EPK

In this electronic press kit for me, William Chernoff and my ensemble called Western Red Cedar:

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1. Bio
2. Latest release
3. Photos
4. Contact

Socials: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

"refreshingly accessible music”- Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz

Bio

Born and raised in New Westminster, BC, William Chernoff performs original instrumental music and has played bass professionally since his teens. His Western Red Cedar project plays Celtic-based music in an improvising ensemble. Having worked in both creative music and folk scenes, Will brings Irish, Scottish, Franco-Canadian, and more traditions to the group. His pieces are inspired by beyond-category artists like guitarist Bill Frisell and fiddler Martin Hayes. Western Red Cedar is a voice for the genre-bending west coast, joining a new wave of "avant-folk" that has emerged from Glasgow to Québec.

Will's latest release, an EP titled Queen's Park, was recorded in the fall of 2023 with a quintet that celebrated his formative years. Trumpeter Thad Bailey-Mai, trombonist Nebyu Yohannes, guitarist Madeleine Elkins, and drummer Miles Wong had all been longtime collaborators, finding their paths through the Canadian scene alongside each other in the years prior.

Will recorded his first studio album, Aim to Stay, in 2015 and 2016 and his second, Maybe Eventually, in 2020 and 2021. Critics have described his music as mainstream and accessible; jazz journalist Chris Wong writes that "swing and melodicism" are "at Chernoff's artistic core". His show history as a bandleader has included performances at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Khatsahlano! Music & Arts Festival, Frankie's Jazz Club, the Bernie Legge Theatre, and Tyrant Studios, to name a few.