Artem Ramsay

Trombonist, pianist, and composer Artem Ramsay (aka Muhammad Abdul Al-Khabyyr) is a gifted performer known for his gentle and atmospheric neo-classical music. Ramsay first emerged in the '80s as a sideman and has worked with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. In 2020, he made his solo debut with the hypnotic classical and new age piano album Divergence. Born in 1959 in Hull, Quebec, Ramsay grew up in a musical family the son of jazz saxophonist Al-Hajj Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr. A trombonist and pianist from a young age, he eventually studied music at Montreal's Vanier College before joining his father in the legacy Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1987. More work followed, including big band gigs with Denny Christianson, Andrew Homzy, and Vic Vogel. He also found session work, recording on projects for François Marcaurelle, Ranee Lee, Maxim Landry, and Swing Dynamique. Along with performing, he is a dedicated teacher having held positions at Concordia University and the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. In June 2020, Ramsay released his debut album of piano music, Divergence.
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