A Good Thing - the debut release from Toronto based jazz duo Blue Standard, featuring Raoul Bhaneja and Jesse Whiteley

A Good Thing is the debut release from Toronto based jazz duo Blue Standard, which features award winning frontman and actor Raoul Bhaneja on vocals and a young pianist/arranger from the first family of Canadian roots music, Jesse Whiteley on piano. Bhaneja is known to audiences for his performances on stage and screen as well as twenty years of blues performances with his in demand outfit Raoul and The Big Time (2018 semi finalists in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis). He contacted Whiteley about an idea he had while in Los Angeles, passing Capitol Records almost daily on the freeway. Raoul wanted to explore his favourite standards, some familiar and some not so familiar, as performed by his greatest influences including the under appreciated Joe Williams, Nat King Cole, Chet Baker, Jimmy Scott and more. Whiteley agreed to come on board as pianist and arranger, bringing his experience of having played with legends such as Clark Terry, Cleo Laine, Jackie Richardson and Doc Severinsen. 

One day in September 2018, after a few months of live shows around Toronto, they recorded, live off the floor and with no overdubs, their exciting debut, A Good Thing. According to long time jazz broadcaster Jaymz Bee, “These two brilliant artists explore classic songs in a stripped down and intimate way… it impresses both open minded jazz aficionados and those who like their music classic and simple.”

They will be releasing the project internationally on Friday, January 18th 2019 with a release party in Toronto at the world renowned JAZZ BISTRO the night before on Thursday, January 17th, 2019 at 8:30pm with other dates to follow across Canada in the Spring of 2019.