Nelson Symonds Jazz Guitarist, 27 min.
and Nelson Symonds Quartet, 15 min.

Two short documentary films
Mary Ellen Davis, 1984, 16mm
With the participation of Nelson Symonds: Jean Beaudet, piano; Dave Gelfand, bass; Pierre Gauthier, drums.
Photo © Peter Danson

Musical sequences and interviews with Montreal's famous guitarist. His warm and lyrical style - a very unique one - has won the admiration of Canadian jazz lovers and international players... A living model of honesty, perpetually geared towards perfection.

Born in 1933 near Halifax, Nelson Symonds is a self-taught musician. Since the late fifties he has been playing in most of the jazz clubs in Montreal: the Black Bottom, Rockhead's, the Esquire, Lindy's, Cafe Prag; more recently at L'Air du Temps, Biddles', the Montreal Jazz Festival...

Unobtrusively, over the years, Symonds has been striving for perfection, never losing the spontaneity and energy so characteristic of his style. Montrealers are not the only ones to acknowledge his talent: international musicians he has either played with or met, also share this appreciation. They would come around to hear him play, when on tour in Montreal. Symonds has turned down possibilities of playing elsewhere; he likes Montreal...

Un film sur le guitariste montréalais Nelson Symonds, dont le style chaleureux et lyrique a conquis les amateurs de jazz canadiens, et lui a mérité l'admiration de nombreux collègues américains... Un musicien intègre, visant toujours l'excellence.

(anglais) Born in 1933 near Halifax, Nelson Symonds is a self-taught musician. Since the late fifties he has been playing in most of the jazz clubs in Montreal: the Black Bottom, Rockhead's, the Esquire, Lindy's, Cafe Prag; more recently at L'Air du Temps, Biddles', the Montreal Jazz Festival...

Unobtrusively, over the years, Symonds has been striving for perfection, never losing the spontaneity and energy so characteristic of his style. Montrealers are not the only ones to acknowledge his talent: international musicians he has either played with or met, also share this appreciation. They would come around to hear him play, when on tour in Montreal. Symonds has turned down possibilities of playing elsewhere; he likes Montreal...