CHRIS GARTNER is a Toronto based producer, bass player/multi-instrumentalist, and composer.
He has been a sought after accompanist on recordings, and tours around the world for well over the last 25 years.
As a member of (Barenaked Ladies keyboardist) KEVIN HEARN’s band: THINBUCKLE, Chris has performed on recordings featuring: LOU REED, GARTH HUDSON, LAURIE ANDERSON, VAN DYKE PARKS, CHANTAL KREVIAZUK,
JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN, DAN HILL, ARAM BAJAKIAN, and RON SEXSMITH.
They have played throughout the U.S. and Canada including shows at Toronto’s MASSEY HALL, and MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE.
Chris has produced JUNO nominated recordings, and can be heard playing on over 100 albums, plus movie soundtracks, cartoons, jingles, and radio and television themes. He has recorded with Grammy winning cellist DAVID DARLING, keyboardist GARTH HUDSON(The BAND), and LOREENA MCKENNITT among many others.
He first came to International attention in the early 1990's as a member of the infamous Canadian jazz/cartoon/metal band: LOOK PEOPLE.
Gartner toured SWITZERLAND, GERMANY, the U.S. and throughout CANADA with the group, appearing everywhere from CBGB's and LOLLAPALOOZA, to articles in BILLBOARD magazine, and a number of rock videos, and nation-wide live TV broadcasts.
While with the award winning east-Indian/world group TASA, he performed with master Indian Classical musicians: TRICHY SANKARAN(mrdangam), DHRUVA GHOSH(sarangi)
and STEVE ODA(sarod). Chris toured in Germany, Japan, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Italy, the United States, and Canada with the group, and co-produced their fourth cd 'ALCHEMY'. This recording features virtuoso violinist MARK FELDMAN(JOHN ZORN), DJ.OLIVE, and master sarangi player DHRUVA GHOSH.
(JACO PASTORIUS biographer) BILL MILKOWSKI described the group as:
"a fresh post/Shakti hybrid".
Gartner has also performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists including:
KIPRICH, MARY MARGARET O'HARA, SANDRO PERRI, MARTIN TIELLI, SEAN CULLEN
MARK HEWINS(Gong), JASON CROSBY(Phil Lesh & Friends), HUGH MARSH, KEVIN BREIT,
THE RHEOSTATICS, JOE MAVETY(Marianne Faithfull), JEFF HEALEY, COLIN MOCHERIE,
CLAUDIO SIMONETTI & MAURIZIO GUARINI (Goblin), , MIKE RATHKE(Lou Reed), HARLAND WILLIAMS, DAVID NEWMAN(Durga Das), SPOOKEY RUBEN,
JANE BUNNETT, DANNY PARADISE, KEN GREER(Red Rider), MINOR EMPIRE, MIA SHEARD, YAIR DALAL, BOOTHBY GRAFFOE, LENKA LICHTENBERG,
SELIM SESLER, LORI CULLEN, PATRICIA O'CALLAHAN, STEVE BERLIN(Los Lobos), MORGAN DOCTOR, KIRAN AHLUWAHLIA, RAMIN KARMILOO,
ROBERT SCOTT(Michael Buble), DAVE STRINGER, and NEAL WILKINSON(Paul McCartney, Van Morrison)
He has been honoured with the Grand Prize in the JOHN LENNON International Songwriting Contest as a co-composer, and can be heard on
a number of recent high profile releases, including: GARTH HUDSON’S new cd: " A Canadian Celebration of The Band",
LOREENA MCKENNITT’S "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", and "Light from the Super Earth" with DAVID DARLING, and DEBBIE DANBROOK.
