See Through Trio is comprised of pianist Tania Gill, saxophonist Mark Laver, and bassist Pete Johnston. Established as a unit in the summer of 2004, the members of the trio share a mutual interest in exploring the practice of collective improvisation. To this end, the group has focused on developing an ‘equal voiced’ approach to ensemble playing, where the roles traditionally assigned to these three instruments in a jazz ensemble are replaced by a more open-ended approach to ensemble interaction. The Trio’s compositions encompass a diverse range of styles and musical influences, from the 1960s jazz avant-garde of Carla Bley and Ornette Coleman to contemporary country and folk sounds. The playful deconstructionist spirit of jazz motivates the Trio’s music, as the three players take in the musical materials presented by their experiences playing other musics and reinterpret them in new and unexpected ways when playing together. See Through Trio has performed at many contemporary music venues in the Toronto area, including the Tranzac club and the Arraymusic Studio, as part of the Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto’s Leftover Daylight series. Other notable performances include: the 2005 Distillery Jazz Festival in Toronto, the 2005 University of Toronto Contemporary Music Festival, the 2007 Atlantic Jazz Festival in Halifax, and a tour of the West Coast in 2008 which included performances at 1067 Granville in Vancouver and Hermann's Jazz Bar and Grill in Victoria. Their debut CD “Our Own Devices” was released in June 2007. Their newest CD is titled "Lines and Spaces". Released in April 2009, this disc features twelve new compositions by the band members and custom-made art work by Toronto artist Michael Smith.

The Players

Mark Laver, a PhD student in Musicology at the University of Toronto, is establishing a reputation as one of the most versatile young alto saxophonists in Toronto. He has performed everywhere from the George Westin Recital Hall, to the Glenn Gould Studio, to the Toronto Jazz Festival. He has performed with such jazz luminaries as Lee Konitz, Seamus Blake, Kurt Elling, Hugh Fraser, and Phil Nimmons. As a classical saxophonist, he won the gold medal for woodwind performance for the Royal Conservatory of Music’s ARCT exam in 2001. He has been a featured soloist with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the University of Toronto Wind Ensemble, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra.


Tania Gill is a Toronto pianist, composer, arranger, and improviser known for her versatility and originality. She is a member of The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Andrew Downing’s Melodeon, Runcible Spoon, Saint Dirt Elementary School, avante-rock group Deep Dark United, The See Through Trio, Bla Bla 666 and leads her own trio The Mighty Gill Show. Tania has worked with many great musicians including, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Gordon Downie, Phil Dwyer, Terry Clarke, Jean Derome, David Mott, Jesse Zubot, Justin Haynes, Dylan Van Der Schyff, The Rheostatics, Mia Sheard, Johnny Favourite, One Step Beyod, John Millard, Jake Langley, Dione Taylor, Soular, Chris Gale, The WoodChoppers Association, Rob Clutton, Doug Tielli, Ronda Rindone and German synth player Thomas Lehn. She has toured and performed in several major festivals internationally. Tania has a BMus in Jazz Performance from McGill University, studied classical piano at The University of Victoria, and has attended the Banff Centre for the Arts. She has recently completed a Master's of Music in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto.

Pete Johnston was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and is the son of a high school music teacher and a Baptist Church pianist. He studied music composition and double bass at Dalhousie University, alternating scholarly endeavours with tours of North America as part of the Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra. After completing his studies at Dalhousie, Pete moved to Toronto in 2001 and began working as a freelance musician, teacher and novel editor. After several years in the part-time employment trenches in Toronto, Pete returned to the academic life, completing a Master’s degree in composition at York University in 2005. He spent the 2006-2007 academic year conducting research in the improvised music scene in London, England, where he performed for Queen Elizabeth II. Pete has recently finished a PhD in Ethnomusicology at York University.