"A very tight and mature sounding group.....with a
high level of musicianship."
-Mark Kelso
"A very concise sounding group" -Brad Klump, Humber College Faculty
Protocol's brand of instrumental fusion is difficult to explain to those who have never heard it. There is a distinct jazz element in their harmonies and improvised solos, but also a clear rock statement in the hard-hitting drums and distorted guitar sounds; tight interlocking funk grooves meet experimental electronic sounds, and instrumental virtuosity is balanced against memorable melodies and carefully crafted arrangements.
What else could you expect though, from a group of musicians who met at one of Canada's premier music performance programs (Humber College), have studied under some of the biggest names in the Canadian music scene (Pat LaBarbera, Mark Kelso, Ted Quinlan, John Pelosi, Pat Kilbridge, Don Vickery, and more), won awards for instrumental excellence and composition, and have performed with the likes of Mike Stern and Randy Brecker.
The same collage of musical stylings that makes their music so difficult to cateorize is perhaps the reason for why Protocol has met with such success in front of the many different audiences it has played for. Whether it be alongside the David Rubel Quartet (jazz), the Colin Stewart Group (progressive house/electronica), Leighton Bein (acoustic folk/indie) or For The Wolves (hard rock), Protocol invariably manages to strike a chord with the crowds and bring them back for more face melting fusion!
