Jim Gelcer is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed composer, producer, songwriter, and musician. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, and based in Toronto, Canada, Jim studied drums in Toronto with Lou Williamson and Claude Ranger, then went to Eastman School of Music to study drums, vibraphone, Jazz improvization, and arranging with Bill Dobbins, Ramon Ricker, Lee Musiker, and Dave Rataczak.
As a drummer, Jim has performed live and recorded with such bands as Confirmation (with Levon Ichkhanian, Colin Barrett, Richard Uglow, and Lenny Graf), Sight Unseen (with Ana Coutinho, Kathy Sisler, and Peter MacGibbon), Excursion (with Neil Gertler, Alfred Gertler, Jim Heineman, Paul Taylor, Steve Donald, and Sarah McElcheran), Zemer Orchestra (where he worked with Arnie Chycoski, Kevin Turcotte, and Dave Dunlop), Big Rude Jake, and The Pardon Beggars, with whom he co-wrote and recorded. Jim toured the British Isles and North America with The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, working with musicians David Buchbinder, Allan Merovitz, Martin Van de Ven, Laura Cesar, Sasha Luminsky, Paul Pacanowski, Theresa Tova, and John Alcorn.
As a keyboard player, Jim performed and recorded with the following bands: Odyssey (featuring George St. Kitts, Tony "Wild T" Springer, and Michael Thompson), T4, Aubrey Mann, Sweet Ecstasy (featuring Debbie Johnson), Western World (with Don Breithaupt, Rikki Rumball, John Pelosi, Simon Wood, and Wilson Laurencin). He recorded and toured with Johnny Lovesin (with Rob Laidlaw and Kimio Oki), opening for Stevie Ray Vaughn at Kingswood Music Theatre. Jim was a long time member of Queen Street staple Bratty & The Babysitters (with Ken Myhr, John Switzer, Gina Stepaniuk, Rebecca Jenkins, Al Cross, Bryant Didier, and many others). He also recorded and toured Europe with Lee Aaron, working with John Albani, Chris Brockway, and Randy Cooke (Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart).
As a songwriter, Jim has collaborated and written with Don Breithaupt (Monkey House), Micah Barnes (Loudboy Radio), and Matthew Gerrard (Kelly Clarkson, Hillary Duff), among many others.
In 1986, Jim co-founded independent production company, Gelcer Myhr Productions, with innovative guitar stylist Ken Myhr (Jane Siberry/Issa Light, Cowboy Junkies) delivering creative music services to film, television, and advertising clients including CBC, Bell, Visual Productions, and MuchMusic.
Most recently, Jim has recorded and performed live with singer/songwriter Fraz (www.fraz.net), guitar/piano virtuoso Brian Katz (with Artie Roth, Kathryn Moses, Ernie Tollar, Jonno Lightstone, and others), and blues/gospel artist Ken Whiteley, as well has his own jazz trio featuring Paul Hoffert on piano and Jimmy Amaro on bass.
Jim is Chief Operating Officer for Noank Media Inc. , a Harvard startup with a new model for distributing digital media, solving piracy, and compensating creators. He serves on the board of directors for Toronto Summer Music , Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra and Mariposa In The Schools .
Jim is also a certified yoga teacher, and teaches a regular weekly class in Toronto. His love of music and yoga led him organically into the world of Kirtan (Sanskrit spiritual chanting), where he is now in demand as a Kirtan leader and in the process of recording his first Kirtan album.
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