigs all over the world,
wowing audiences with his
constant creativity, whether it’s
in a spacey free idiom or digging
deep into the blues for some
rootsy inspiration. Now
recognized as one of the finest
jazz musicians Canada has ever
produced, it’s been far too long
since we’ve had a chance to hear
him at JazzFest performing as a
soloist. Jon’s latest album Avenue
Standard has won a 2007 Juno
award for Traditional Jazz Album
of the Year.
“Ballantyne is as good as it gets
on piano.” –Montreal Gazette