bio
Andrés Vial was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to an Argentinian mother and a Chilean father. Coming from a very musical family (his father was a classical pianist and everyone in his family plays an instrument), Andrés was exposed to European classical music and South American popular and folk music from an early age. He started playing the piano as a young child, studying the classical literature but being more inclined to pure improvisation. At age 11, he was drawn to jazz, blues and boogie-woogie styles of piano playing. At age 12, his mother came home with a copy of John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” which had a profound influence on him. At age 13 he also began to play drums, performing with several experimental rock bands.
From 1996-2000, Andrés attended the Vanier College music program, studying drumset with Nasyr Abdul Al-Kabbyr and classical percussion with Alain Kourie and Robert Slapcoff. Under Kourie and Slapcoff, Andres studied and performed works by Steve Reich and other minimalist composers. These teachers also encouraged him to audition for Gamelan Giri Kedaton, a Balinese percussion ensemble in residence at the University of Montreal. Andrés performed extensively with this ensemble from 1997-2000 and 2004-2005.
Between 1996 and 2001 he also performed with several experimental post-rock bands including Milken (with Harris Newman and Malcolm Bauld), the Madboy Trio (with Gabriel Levine and Jessica Moss), Pest 5000, and the Nul Set / l’ensemble vide.
From 2001 to 2004, Andrés studied jazz piano at the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Program in New York City. At the New School he had the opportunity to study with bassist Buster Williams and pianists Bill Charlap and Francesca Tanksley. He also played in ensembles directed by Hal Galper, Joe Chambers, Jane Ira Bloom and others. In addition to playing in jazz combos, Andrés also performed with Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and jazz percussion ensembles while at the New School.
In 2004, after graduation, he returned to Montreal and founded the Tempus Jazz Collective, a bebop repertoire ensemble dedicated to performing the music of Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He organized a Thelonious Monk Festival to celebrate Monk’s music in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The collective also gave numerous educational/outreach workshops for youth in several Montreal neighborhoods.
From 2005 to 2009 he also played extensively with the Kalmunity Vibe Collective which led to performances with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Obsesion, Malika Tirolien, Odessa “Queen” Thornhill, Ark Of Infinity and the EQ (Elements Quantized).
In 2006 and 2007 he also performed and recorded with Jason Sharp and Mobius (featuring Miles Perkin, Erik Hove, Josh Zubot, Joe Grass, Stef Schneider and special guest NYC saxophonist Michael Blake).
Andrés has performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival, Festival Terre De Blues (Guadeloupe, FWI), Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Hillside Festival, Carleton Blues Festival, October Blues Festival (Joliette, QC) and the Multi-Musique Montreal Festival.
Andrés has also performed and/or recorded with the Adrian Vedady Quartet (featuring Yannick Rieu), Moondata LABProjects (featuring Amon Tobin, Norsola Johnson and others), Gabriel Lambert Group, Andre White, Kim Zombik, Erik Hove, Adam Kinner, Al McLean, Anna Webber, Janet Valdes, Tariq Khan & The High Breed, Errol Walters, Wayne Stoute, Martin Auguste, Wali Muhammad, Mira Choquette, NEeMA and many others.