Born in Romania, Toronto Jazz guitarist and composer, DAN IONESCU debuted in 1978 as a banjo player in a traditional Dixieland band. Four years later he won first prize at the national competition of the “Sibiu ’82 Jazz Festival” and was immediately established on the Romanian jazz scene. From 1985 he was acclaimed by jazz critics as the top Romanian jazz guitarist for 12 consecutive years. During that period, he recorded frequently at the National Radio Studios and for Romanian Television.
From 1982 to 1996, Dan performed at all the Romanian National Jazz Festivals as well as International Jazz Festivals including France (’93, ’95 and ’96), Germany (’90, ’91 and ’94), Yugoslavia (’82 and ’90), Hungary (’93), with his own group, in collaboration with top Romanian jazz musicians and European international artists such as: Burton Greene (p), Paul Rogers (b), Patrick Scheyder (p), Louis Santos (drm), Kaspar Toeplitz (el.b), Gilbey Kano (drm), Vladimir Denev (p), Johnny Raducanu (p), Nicolas Simion (sax), Mircea Tiberian (p), Eugen Gondi (drm), Decebal Badila (b), Alexandr Alexandrov (bassoon), etc.
Other artistic activities have included contemporary music concerts with the Timisoara Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dino Gezzo (USA) (’96), original music composed and performed live as a multi-instrumentalist for “Contemporary Ballet Company” (’95), syncretic shows –“Jazz & Poetry” series (’89).
Until 1996, Dan was an active member of the Romanian Jazz Association, contributing to the foundation of a Jazz Department at the Bucharest Music Academy in 1994. In Appreciation of his artistic skills and sustained performing activities, European jazz critics have included his name in the Official European Jazz Family by Peter von Bartkowski.
Since arriving in Toronto in 1996, he has been very active in the jazz community performing at a variety of consecrated jazz clubs as: Top O’ The Senator, Montreal Bistro, The Pilot, Quigley’s, The Rex, Mezzetta, Whistler’s, etc…) with high profile musicians such as: Don Thompson, Pat LaBarbera, Terry Clark, Bernie Senensky, Kirk MacDonald, Norman Marshall Villeneuve, John McMurchy, Michael Stuart, Kieran Overs, David Braid, Jim Vivian, Dave Restivo, Kelly Jefferson, Duncan Hopkins, George Koller,…to name just a few.
Participated with his own quartet or in collaboration with other bands in several jazz festivals across Southern Ontario including Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival and recorded 5 CDs with various jazz artists from Canada.
In 2006 he recorded “Last Winter” with Japanese saxophonist KenG and toured Japan (Tokyo, Fukuoka, Yamaguchi, etc…) releasing this production.
For “Standard Time” (with Don Thompson and Kye Marshall) and “Last Winter” (with Ken G and Jack Zorawski) Dan was also solicited as producer. Deeply involved in the recording, editing, mixing and mastering process, his expertise and final acoustic results were highly appreciated by both performers and listeners.
In April 2009 “Dan Ionescu Electric Version” CD was released – Dan’s late (’93-’96) European fusion group production before moving to Canada.
He continues to be very active on GTA’s musical scene wherever good quality entertainment is required, involved in recording studio work, as well as occasionally concerting in Europe.
