Local jazz bassist and bandleader Aretha Tillotson has been nominated for a JUNO Award for her second album, Kinda Out West.
“It was definitely pretty amazing,” Tillotson says of hearing the news. “It felt great. This always helps with grants and future opportunities, so I just feel very thankful and very honoured.”
The album is nominated for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo.) It features all original music by Tillotson, performed by a pianoless quartet led by the bassist herself and featuring Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen, and Dave Laing.
JUNO or no JUNO, Tillotson’s résumé is already impressive. She holds a graduate degree from Berklee’s Global Jazz Masters program, has performed with the residential/touring orchestras for the Broadway musical SIX, regularly plays with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and teaches bass at MacEwan University.
Growing up, her family wasn’t especially musical. Her start came through the Edmonton Public Strings Program, which placed a violin in her hands at age eight. She studied it for the next decade.
At 15, her interests shifted.
“I wanted to be a rock star,” she laughs. She picked up the electric bass.
Later, when she entered MacEwan University’s music performance program, she switched to upright bass. The rest is history.
“It’s been a long and winding road finding my instrument,” she says. “But I actually always wanted to play it.”
She had asked if she could take bass instead of violin when she was eight. “But I think my mom was overwhelmed by the size of the instrument.”
It is, she admits, a large one.
“I love that it’s giant,” she says, before pausing. “Well, most of the time. A few times a week I have to load it into my car, and it’s 6’2” so it’s a real slog.”
Still, the sound and role of the instrument keep her devoted.
“I love the woodiness of it, the low end, and the role of the bass where I get to focus on melody, harmony and time,” she says. “I love the responsibility of it.”
Her first name makes one wonder if she was destined for music.
“It’s a wild story,” says Tillotson.
When her mother was pregnant, her appendix burst, triggering early labour.
“So I was born really premature and my mom was on a lot of drugs,” Tillotson laughs. “I was supposed to be named Rachel. But apparently there was an Aretha Franklin tune playing and the nurses asked what my name was and my mom said ‘Aretha.’” Her dad wisely did not argue.
What about her dreams of becoming a rock star?
“I feel like a rock star being a little jazz star now,” she smiles. “That works for me.”
If you’d like to hear more about this incredible Alberta artist, listen in to Alberta Morning, Wednesday, March 18, 6am to 9am MT. Host Grant Stovel is including a special feature on Tillotson as part of series of spotlights on Alberta artists up for some hardware at the JUNO Awards later on this month.
CKUA supports the careers of musicians like Aretha Tillotson. If you’d like to support the work we do, consider donating!
“Jill of All” from Aretha Tillotson’s JUNO Award-nominated album, Kinda Out West:
