Over the years, whether backing Donne Roberts at Afrofest; laying down tracks for Electronica Artist Milosh (Rhye) or Trumpeter/Singer/Songwriter Rebecca Hennessy; headlining a Taiwan Hip Hop festival with LEO37; or winning the Trille Or with Amelie and Les Singes Bleus, Tim Shia has been fortunate enough to play with a host of Juno, Polaris and Grammy Award winning/losing musicians in an array of genres.
Elmer Ferrer is a multi-award-winning Guitarist, Music Composer and Producer. Born in Cuba and based in Toronto since 2009, Elmer is widely recognized as one of the most versatile and prolific musicians from the high-quality music producing island. He launched his solo career in 2002, winning Cubadisco Award Best New Album of the Year and a nomination as Best Jazz Album with his first solo CD release “Metropoli”. Elmer’s original instrumental song Los Gatos de Alf won Honorable Mention in the Jazz category at the International Songwriting Competition 2006.
Take six of Canada's top musicians with a foundation in jazz, mix in influences from Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Arabic musical traditions, add great writing and exciting soloing and what do you get? The all-night dance party that is Rick Shadrach Lazar and Montuno Police. And this Saturday night, as part of the Geary Lane Jazz Series, they'll celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis leads a five-piece group that is wholly unique in today’s music scene. Backed by an acclaimed rhythm section, Donna’s incendiary guitar playing is highlighted against the percussive rhythms of tabla master Suphala to create a sound described by The Minneapolis Star Tribune as, “New millennium jazz-rock fusion, sorta like Jeff Beck meets a post-modern Mahavishnu Orchestra.”
Moodset is a jazz and R&B collaborative project comprised of Alexa Belgrave on keys, Jacqueline Teh on vocals, Madeleine Ertel on trumpet, Caleb Klager on bass, and Mackenzie Read on drums. All are students or alumni of the University of Toronto Jazz Performance program. They have hosted Jazz and R&B jams around Toronto, which have fostered a sense of community among jazz and pop/R&B musicians, and have performed at various venues in Toronto such as Yauca’s Lounge and Alchemy Food & Drink.
Sarah Thawer is a drummer and recording artist based in Toronto, Canada. She started playing drums at age 2 and her first stage performance was at age 5.
Sarah is currently working internationally with different artists and musicians, as well as solo and with her own band. She is also known for being a versatile musician, playing a wide range of genres from jazz and fusion to Indian/world, funk, r&b and hiphop.
Brad Turner - trumpet/Rhodes
Mike Murley - sac
Chris Tarry - bass
Ian Froman - drums
Keith Jarrett, considered by many to be a genius, is among the most creative musicians working in contemporary jazz. He burst onto the scene in the early 60s, first with Charles Lloyd and then with Miles Davis. He went on to launch a prolific solo career marked by several phases and rich collaborations. Jarrett's improvisational solo concerts from the 1970s are widely viewed as classics. He has also made scores of straight-up jazz recordings with his trio as well as classical recordings. Keith Jarrett enjoys a virtual cult following all over the world.
I have been fortunate to be a part of many great ensembles in Ottawa and Toronto, and have also just begun directing, arranging for and playing in a few of my own projects... stay tuned.
Deeply steeped in the traditions of the Caribbean, this very personal project sees Courtney on top form, bringing together musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and Europe for vibrant exchanges that tell tales of life from a truly multi-cultural view point. It’s an exhilarating mix of Meringue, Ska, Mento and Calypso as played through the lens (saxophone) of a UK born artist with strong, proud Afro-Caribbean roots. No one better embodies the dramatic transformation in the British Jazz scene over the past twenty years than Courtney Pine.
