Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by Art of Time Ensemble

The legendary album will be performed by Canadian pop icons Andy Maize (Skydiggers), John Mann (Spirit of the West), Craig Northey (of defunct cult favourite The Odds) and Steven Page (ex of the Barenaked Ladies).

Of these artists, Burashko says “I selected these four singers because I’m a big fan of all four and we are all huge Beatles fans. I think it’s the perfect combination for the songs on this album.”

Following in the footsteps of Art of Time’s sold-out, highly successful re-imagining of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album in 2009, each track will be “re-invented” through newly-commissioned arrangements by a different composer/arranger including: Bryden Baird, Shelly Berger, Robert Carli, Kevin Fox, Jonathan Goldsmith, Jim McGrath, Dan Parr, John Welsman and Cameron Wilson.

The outstanding musicians who will perform these re-visioned works include: Andrew Burashko — Piano, John Johnson – Sax, Joseph Phillips  – Bass, Larry Larson – Trumpet, Rachel Mercer – Cello, Joseph Phillips – Viola, Rob Piltch – Guitar, Stephen Sitarski – Violin, and many others.

Sgt. Pepper was released on June 1, 1967 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time as well as one of the most important in the history of popular music. In 2003, the album was placed at number one on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

Some of The Beatles most enduring songs are on Sgt. Pepper: With a Little Help from My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, When I’m Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita. Get ready for a huge treat.

Art of Time earlier this season performed I Send You This Cadmium Red for Canadian Stage. The Globe and Mail’s J. Kelly Nestruck hailed it as “One of the Top 11 of 2011.” Maclean’s Brian D. Johnson declared it “extraordinaryŠ. lush and mesmerizing.” Michael Crabb in The Toronto Star said, “the results are enthralling” and the Toronto Sun‘s John Coulbourn called that same performance “compellingŠ. an evening of deep passion.”

Now in its thirteenth season, the Art of Time Ensemble is one of Toronto’s most innovative and artistically resonant music ensembles. The ensemble provides a unique performance experience that breaks down barriers between musical and other artistic disciplines. Art of Time Ensemble uses the vibrancy of classical music as a launching pad for an examination of contemporary artistic expression through all music and performance forms, the results appealing to a broad range of audiences.

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