Pacific Salt

Websites:  No
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Pacific Salt: West Coast Architects of Canadian Jazz Fusion
Pacific Salt emerged at the dawn of the 1970s as a bold and distinctly Canadian response to the burgeoning jazz-rock fusion movement. Formed in Vancouver by trombonist Ian McDougall—a Calgary native raised in Victoria and schooled in music at the University of British Columbia—the band brought together some of the west coast’s top jazz and studio musicians in a spirited co-operative ensemble that fused electric textures with post-bop virtuosity.

McDougall, already well established on the west coast circuit and fresh off his CBC-issued LP Music by Ian McDougall (1970), was encouraged by the network to assemble a new group. He joined forces with Oliver Gannon, an Irish-born, Winnipeg-raised guitarist fresh out of Berklee College of Music, along with Ron Johnston (Fender Rhodes piano), George Ursan (drums), and Tony Clitheroe (bass), all of whom had worked with McDougall in projects led by saxophonist Fraser MacPherson. Trumpeter Don Clark, one of CBC’s go-to session players, and saxophonist P.J. Perry, another Calgary native, rounded out the lineup by 1972.

Their early sessions at CBC Vancouver produced the single Cycle Song and the LP Jazz Canadiana—a vibrant showcase of contemporary jazz featuring original compositions by McDougall, Gannon, Johnston, Ursan (Raw Toast), and Perry (PJ Too!). Produced by George Laverock, the album typified Pacific Salt’s aesthetic: a hybrid of tight horn arrangements, electric jazz rhythm sections, and genre-blurring grooves.

Later that same year, the band independently issued their self-titled LP on Ramophone Records (catalog G-1002). Privately pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies with a distinctive psychedelic fold-out cover by Lee Porritt, the 1973 Pacific Salt album is now a rare and sought-after Canadian fusion artifact. Featuring re-recorded and new tracks from their CBC sessions, the record ranged from funk-laced explorations like Ursan’s Raw Toast to Gannon’s rollicking closer North Bluff Stop and Perry’s upbeat Goose Juice. Though the band operated cooperatively, McDougall was widely recognized as the group’s anchor and visionary.

The following years saw them performing extensively across Western Canada—often through CBC-sponsored concerts, JMC school tours, and appearances on Jazz Radio-Canada. Their concerts blended musical virtuosity with an educational ethos, introducing high school audiences to the history and forms of jazz.

In 1975, the group reconvened for a live performance at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Playhouse, with Don Clark returning on trumpet. The resulting album, Pacific Salt Live (Little Mountain Records LMR-105), became the lone release on the short-lived Little Mountain imprint. Containing six new compositions not featured on prior records, the album captured the band at their peak, with strong ensemble interplay and dynamic solos across the board.

Despite its momentum, Pacific Salt began to dissolve shortly after. McDougall moved east to join Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass in Toronto, a tenure that would define much of his later career. The rest of the members resumed their session work and individual projects, though the band’s influence continued to ripple through the Canadian jazz landscape.

Legacy and Postscript
While Pacific Salt formally ended by the early 1980s, its members remained cornerstones of Canadian jazz.

Ian McDougall released multiple solo albums, toured globally, and taught at UBC and the University of Victoria. He continued recording into the 2000s, including a Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn tribute In a Sentimental Mood (2005) and reunion performances with former Salt bandmates.

Oliver Gannon collaborated extensively with Fraser MacPherson, winning a Juno for their 1983 album I Didn’t Know About You, and continued to shape west coast jazz through countless recordings and live appearances.

Ron Johnston issued the contemplative solo album Remembering Tomorrow in 2005 and worked frequently with Gannon and McDougall in trio formats, including on 1976’s Three and 1979’s RIO, a Latin-infused jazz outing.

P.J. Perry, who remained active across Canada, worked with major names like Ron Collier, Sonny Greenwich, and Tommy Banks, and released acclaimed solo albums including Sessions (1978), My Ideal (1989), and Time Flies (2005). In 2007, he reunited with McDougall and Gannon for Oliver Jones’ CBC live CD Jazz Legends.

George Ursan continued performing regionally, including work with Susan Jacks (Ghosts, 1980), Corky Corcoran, and others. He also recorded with jazz trombone greats Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana on Trombone Heaven.

Don Clark remained an active force in west coast jazz as a trumpeter, composer, and educator.

Today, Pacific Salt is remembered as a singular fusion band that helped define the west coast jazz sound of the early 1970s. Their blend of groove, sophistication, and regional character made them a vital link between traditional Canadian jazz and the emerging fusion wave, and their recordings remain prized by collectors and cherished by connoisseurs.
-Robert Williston