Jim Vivian

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Jim Vivian has been at the forefront of music making in Canada for over 30 years, and has performed and/or recorded with most of the well known jazz artists working in the country today.  Originally from Newfoundland, he moved from St. John’s to Toronto in 1979 to pursue classical bass studies with Thomas Monohan and Thorvald Fredin.  During the early 1980’s he began to focus more on jazz and improvised music, studying with Dave Holland at the Banff centre, and later in New York with Holland and Marc Johnson.

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            Jim has long-standing associations with many musicians in Toronto and across the country such as Mike Murley, Jeff Johnston, Don Thompson, Brian Dickinson, and John MacLeod, to name a few.  He appears on over 130 recordings, 30 of which have been nominated for Juno awards in as many years.  He has also performed and recorded with many internationally esteemed artists such as John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, David Leibman, John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, and Norma Winstone.

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            Jim holds a Masters Degree in Music from York University and has been on faculty at the University of Toronto Jazz Program since 2001.