Date of Birth: March 25, 1962, Hamilton Ontario Canada.
Instruments: Piano, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute.
Biographical:
Ross Wooldridge was born 1962 in Hamilton Ontario. He showed early musical ability, and was taking piano lessons by age four. He was self taught on clarinet at age 13, and took up saxophone at Ancaster High and Vocational School.
While attending Mohawk College and Humber College (where he also picked up the flute), he honed his skills as a multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer and copyist. After finishing his education, he added to his portfolio of skills the titles of producer, conductor, transcription specialist and teacher.
Ross enjoys co-leading an excellent traditional jazz band known as the Dixie Demons with trombonist Dan Douglas, as well as a busy career of performing and recording. Some of those he has worked and recorded with are Alex Pangman and her Alley Cats, Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra, Alfie Zappacosta, Terra Hazelton and her Easy Answers, the late Jeff Healey and the Jazz Wizards, and many other local artists. Ross has produced CDs for the Dixie Demons, and Alex Pangman, both of which have garnered rave reviews and continually receive airplay on JazzFm and other radio stations across North America.
Ross is the leader/musical director of Toronto's Galaxy Orchestra, a big band specializing in the swing music of the 1930s through the 1950s. He has written many of the arrangements the band performs, and also produced their CD “Tribute to the Kings of Swing." Have a look at the ENSEMBLES page at all the various shows offered by Ross and the Galaxy Orchestra.
Another of Ross’ notable achievements is his critically acclaimed Tribute to Benny Goodman Sextet. This group was featured at a sold out concert presented by JazzFM and The Sound of Toronto Jazz Series in 2005, and they have been in demand ever since. In 2012, a new live recording was released on CD to excellent reviews. A new recording of this group is slated for release very soon along with other new material (see below) Listen to some exciting samples of this new release on the News and Bookings page.
As well as his extensive local resume, Ross has performed with and arranged music for a number of international stars, among them Ben E. King and the Drifters. Additionally, he has composed and arranged music for films, plays and musicals.
In the 1980s, Ross was the leader of a jazz fusion band known as Panacea, as well as a local top 40 club band known as Popular Topic. Ross was a member of Mad About Plaid, a Toronto based new music group in the late 1980’s that had a number of hit songs and were the winners of Star Search for 1990. For listening samples of Panacea and Mad About Plaid, and also some photos, go to the Gallery Page, Ensembles Past and Present
Ross produced and arranged Brenda Brown's full length album "Life Among Giants" released in 2020. He will soon be releasing a number of exciting new recordings of special shows from performances around the GTA: Ross Wooldridge and His Tribute to the Benny Goodman Sextet, volume 2; Ross Wooldridge and His Tribute to Artie Shaw and His Gramercy 5; Ross Wooldridge and the Galaxy Orchestra present "Benny Meets Artie"; Ross Wooldridge and the Galaxy Orchestra present "In the Mood" volumes 1 and 2.
Ross also teaches elementary school band classes for the Toronto District School Board.
