Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on pianist and composer Noah Franche-Nolan.

Noah's latest album, Rose-Anna, is named after his Acadian great-grandmother, a church organist from Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The Acadians are French-speaking people with deep roots in Canada's Maritime provinces. The Acadians were expelled from their land by the British in the late 1700s and many of them migrated south to Louisiana where they became known by their more famous name, the Cajuns. Noah’s family connection runs deep through the record and he even plays organ on two tracks, honoring the woman who sparked his musical heritage.

The album pairs him with bassist Jodi Proznick and drummer Nicholas Bracewell in a trio that displays deftness with groove-driven chops, tender hymns and free exploration. The music conjures thoughts of home, family, and what gets passed down through generations.

Noah's also one half of Arid Landscapes, an ambient electroacoustic project with guitarist Dan Pitt, that takes a totally different approach—live looping, processing, and soundscapes that feel vast and open. My November 2024 talk with Dan for The Tonearm is linked in the show notes.

Noah and I talk about both projects, his work as a church music director in Vancouver, and what it means to make music that honors the past while pushing into new territory.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Noah Franche-Nolan's album Rose-Anna)

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Albums:

Visit Noah Franche-Nolan at noahfranche-nolanmusic.com and follow him on Instagram
Purchase Noah Franche-Nolan's Rose-Anna from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
Noah Franche-Nolan on All About Jazz
Vancouver Guardian profile

• Arid Landscapes (duo with Dan Pitt):

Arid Landscapes released September 2025, available on Bandcamp
Dan Pitt — official site
Dan Pitt on Bandcamp
Between the Lines of Dan Pitt's 'Horizontal Depths' (The Tonearm)

• Collaborators and Ensembles:

Jodi Proznick — bassist, Noah Franche-Nolan Trio
Nicholas Bracewell — drummer, Noah Franche-Nolan Trio
Raagaverse — JUNO-nominated Indo-jazz fusion quartet led by Shruti Ramani
Shruti Ramani — vocalist and bandleader, Raagaverse
Jaya (Raagaverse debut album) on Bandcamp
Nick Fraser — Toronto drummer and University of Toronto faculty; Noah's former teacher

• Recording Labels:

Cellar Music Group — Vancouver label founded by Cory Weeds; 2023 Grammy Award winner
Cory Weeds — Cellar Music Group founder and artistic director
Frankie's Jazz Club — Vancouver jazz venue run by Cory Weeds (Rose-Anna release show venue)

• Film Scoring:

Häxan (1922) — Swedish-Danish silent horror essay film directed by Benjamin Christensen
The Cinematheque — Vancouver independent film institute that commissioned Noah's live score for Häxan

• Educational Institutions:

Vancouver Community College (VCC) — where Noah teaches jazz piano
VSO School of Music — Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's school; Noah teaches in Jazz and Classical Theory/Composition
University of Toronto, Faculty of Music — where Noah and Dan Pitt studied jazz

• Venues and Spaces:

The Tranzac — Toronto's not-for-profit community arts venue; central to the city's improvised music scene
Brentwood Presbyterian Church — Burnaby; where Noah serves as coordinator of musicking and where Arid Landscapes was partly recorded

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Noah Franche-Nolan: Music-Making as Spiritual Practice