Paramedic

Artist Information

Biography

Jesse Peters has been a force in the Canadian music scene since 1998. While still in high school, he garnered rave reviews as a singer and songwriter from distinguished jazz artists Ingrid Jensen and Diana Krall. By the age of 21, his group, The Peters Drury Trio, had released two critically acclaimed recordings. Both discs received rave reviews by critics and listeners both in Canada and internationally. Their second album allowed Jesse the opportunity to play with some of Canada’s elite jazz musicians: Hugh Fraser, Campbell Ryga, Ross Taggart and Alan Matheson.

As a member of the PDT, he has appeared in numerous print media from Canadian Living Magazine to the Toronto Star. Jesse has performed on The Vicki Gabereau Show on CTV; CBC Morning Television; TVOntario Studio Two as well as City TV’s Breakfast Television. He has been featured on two CBC Radio Canada Live national broadcasts (2009, 2010) and performed at The 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards gala.

Jesse is also known as the face and voice of funksoul artist Paramedic. In 2009 Paramedic’s sophomore album, Love, Doubt and Soul, was released. The album was nominated for Urban Recording of the Year at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards and CKUA’s Tony King named this album one of his top 5 picks of 2009. You can hear Paramedic on CKUA, CBC and on Big Rock Brewery’s Untapped Vol. 3. 2011 sees the release of Jesse’s debut solo jazz record Face Time.

Instrumentation

Jesse Peters-(vocals/keys/guitar)

Jesse tours solo or with a backing band

Discography

Face Time-March 2011

Audio

• Backbeat (the Return)
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• In This To Love You
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• Funky Schway
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• That's How It Goes
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• First Aid for Soul [+ Show ]
  

  Whisked out of his Yukon home by the nationwide success of the Peters Drury Trio, Whitehorse-born ke...Whisked out of his Yukon home by the nationwide success of the Peters Drury Trio, Whitehorse-born keyboardist Jesse Peters is coming back with a funksoul sound the likes of which ye have never seen.
  
  Joined by brothers Jody on guitar and Graeme on drums, Jesse’s Paramedic is launching Love, Doubt and Soul, the latest album by the Alberta-based studio duo of Jesse and bassist Travis Switzer.
  
  Paramedic’s funksoul comes with a purpose, says the band. This sets it apart from the legions of purposeless funksoul bands of yesteryear.
  
  Strains of social comment infiltrate Jesse’s lyrics.
  
  “Jesus was a carpenter, ain’t no gunmaker,” sings Jesse at the top of Carpenter.
  
  Smooth sums up the Paramedic sound. Their musical medicines comes with a hefty spoonful of sweet, sweet sugar. A velvety bassiness completes the package, supporting an across-the-board mastery of all things vocal and keyboard.

• Paramedic album review [+ Show ]
  

  For their self-titled debut as Paramedic, Jesse Peters and Craig Learmont recreate an organic, live ...For their self-titled debut as Paramedic, Jesse Peters and Craig Learmont recreate an organic, live band sound that is a mixture of funk, soul, jazz, rock and hip-hop. It's mostly a combination of styles, but the two sometimes keep it pure, like with jazzy piano track “Wurlitzer Interlude.” Throughout, the production works to engage the listener in the songs and then draws them into the vocals. ...Jesse, as a rapper... mostly impresses with an energetic style that he’s willing to play with, whether it’s with positive, life-affirming gospels or angry, political condemnations. Or, as he neatly sums up on “Be Set Free”: “I still gots to love ya cuz you’re my fellow man, but if your cause ain’t right I will oppose it behind this microphone.” He speaks on hypocrites, pop stars, corporate labour, fake Christians and George W. Bush, as well as love, spirituality and God — and is funky while doing so. If only hip-hop had a few more groups like Paramedic, the scene would surely be a lot healthier.
  

• Debut Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Smooth, smart, soulful. Rapper/singer Jesse Peters and his group, Paramedic, will resuscitate your i...Smooth, smart, soulful. Rapper/singer Jesse Peters and his group, Paramedic, will resuscitate your interest in hip-hop with their funky, jazzy self-titled full-length. The emergency musical workers get their party groove on for tracks such as For the Love of the Funk, but Peters also tackles the tough subjects, including consumerism and his own faith. "You're like Maynard James Keenan / Just an industry tool / It's a perfect cycle really, consume and consume," he raps on Ain't Nuthin' But a Brand Name."Your pastors love $3,000 Armani, teach lies to the sheep," he accuses on Church Inc. You'd never guess the crew is straight out of Three Hills; they have the grace, sophistication and vocal stylings of one of New York's finest.

• Music's healing power [+ Show ]
  

  ...Jesse's actually got a fairly extensive musical background - he was trained in classical piano fo......Jesse's actually got a fairly extensive musical background - he was trained in classical piano for 17 years and toured with the Peters Drury Trio for several years..
  
  ..Peters is used to a little juxtaposition though.. he likes to work a pretty extensive list of influences into his work with Paramedic, from blues and fusion to more classic hip-hop influences like funk.
  
  It's partly because of this jumble of styles that Peters recruited a full-on backing band to perform with him at all his shows, though he admits that he thinks the best kind of hip-hop comes with the live band experience anyway.

• Paramedic Review [+ Show ]
  

  ..Jesse understands himself as standing firmly within the hip-hop tradition and rightly so. His lyr.....Jesse understands himself as standing firmly within the hip-hop tradition and rightly so. His lyrical gift of gab, smooth flows, and politically charged battle raps would surely be envied by even the most established hip-hop veteran..
  
  ..It is indeed hard to find a flaw anywhere on the album: the rhymes are complex, the singing proves that he has more soul than his race will allow, and the lyrics are consistently apocalyptic...
  
  ..if you have not yet picked up this album, then you must waste no more time in doing so.

• Paramedic Gives Linden a Taste of True Hip Hop Funk [+ Show ]
  

  ..The sound of Paramedic is one that is on its way to bigger things. The band creates the perfect s.....The sound of Paramedic is one that is on its way to bigger things. The band creates the perfect setting for Jesse's hard hitting lyrical style, and betrays their love of being able to perform together.
  
  The crowd, obviously pleased with getting more than their money's worth out of the show, snatched up the CDs and T-shirts at the end of the two hour concert.
  
  If you missed out on this energetic show, you may get another chance; you can check out their schedule at www.sonicbids.com/paramedic.
  
  If you can't make one of those shows, go find Jesse Peters right now and buy the CD. That's right. Right now. This instant. It is that good.

• Paramedic concert review [+ Show ]
  

  ..Even if you wanted to listen and not move, it was difficult to do so. They had some really funky r.....Even if you wanted to listen and not move, it was difficult to do so. They had some really funky rhythms and sexy bass lines that were almost contagious....
  
  My favourite moments of their performance, on the other hand, were when they actually “had melody” (their words, not mine). The vocalist grabbed an acoustic guitar a few times and actually sang, (though not through the entire length of any song), and the sound seemed to suit them as well as the true hip-hop did.
  
  The vocalist showed off his beat box skills, which were insanely good, and his techno beat was definitely the best.
  
  The crowd wanted an encore at the end, but Paramedic had already exhausted their repertoire so they had to improv and freestyle a bit around “Walk This Way”. It ended up being one of the best performances in their set.
  

Setlist

Basic Requirements

Calendar