Bernie Senesky

2019 TMA149 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

“I could listen to him play all day” – Bill Evans

“One of the finest pianists I have worked with in my career” – Elvin Jones

“Bernie is one of my favourite local pianists” – Oscar Peterson

The list of who he hasn’t performed with makes for a very short Bernie Senensky biography, the list of who he has would include some of the greatest names in the Canadian and American musical lexicon. Shortly after moving to Toronto, Ontario in 1968, keyboardist and composer, Bernie Senensky — very quickly and very rightfully — earned the reputation of being one of this country’s premier jazz artists (though he is equally adept in other idioms, including classical).
Since then, on the basis of both his playing and his compositions, he is now recognized as one of the world’s foremost jazz pianists, having been featured on a multitude of recordings and performances at major venues in Canada and abroad.

Bernie has worked with so many renowned Canadian and international artists that formulating a complete listing is well nigh impossible. Indeed, any and all biographical reference sources regarding Bernie’s career disclose a vast array of the most eminent artists — domestic and international—with whom he has performed, recorded and/or toured over the course of what is now a five-decade long career, and invariably with the utmost admiration and respect of his audiences, critics and peers.

Bernie has not only distinguished himself on the national stage; he has also distinguished Canada on the international stage through his countless performances, recordings and tours with renowned artists who have sought him out or, in some cases, simply stumbled upon his extraordinary talents here in Canada.
Of course, Bernie has been the recipient of awards and acknowledgements for his formidable musicianship, including three Juno award nominations, two Jazz Report “Best Acoustic Jazz Pianist” awards and a “Best Jazz Composition” SOCAN Award.

Bernie remains active, not only as a band leader but also as a much sought-after accompanist in every conceivable musical context. Furthermore, he serves as model and mentor to forthcoming generations of Canadian musicians in his capacity as a longstanding member of the music faculty at Humber College (where Brian Dickinson and David Virelles count amongst his most notable proteges).

Finally, Bernie continues to epitomize as well as demonstrate his own deep regard for the heritage and tradition of jazz in Canada in heading up the Moe Koffman Tribute Band (a unit which he has led for 15 years after playing with Moe Koffman himself for 20 years). Needless to say, Bernie Senensky is a fitting candidate for this honour. One might even say that such an honour is long overdue in his case. For a fuller list of Bernie’s achievements please visit our website.
AWARDS & HONOURS Toronto Musicians’ Association • Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019 Juno Nominee • Best Traditional Jazz Album, New Horizons, 2000 • Best Mainstream Jazz Album, Wheel Within A Wheel, 1994 • Best Jazz Album, Friday The 14th, 1990 Jazz Report Awards Winner • Best Jazz Pianist, 1999 • Best Jazz Pianist, 1995 SOCAN Best Jazz Composition (“Blues For Clifford”), 1999