Jack Zaza
2021 TMA149 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
by Brian Barlow
In the history of the music business in Canada there has certainly been no other musician quite like Jack Zaza. The term multi-Instrumentalist gets tossed around quite casually these days but Jack truly deserves that title. A brief look through his discography, and the many artists he recorded with, shows just how many instruments he mastered in his long career in the Toronto studios. This is just a small sample of the artists he played with and what instruments he played on their recordings.
- Bruce Cockburn – clarinet
- The Guess Who – tenor sax
- Gordon Lightfoot – recorder, English horn, electric bass, alto flute, harmonica, harmonium, baritone sax,
- Sharon, Lois & Bram – flute, accordion, clarinet, English horn
- John McDermott – penny whistle, oboe, harmonica, accordion, clarinet Howard Bear – mandolin, harmonica, spoons, bass harmonica, mandocello
This list could go on and on. One of the instruments that Jack learned to play later in his life was the oboe. He took time off his busy studio schedule and drove to the Eastman School of Music for regular lessons. He eventually became the first-call oboe and English horn player in Toronto and played the oboe solo on Hagood Hardy’s hit & The Homecoming. Jack played in the original Toronto production of Hair where he covered the electric bass chair as well as violin. He played lead alto with the Spitfire Band.
Throughout his career Jack did a great deal to assist up and coming musicians in any way he could. I personally wouldn’t have had the career I had in the studios without Jack pushing me in that direction. He gave my name to people and even provided me with instruments. I know there are many, many other musicians in Toronto who benefitted from Jack’s generosity. During my first period as a board member at the TMA we had a contract sent back to the Local from the pension office. They were dubious of the fact that one person (Jack Zaza) had played all the instruments listed on the contract. They thought there must have been a mistake, or someone was trying to pad their fees. Jack was listed as playing electric bass, bass clarinet, alto flute, three different saxophones and spoons. They were assured by the TMA staff that he had in fact played all those instruments.
Jack Zaza is long overdue for recognition.
