Jesse Peters, Caroline Drury and Graeme Peters enjoyed a very successful eight years together as the Peters Drury Trio and grew to national and international prominence during that time. They released two albums: “When Old Met New” and “Backbeat,” both of which achieved tremendous success in National and International markets. They toured Canada and the United States taking their fresh sound, developed in the Yukon, to audiences everywhere. Thanks in large part to Shelagh Rogers who gave them their first national radio exposure and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, their music has gone everywhere – from Germany to Brazil, throughout the US and across Canada. PDT has sold over 26,000 CDs to date.
The Trio
Jesse has been a busy man since leaving the Peters Drury Trio to pursue other musical projects. In 2005, he released his first album as a funksoul artist under the name Paramedic. The album went on to critical acclaim and garnered a Western Canadian Music Award nomination in 2006. With a busy touring and showcase schedule, Paramedic is rapidly gaining national recognition as a serious up and comer in the Canadian soul scene. Aside from Paramedic, Jesse is in high demand as a freelance musician, lending his skills to Canadian country luminaries such as Shane Yellowbird and Sean Hogan. Jesse continues to be very active in the Alberta scene as a performer, producer and songwriter.
After touring and recording with the Peters Drury Trio for eight years, Caroline has now returned to the music she studied as a teenager prior to joining musical jazz forces with Jesse and Graeme -- classical art song, oratorio, and opera. Caroline graduated in April 2008 from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a diploma in Voice Performance, and is now completing her Bachelor of Music Degree in Opera Performance at the University of British Columbia.
From the age of 6, Graeme Peters has been unable to put down instruments. Whether sitting at a piano, pulling out the old guitar, or perched behind a drumset, music has always been something of a calling. Working with musicians such as Terry Promane, Terry Clarke, Tanya Tagaq, Grant Simpson, and Ken Whiteley, Graeme plays practically every genre of music possible. He is in demand as a studio musician, sideman, composer, and teacher. Following studies in the University of Toronto's prestigious Jazz Performance Program, he is currently in Whitehorse teaching music and leading young Yukon musicians astray in Graeme's School of Rock!
The Discs
After much encouragement from local audiences, the Peters Drury Trio released their debut album When Old Met New in 1999. Recorded in Vancouver with producer and bassist Rick Kilburn and jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, the album launched their signature sound of classic vocal jazz featuring a memorable swing sound with songs such as Fly Me To The Moon, Summertime and Cheek to Cheek that made PDT a hit with listeners worldwide. Caroline and Jesse were 18 years old and Graeme was 16 years old when they released their first album in a sold out concert at the Yukon Arts Centre.
- Fly Me To The Moon
- Not Meant To Fall
- Summertime
- All or Northing At All
- Simple Words
- Is You Is or Is You Ain't/ Steppin' Out
- I Get A Kick Out of You
- Fever
- When Your Lover Has Gone
- Baby, I Don't Want To Know
- Let's Fall In Love
- The Days of Wine and Roses
- Cheek To Cheek
Backbeat was recorded two years later and opens with an original song written by Jesse. The album harkens back to the Big Band era so a horn section of some of Canada's finest jazz musicians joined the Trio in studio to give it a big band flavour. The disc features songs like God Bless The Child, the Bobby Darin signature tune Beyond The Sea, You'd Be So Nice, and My Funny Valentine. The artwork of this CD reflects the time in Yukon's history when sternwheelers like the SS Klondike, now a national historic site, plied the waters of the Yukon River. This was about the same time as the Big Bands were all the rage. In fact, one archival photo shows a party going on in the belly of the boat, the music likely similar to what you'll hear on this CD.
- Backbeat
- They Can't Take That Away From Me
- My Funny Valentine
- Centerpiece
- Beyond The Sea
- Lonely For You
- Speak Low
- God Bless The Child
- You'd Be So Nice
- Lover Man
- Little Girl/Little Boy
- It Don't Mean A Thing
Swing Into Christmas was released a few years later after Caroline and Graeme had said goodbye to Jesse. Luis Giraldo sat in on vocals and piano for this recording.
- Winter Weather/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
- I'll Be Home For Christmas
- O Holy Night
- Frosty The Snowman
- White Christmas
- Little Toy Trains
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
- Christmas Waltz
- The Christmas Song
- Baby It's Cold Outside
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- The First Noel
The Future
2009 marks 10 years since the Peters Drury Trio released their first CD. It also marks 10 years since they debuted their music at the Peter Gzowski Invitational Red Barn Gala for Literacy in Ontario, where they had the privilege of meeting Peter and their childhood hero, Mr. Dressup! CBC radio personality Shelagh Rogers had a hand in making that momentous experience happen after hearing the group perform in Whitehorse for the Yukon's PGI the year before. She orchestrated their appearance at the Red Barn and their first national radio appearance on CBC Radio.
Well, the rest is history and to mark this milestone, Caroline, Jesse and Graeme are getting together one more time. This reunion concert, That Was Then...This is Now, will take place on June 5th, 2009 at the Yukon Arts Centre. It will be hosted by Shelagh and is sponsored by the Yukon PGI. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Yukon literacy programs.
Be sure to mark June 5th on your calendar and look for details in the coming months!