Dee Cooper – Keyboards 

                           

Dee’s hometown is London, Ontario, where she started playing keyboards professionally in high school as co-founder of rock orchestra ‘Hunter’.  This group enjoyed some air play on local radio.   She is a founding member of the London Jazz Society, and created jazz fusion band ‘Spaces’, who performed at local festivals, concerts and clubs such as the Firehall.   Dee also was part of an original jazz fusion project called ‘Flight’ in Toronto and contributed several compositions to that group.   

 

After moving to Victoria in 1992, Dee worked with R&B cover band ‘Loose Change’ for a number of years.  She currently plays keyboards and is a contributing songwriter for female blues group ‘CURL’, who has performed at Victoria Blues Bash, Butchart Gardens, Hermann’s Jazz Club, and many other venues.  Most recently, Dee has contributed original music and keyboard skills to nfuze; a group of highly talented musicians creating energetic and dynamic jazz fusion.   She is excited by this project and looks forward to bringing nfuze to light!

 

Dean Wolfe – Guitar                                

 

Ontario-born Wolfe has played on stages in Canada and the USA in hundreds of performances, both as a pop-rock band member and solo singer/songwriter.  He recently hosted weekly open mic nights in a Victoria Cafe for six months.  His life as prolific songwriter started at age 10 on the piano, but by age 12 he realized his musical life-companion would have only 6 strings; but infinitely more possibilities for self-expression.  His favorite guitar teacher was - by happy accident - a professional jazz guitarist. 

 

Wolfe learned early to apply these teachings to rock music.  Many years later, he realized attempting jazz fusion compositions like his hero Pat Metheny was a goal he now felt worthy of attaining, and only self-doubt had squelched his inner jazz ambitions.  He placed an ad on Craigslist and discovered a group of Vancouver Island musicians already reaching for the same goal - minus the 'right' guitarist.  nfuze was born.  In 2014 Wolfe composed a solo CD of progressive fusion jazz titled  'Profusion';  some of the material is being reinterpreted and adopted by the other agile creative musicians of nfuze.

 

Sheldon Bordal – Bass Guitar          

 

Sheldon's driving bass is a cornerstone of nfuze.  He is a seasoned pro with over 20 years of performing and studio experience who has shared the stage with many signed touring acts.   Sheldon is a self-taught bassist who started out playing piano at age 6.  He began playing music professionally in the late 1980’s.   He also plays guitar, but switched to bass while in his early twenties and never looked back.  His influences range from John Paul Jones to Jaco Pastorius; from James Jamerson to Alphonso Johnson.  Sheldon’s favorite music is anything with a groove played tight with the drums – a style that he displays admirably with nfuze.

 

Andy Okell – drums

       

Andy was born and raised in St. Albert in Alberta.   He started playing drums professionally in 1978, and travelled Western Canada with dozens of bands through the 80s, performing all types of music.   In the late 1980’s, Andy began project work with jazz fusion and art rock ensembles, and is the impetus for the creation of nfuze.

 

Andy has been influenced by Led Zeppelin, Yes, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Pat Metheny, and many others.  Andy currently resides and plays music professionally on Vancouver Island.