ABOUT

Harry Vetro’s NORTHERN RANGER is a Canadian contemporary band led by drummer and composer Harry Vetro. Members are highly talented young musicians and have toured across Canada and in Europe performing at jazz festivals, clubs and private venues.

Harry Vetro studied Jazz at the University of Toronto. During his studies, he received a FMUA (Faculty of Music Undergraduate Award) to record a full length album. In 2017, as Canada celebrated 150 years of confederation, Harry Vetro took to the road. He traveled coast to coast, visiting communities in the six Indigenous cultural areas in Canada (Arctic, Subarctic, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Plains, and Eastern Woodlands), in an effort to connect with musicians and artists from different cultural backgrounds, and to better understand the land's long cultural history.

Vetro released his self titled debut album NORTHERN RANGER in 2018. He melded improvised music, with folk and classical influences creating a unique “Canadian” sound. Northern Ranger’s influences range from Gordon Lightfoot, The Band, Fleet Foxes to Bill Frisell and Brad Mehldau. Vetro’s album topped fourth on the National Jazz charts in Canada and was well received by critics around the world.

Northern Ranger toured Western Canada in fall 2018. Shows included, The Jazz YYC all Canadian Jazz Festival (Calgary, AB), The Yardbird Suite Jazz Festival (Edmonton, AB), The Bassment (Saskatoon, SK). Vetro was featured as a rising star drummer in the Ottawa and Sudbury Jazz festivals in Ontario.

In 2019, Harry Vetro’s Northern Ranger released his second recording, Eastern Stranger. Northern Ranger recorded new compositions inspired by Harry’s multiple travels throughout Newfoundland, Canada. The music is a mixture of Newfoundland-Irish jig and reel rhythms and well-informed jazz improvisation. The fusion of violin with piano, bass, and drums is Harry's quest for a "Canadian" sound. The violin evokes an era of Canadian music from Newfoundland kitchen parties to French-Canadian and Metis fiddle style music. This combined with their jazz training creates a music unique in its own right. The recording Quidi Vidi Ditty (pronounced "Kitty-Vitty Ditty) is named after a village outside St. John's and features the ugly stick; and instrument native to Newfoundland. Harry toured with the ugly stick across Eastern Canada and audiences embraced it at every show.

In June 2019, Harry Vetro’s Northern Ranger toured Eastern Canada from Ottawa, ON to Halifax, NS with the generous support of a Circulation and Touring grant from The Canada Council for the Arts. They also performed at The TD PEI Jazz and Blues Fest (PEI), l'OFF Montreal Jazz Fest (Quebec), Lakefield Jazz Fest (Ontario), Sudbury Jazz Festival (Ontario).

In October 2019, Northern Ranger toured Eastern Europe performing at The XVI Medzinárodný Hudobný Festival in Dolný Kubín, Slovakia and at U bílýho černocha Jazz club in Ceska Lipa, Czech Republic.

In early 2020, Harry’s song "Buffalo Jump" was chosen for the “Starbucks Jazz” Spotify playlist. Vetro is the only contemporary Canadian Jazz musician featured on the playlist. In 2021, the song surpassed 36K listens. In January 2020, Vetro was runner up for the Julian Award of Excellence.

In February 2020, Harry toured across Canada with Harrison Squared (Mike Murley, Harrison Argatoff, Steve Wallace.) They released a CD titled "Trout in Swimwear" that has received extensive airtime on radio stations including CBC Radio and Jazz FM.

Vetro continues to lead a monthly residency at The Tranzac (Toronto’s premiere creative music club) featuring new music inspired by nature and landscape.

Harry recently (2018-2021) recorded a new album with Northern Ranger. The album is funded by The Canada Council for The Arts and is set to release in Spring 2024.