Chris Adriaanse is an upright and electric bassist and educator based in Toronto. He appears as a member of a number of groups and as a freelance musician, open to play in just about any situation. He has been heard with eclectic groups of jazz musicians, free improvisers, and working musicians in many different idioms at bars, clubs and private events across Toronto.

Music has taken Chris on many adventures. He has played most of the Toronto/GTA bars, clubs and venues. He has toured through Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Austria, in many venues in the USA and from home to Halifax and to Quito, Ecuador. Chris has appeared in many festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Rochester Jazz Festival, Eco Art & Media Festival, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, 416 Improv Festival, iMix Festival, Let There Be Art Festival, Indie Week, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, CMW, NXNE, Bradford Jazz Festival, Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Scarborough Jazz and Blues Festival, Long Winter Series and the Regent Park ‘Magic City’ Festival with the TSO.

Here’s select list of records Chris can be heard on:

The Big Butter and Egg Men. “Vol 1, 2, 3, 4.” Independent (2020)
Doug Tielli. “Truth and Elseness”. UR Audio. (2019)
Delta Will. “Multitudes II” (EP). Knapsack Records. (2019)
Astrosurf. “Self Titled”. Bengal Cat Sound. (2019)
West End River Boat Band. “May 25, 2018”. Independent. (2018)
Simone Morris. “Settling Up.” Independent. (2018)
Collective Order. “Vol. 1”. Independent. (2016), “Vol. 2”. Independent. (2017)”Vol. 3″. Independent. (2018)
Emily Raquel. “Emily Raquel”. Independent. (2016)
Astrosurf. “Live off the Ocean Floor.” Independent. (2016),
Shaky Knees “7 Years”. Independent (2014)
Lullaby North “Walk in Spirals” (2011) “Speak in Tongues” (2013), “Forget in Rhymes” (2015)

 

Chris received his Bachelors in Fine Arts, specialized honours in music from York University in 2012. While at York, he was awarded a York University Talent Scholarship, one of the Dean’s Prizes for Excellence in the Fine Arts, and the Oscar Peterson Scholarship for excellence in Jazz performance. In his final year, Chris was selected as one of the few participants of Jazz FM 91’s ‘Jazzology’ program.

Chris always had an profound interest in the learning process, and believes strongly that the best part of playing music is sharing it with others. For these reasons he always knew he needed to include teaching in his endeavors. He currently teaches private lessons in any style of guitar, electric bass and acoustic bass, music theory and idiomatic and non-idiomatic improvisation. His approach to all lessons is simple in concept; everything centred around learning to listen to music actively and intelligently, and approaching the gain of music literacy and proficiency patiently, one bite at a time. Chris currently teaches in Toronto at his own studio and at Scarboro Music.