Bassist Marika Galea and trumpeter Rachel Therrien are no strangers to playing together. Since meeting in New York in 2016, they have extensively performed material from many of Rachel’s past releases (V for Vena, Why Don’t You Try, Home Inspiration) as part of her Canadian band.

Working between New York City and Montreal, French-Canadian trumpeter, composer and producer Rachel Therrien boasts an enviable curriculum and is known for her very personal signature with influences from jazz to afro-latin and “global” music. Her 5th album, VENA (under French label Bonsaï Music) is JUNO and ADISQ nominated for Jazz Album of the Year & rated four stars by Downbeat. Her newest effort, 6th album Mi Hogar, serves as the first documentation of her Latin Jazz Project and was released in early 2023. Therrien also works as a side musician in various projects such as Arturo O’Farrill’s Grammy winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, the The Ostara Project, the renowned Diva Jazz Orchestra, NYC-based People of Earth, and many more. In 2020, Rachel started producing for other artists and is currently working with Noé Lira and LaPelúda.

Marika Galea is an award-winning Canadian performer, composer and professor. Best known as a jazz bassist, she earned a spot as one of CBC Music’s 2017 35 best Canadian jazz artists under 35. Galea’s work (featured on her 2020 release, Nuance) explores the space between improvised jazz, narrative songwriting, and hypnotic soundscapes. As a bass player, she has supported artists including Terence Blanchard, Cyrus Chestnut, Vincent Herring, Ralph Peterson Jr., Rachel Therrien, Jason Palmer, L’Orchestre national du jazz de Montréal, Basia Bulat, Tim Kingsbury (Arcade Fire), Samian, Jake Clemons (E Street Band), U.S. Girls and Laura Niquay. Her collaborations have garnered nominations and wins for JUNO, Golden Globe, Academy, Polaris, Iris, RIDM and HotDocs Awards. She has taught at McGill University, McGill Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and is currently an assistant professor at Brandon University. She has also taught workshops at McGill Executive Institute and School of Continuing Studies, Malta Jazz Festival, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, Prince Edward County Jazz Festival and the University of Manitoba’s Canadian Jazz Summit. 

In this new effort, both Galea and Therrien bring their original compositions, supported by Niall Bakkestad-Legare on tenor saxophone, Will Bonness on piano, and Fabio Ragnelli on drums.