Matt Dusk

Although securing a 42-piece string section for an initial recording is uncommon, Canadian vocalist Matt Dusk has long been accustomed to large ensembles. As the York University Oscar Peterson scholarship recipient, he issued four independent albums while fronting his own eight-piece group and sustaining nearly 20 club dates each month throughout Toronto. Appearing headed toward classical and opera pursuits, Dusk shifted course at 18 after encountering Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan. That emerging focus on vocal performance secured first place in 1998's Canadian National Exhibition Rising Star Competition over 654 rivals. Instruction from John Gittens, Bob Fenton, and Peterson produced a B.F.A. in music. He later signed with Decca and delivered Two Shots, mixing standards with original material, in June 2004. The Christmas-themed Peace on Earth followed a year afterward, and his second studio album, Back in Town, appeared in 2006.