One of the more popular sidemen on the Toronto jazz scene, Brian Dickinson is a pianist who has assimilated the styles of many modern jazz pianists; including Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and Richie Beirach. Born in Guelph, Ontario, in 1961, Dickinson began studying the masters of contemporary piano playing at an early age. The results of this focus are clear; Dickinson is a pianist whose influences are easy to recognize, yet he avoids sounding distinctly like any of them. The Juno Award-winning Dickinson has worked throughout his career with many prominent jazz musicians, including Randy Brecker, Dewey Redman, John Abercrombie, Sonny Greenwich, and Jane Bunnett. ~ Dan Cross