Crimson Canary

Crimson Canary's performances, whether background music or full show, will make your event the one your friends or colleagues won't forget.

From solo guitar or piano to duo, trio or quintet, Crimson Canary is the ultimate jazz ensemble to set the mood and impress your guests!

We are jazz musicians, making music from Western New York to Eastern Massachusetts since 2010. We find our audiences really enjoy our renditions of jazz standards as done by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and many more. We also do beloved songs in other languages.

We pride ourselves on being very easy to work with and love to help our clients create great events! Whether you need lush background music or dynamic, engaging vocals and instrumental solos, we are passionate about making music that brings a unique and hassle-free touch to your special event.

David Chu began his music career as a teen playing piano and percussion, but soon switched to guitar. In college he earned a Bachelor’s in Music while minoring in Spanish. He was a well-known electric guitarist in upstate New York for many years performing in jazz and pop styles. Then he switched to the flamenco guitar while maintaining an interest in electric. He delights audiences with the variety of genres he plays on either guitar, including flamenco, jazz, blues, and Brazilian.

Lonnie Chu, manager and vocalist, studied classical vocal music at SUNY New Paltz before taking off for Spain where she lived several times. Her career as a professor of foreign languages inspired her to become proficient at singing in a variety of languages, but her roots in jazz go back to her childhood in a musical family.

Recent graduate of the UMass jazz program, Dylan Walter has played jazz, rock, folk, pop, and classical, and has performed with a variety of local bands as well as teaching music lessons in the Pioneer Valley. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, he plays piano and bass with Crimson Canary.

Richard Murphy plays jazz recorder, bass clarinet, alto and baritone sax. Though mostly self-taught, he has studied with Karl Berger of the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock New York and, for several semesters, with trombonist Steve Davis at the Jackie McLean Institute at the Hartt School of Music. In addition to his work with Crimson Canary he plays with the LARK Jazz Trio, Blue Moon Quartet, and A New Blue Sextet.

Currently an undergraduate at Umass Amherst, Ellen Jacobson is studying jazz performance and has been playing drum set for 12 years. She grew up playing classic British rock in London and started her journey with jazz in high school in Cambridge, MA. She has since developed a passion for jazz, funk, latin and fusion styles.

All we need is an outlet and enough space for us to sit in.