Marcel has been working in Toronto as a composer, arranger, pianist, singer songwriter and educator since 1998. During this time he has held weekly gigs at the Cameron House, Gate 403, and the Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar in addition to performing in the TD Toronto Jazz festival, Distillery, and 416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festivals.
In 2005 he stepped out of his role as a sideman to release his first CD as a leader: WEIRD COCKTAIL, a quirky mix of funk, jazz and classically inspired original pieces that Carl Wilson of the Globe and Mail described as "a corkscrewed concoction that goes down easy, combining a searcher’s sensibility with influences from the exotica end of the jazz spectrum.”
In addition to performing, Marcel has also helped to organize several music series. From 2004 to 2005 he co-organized the monthly music series called Strange Folk with guitarist Geordie Haley. The series was held at Holy Joe’s in Toronto, and featured improvised music, singer-songwriters, dance and short plays. From 2009 to 2014 Marcel and Michael Holt ran a monthly house concert series entitled The Piano Salon, which paired diverse musical performances with inspiring conversations on a variety of topics. In 2014 they held the first annual Festival of House culture, which took place in the West Bend neighbourhood of Toronto. The series continued for the next two years and expanded into neighbourhoods all across the city.
Marcel's current projects include a trio album entitled The Chameleon Returns, and a solo album of original compositions that is set to be released sometime in 2019.
