Canadian Songbook

Tara Davidson

In this episode, saxophonist Tara Davidson joins longtime friend and collaborator Ernesto Cervini for a conversation about memories, music, and the quiet courage of coming into one’s own. From early piano lessons that ended in tears to a formative encounter with Mike Murley in high school, Davidson traces how a shy kid from Brampton, encouraged by a jazz-loving father, grew into one of Canada’s most respected jazz voices. The conversation explores the roots of her many long-standing collaborations, including co-leading the genre-blurring Carn Davidson 9 and performing in Turboprop, led by Cervini, where she found herself pushed physically and musically into new territory. Through laughter and tender reflection, Davidson shares how melody, mentorship, and community continue to shape her evolving sound, offering a portrait of growth grounded in trust, grit, and joy.

Holly Nimmons

In this episode, Ernesto Cervini sits down with arts advocate and Canadian Music Centre CEO Holly Nimmons for a conversation that weaves music, memory, and social change into one remarkable story. Born into a home where jam sessions happened beside the bassinet and artistry was woven into daily life, Nimmons shares what it meant to grow up as the daughter of legendary Canadian bandleader and educator Phil Nimmons, and how her mother’s musical brilliance shaped her just as deeply. From high school band rooms and theatre stages to activism in midwifery and national arts leadership, she reflects on the enduring power of music to shape identity, empathy, and community. The episode is a warm, wide-ranging portrait of a woman who believes in listening deeply, advocating boldly, and helping others - especially young people - find their voice in the soundscape of Canadian culture.

Elliot Madore

In this episode, Grammy-nominated baritone Elliot Madore recounts a journey shaped as much by passion as by serendipity - from childhood days walking around Toronto with a Walkman full of Brahms, to a life-changing encounter with a vocal coach who opened the door to opera. In conversation with host Ernesto Cervini, Madore reflects on formative experiences in Toronto’s youth choirs, the disciplined joy of summer bootcamps with the Toronto All-Star Big Band, and the moment onstage at the Met when he first felt at ease, truly at home in his voice. With humility and humour, he explores how family, identity, and mentorship shaped his artistry, and how opera came to feel deeply personal. It’s a  portrait of musical belonging, and the quiet persistence required to become oneself on the world’s grandest stages.

Allison Au

In this episode, saxophonist and composer Allison Au reflects on the winding path that brought her to a life in jazz—from childhood days pulling records off her father’s shelves in suburban Toronto, to private saxophone lessons that offered solace after stepping away from school band programs altogether. She speaks with Ernesto Cervini about how a single teacher, Maggie Thompson, sparked her love for the saxophone, and how imposter syndrome nearly kept her from pursuing music altogether. They explore the pivotal role Humber College played in her artistic rebirth, the community that shaped her sound, and the deep relationships within her long-standing quartet. Allison also shares the personal and global threads that shaped her award-winning Migrations project, and how collaboration—with string quartets, vocalists, and trusted bandmates—has become central to her creative process and her voice as an artist.

Mike Murley

Saxophonist Mike Murley traces his arc from jam sessions in Windsor, Nova Scotia - where musicians crammed his family’s living room - and the grade-seven trip that first let him hear Phil Nimmons and the Boss Brass live, to busking across Europe with the irreverent Shuffle Demons and discovering the street-level power of jazz. In this intimate conversation with host Ernesto Cervini - himself a former student - Murley opens up about the craft behind the music, the communities that shaped him, and the quiet courage required to stay true to your artistic vision. Speaking from his Halifax home, he reveals why he contemplates collaboration vs. virtuoso ego, and what the future holds for an artist still discovering new ways to tell his story through sound.