Tyler Richard Yarema is a Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

-based singer/song-writer. A self-taught pianist, Yarema’s early influences in music stem from the stride genre, and he takes his cues from musicians such as Willie “the lion” Smith, Fats Waller

Fats Waller

Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...

, Pete Johnson, Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton

Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...

, and Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

. Yarema’s bands specialize in a unique hybrid of blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

, jump-blues, swing, boogie-woogie

Boogie-woogie

Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...

, and original popular music.

Career

After moving from Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay

-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...

 to Toronto in 1994, Yarema became a nightclub regular. Yarema gained traction by playing alongside the late Jeff Healey

Jeff Healey

Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...

, Chris Whitely, King Biscuit Boy

King Biscuit Boy

King Biscuit Boy was the stage name of Richard Alfred Newell a Canadian blues musician. He was the first Canadian blues artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.....

, Downchild Blues Band

Downchild Blues Band

The Downchild Blues Band is a Canadian blues band, described by one reviewer as "the premier blues band in Canada". The band is still commonly known as the Downchild Blues Band, though the actual band name was shortened to "Downchild" as of the early 1980s....

, and the late Doug Riley

Doug Riley

Doug Riley, CM was a Canadian musician. Born in Toronto, Ontario and informally referred to as "Doctor Music", he spent two decades with the Famous People Players as its musical director, besides his participation on over 300 album projects in various genres...

before forming his own band entitled Tyler Yarema and His Rhythm. Yarema has since played, produced, arranged, and sung on over 40 albums.

Currently, Yarema is working on a recording project through the vehicle of his band Empire Avenue that steers away from traditional jazz and blues and focuses on an original sounding adult pop.

Awards & recognitions

• 1998 – New Artist of The Year – Maple Blues Awards (winner)
• 1999 – Piano Player of the Year – Maple Blues Awards (winner)
• 2002 – Best Keyboard Player – Now Magazine (winner)