Biography
Born in Winnipeg on August 3, 1931, Gordon Kenneth Fleming rose to prominence as Canada’s leading jazz accordionist. He took up the instrument in early childhood and, by age five, had already begun performing on Manitoba’s vaudeville circuit. Throughout World War II he toured extensively across western Canada, made frequent radio appearances, and later spent several years working Winnipeg nightclubs, where he also played piano and organ. In 1949 he relocated to Montreal and joined the bebop ensemble the Quartones, whose members included clarinetist Gerry McDonald, guitarist Frank Quinn, and drummer Leo Poulin; the following year he assembled his own quartet, enlisting fellow Winnipeg native Billy Graham on drums. While serving as a ship musician on a 1953 transatlantic cruise, Fleming met Rob Adams and maintained the association after returning to Quebec.
That same year he organized the Canadian All Stars quintet, featuring clarinetist Al Baculis, vibist/pianist Yvan Landry, bassist Hal Gaylor, and drummer Graham. After appearing as the opening act at a workshop concert headlined by Charlie Parker, the group cut a 10" LP for New York’s Discovery Records in 1955. Fleming subsequently concentrated on more profitable country-and-western sessions yet continued to collaborate with numerous Canadian jazz musicians. During the 1970s he occasionally accompanied singer-songwriters such as Jesse Winchester, Cat Stevens, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, composed for television and film scores, and performed with French-Canadian fiddle master Jean Carignan. He left Montreal for Toronto in 1977 and became a regular presence in the city’s jazz venues; in 1985 he appeared with Herbie Spanier at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The majority of his leader sessions were produced for the CBC. Following a stroke in July 2000, Fleming’s health declined, and he died on August 31, 2002.
That same year he organized the Canadian All Stars quintet, featuring clarinetist Al Baculis, vibist/pianist Yvan Landry, bassist Hal Gaylor, and drummer Graham. After appearing as the opening act at a workshop concert headlined by Charlie Parker, the group cut a 10" LP for New York’s Discovery Records in 1955. Fleming subsequently concentrated on more profitable country-and-western sessions yet continued to collaborate with numerous Canadian jazz musicians. During the 1970s he occasionally accompanied singer-songwriters such as Jesse Winchester, Cat Stevens, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, composed for television and film scores, and performed with French-Canadian fiddle master Jean Carignan. He left Montreal for Toronto in 1977 and became a regular presence in the city’s jazz venues; in 1985 he appeared with Herbie Spanier at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The majority of his leader sessions were produced for the CBC. Following a stroke in July 2000, Fleming’s health declined, and he died on August 31, 2002.
Albums