Artists

Here are all the artists that have performed with the Niagara Jazz Festival! You can scroll through all of them, or search for specific artists using the search field. We are always adding new artists, so check back frequently for updates!

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April 26, 2021

ABEL MARCEL

2021,

Abel Marcel is one of the most versatile Cuban piano players from his generation on the scene today: composer, arranger, producer, pianist, band leader and educator. He has been recording dozens of albums from hip-hop to salsa, from...

October 21, 2022

ADAM BOWMAN

2019, 2021, 2022, 2023,

Drummer and percussionist, Adam Bowman, has been a mainstay in both the Canadian and international music scenes for more than two decades. As a touring musician, Adam has been heard on stages across five continents with artists such as...

September 26, 2023

ADAM BOWMAN

Drummer and percussionist, Adam Bowman, has been a mainstay in both the Canadian and international music scenes for more than two decades. As a touring musician, Adam has been heard on stages across five continents with artists such as...

January 9, 2023

Adam Fielding

2023,

Adam Fielding is a professional drummer, music educator, firefighter, and father of two based out of Hamilton, Ontario Canada. His musical pursuits have taken him from rural Ontario to India, Nepal, Alaska, and zigzagging across North...

November 17, 2019

ADREAN FARRUGIA

2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,

Adrean Farrugia began playing piano at the age of 12. By age 16 he decided that he would dedicate his life to music. Since then he has become recognized as one of Canada’s finest pianists and composers, having shared the music he...

June 5, 2018

ADRIAN JURAS

2019, 2022,

DATE: Sunday, May 19th, 2019
TIME: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: Springtime in Paris ft. Juliet Dunn
VENUE: Corks Playhouse Theatre
ADDRESS:  19 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake
TICKET PRICE: $15 in advance /$20 at th...

June 5, 2018

AL MUIRHEAD

2018,

Al Muirhead has long been an iconic figure on the Canadian jazz scene. And the trumpeter, composer, arranger, sideman and recording artist has been making listeners take notice for longer than jazz fans might realize. Born in Regina in...

January 5, 2023

Alex Bird

2023,

Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks have taken centre stage on the Canadian Jazz scene. Alongside songwriting and piano partner, Ewen Farncombe, Bird is creating timeless and heartfelt originals for a modern audience. This talented team...

April 16, 2021

ALEX GEORGE

2021,

Alex George is a violin and mandolin musician from Almonte Ontario. He has been playing violin for 12 years and has a wide repertoire of music from jazz to country, classical to contemporary. He enjoys performing to all ages in all...

July 11, 2019

ALEX PANGMAN

2016, 2018, 2019, 2023,

JUNO Nominated jazz vocalist Alex Pangman has an instantly recognizable voice on the airwaves. Known as Canada’s Sweetheart of Swing, she’s a little bit old-time, a little bit sassy and a little bit romantic. Having established herself...

June 2, 2021

ALEXA FRASER

2021,

Alexa Fraser is a Puppet and Mask Maker and Puppeteer, Costume Designer and Seamstress and Textile and Installation Artist, from St.Catharines, Ontario. With a B.Des in Fashion Design from Ryerson University, Alexa has worked as a...

December 11, 2022

ALEXANDER BROWN

2023,

Alexander Brown is one of Canada’s most renowned trumpet players on the jazz and latin scene today. Born into a musical family, Alexander developed a deep passion for music early in his life and began his formal studies at the age of...

January 4, 2023

ALEXIS BARO

2023,

Alexis Baro was born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba. Classically trained, he took up the trumpet at the age of age 8 and completed his musical education receiving a teaching certification at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán Music...

July 14, 2020

ALINE HOMZY

2020,

Aline Homzy is a classical and jazz award-winning violinist and composer. From Montreal but living in Toronto, Aline is in high-demand as an improvising violinist, a teacher and as a session player around the world. Aline’s most...

March 14, 2019

ALISON YOUNG

2019, 2022,

Alison Young is a JUNO nominated saxophonist, vocalist, and composer. Born in Ottawa, she moved to Toronto in the early 2000s to study music at the University of Toronto, and has been an active presence on the city’s jazz scene...

November 6, 2020

ALISTAIR ROBERTSON

2020,

Born in Birmingham, England, Alistair first picked up a saxophone at age 13. His professional career began at 16, touring extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe with pop, rock and jazz acts including KC and the Sunshine...

June 5, 2018

ALYSHA BRILLA

2018,

Alysha Brilla is a 3X Juno Award nominated artist and music producer currently working on her fifth self-produced full length record, ‘The Body’; blending global roots sounds with expansive lyrical themes and meditative...

July 24, 2020

AMANDA MARTINEZ

2020,

Amanda credits her longtime band for being a huge support to her career. “They are world class musicians who I feel lucky to play with. Each one contributes to our overall sound.” Her band features her long time guitarist and...

July 14, 2020

AMANDA TOSOFF

2020,

Amanda Tosoff is a B.C.-raised Toronto-based pianist, composer, and bandleader, with five albums to her credit. Along her fascinating career path, Amanda has performed with such internationally recognized artists as Ingrid Jensen,...

January 10, 2023

Amhed Mitchel

2023,

Amhed Mitchel is a Cuban-Canadian drummer who calls Toronto home since 2006. As a session musician Mitchel has collaborated with a vast number of artists. In 2004 Amhed was part of the closing concert of the Tokyo Jazz Festival where...

December 10, 2020

AMIR AMIRI

2021,

Amiri was born in Tehran, Iran where much of his youth was spent studying the santur, a 72-string hammer dulcimer that lies at the heart of Persian classical music. Classically trained, Amiri has always sought to explore the limits of...

May 26, 2022

ANDREW MCCARTHY

2022,

Andrew McCarthy (B.Mus) is a native of St. John’s, Newfoundland and has been an active member of the diverse music scene of his hometown for the past decade as percussionist, drummer, composer, and educator. Andrew’s passion for music...

November 2, 2020

ANDREW MCPHERSON

2020,

Andrew McPherson is a 2-time Juno Award nominee and 2-time Canadian Music Award winner. A music industry veteran of over 30 years, Andrew has released a total of 14 albums to date with projects exploring his love of globally diverse...

March 23, 2023

Andrew Scott

2023,

Andrew Scott is a touring/recording drummer and percussionist based out of Toronto. He graduated from the University of North Texas with an undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies in 2014. During his degree he studied with world renowned...

March 15, 2022

ANTHONY D’ALESSANDRO

2022, 2023,

Anthony D’Alessandro is a pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader based in Toronto, Ontario. His own bands have been showcased in many notable venues and festivals across Ontario including the Toronto Summer Music Festival, the...

May 4, 2023

Antonio Geremia

2023, Youth,

Antonio Geremia is 12 years old and is currently in Grade 6 at Wheatley School in St. Catharines, Ontario. Antonio has a passion for singing, music and piano. He has been a three-time recipient of the Canadian National Conservatory of...

May 2, 2020

ATTILA FIAS

2018, 2019, 2020,

Attila Fias is a Hungarian-born, Toronto-raised pianist, composer, arranger and producer. He combines elements such as Brazilian lilt and rhythm, Indian phrasing, Hungarian harmonic and melodic expression, Latin intensity and...

March 24, 2023

Aubrey Dayle

2023,

At the age of 5 Aubrey started to study the accordion and piano. After completing his formal education at McGill University and Manhatan School of Music, in classical and jazz percussion, Aubrey went on to perform in varied situations....

January 5, 2023

Aubrey Wilson

2023,

In many ways, Aubrey Wilson was born to be a musician. Growing up, Wilson was immersed in jazz, soul, and show tunes without even knowing it; her father, a singer, was part of a successful barbershop quartet, which toured across Canada...

May 4, 2023

Audrey Lenz

2023, Youth,

Audrey Lenz is a 17 year old singer and actor from St. Catharines, Ontario. She is currently enrolled at Laura Secord Secondary School in the District Niagara Academy for the Arts program. Audrey started her journey in music and the...

May 5, 2020

AUSTIN PATTERSON

2020,

Austin grew up in the arts community of Sechelt on The Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.  She has studied art throughout her upbringing at Arts Umbrella programs as well as learning from her two artist parents. Currently Austin is...

December 7, 2020

AVERY CANTELLO

2019,

Avery Cantello is an up and coming Canadian vocalist, whose unique sound brings raunchy blues, soulful jazz, and neo soul/funk flavours to Toronto audiences. Having studied under multiple respected musicians including (but not limited...

November 6, 2020

BADIÉ

2020,

Born in the 19th district of Paris, France to an Ivorian father and a French mother, Badié was interested in the mystical, unifying, energizing and pacifying power of music at a young age. He would often listen to the reggae, soul,...

May 12, 2021

BAR-ROOM BUZZARDS

2016,

BAND MEMBERS: Paul Preston – Clarinet and Soprano Sax Lewis Custode – Trumpet Warren Stirtzinger – Guitar and Banjo Paul Zapalowski -Bass and Tuba. HISTORY: The Bar-Room Buzzards originally formed in 1966, founded by...

June 5, 2018

BARBARA MANTINI

2018, 2022,

Barbara is a powerful and versatile vocal artist, with a professional singing and acting career spanning over 30 years. She is best known as one of the members of Canada’s premier vocal trio “The Mantini Sisters”, who have performed...

December 7, 2020

BARBRA LICA

2015, 2017,

Juno-nominated artist Barbra Lica is a fast-rising star in the Canadian Jazz scene. In the short period of time since her 2012 debut album release (That’s What I Do), she has been selected as one of Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers by CBC...

July 18, 2019

BATUCADA CARIOCA

2019,

Batucada Carioca is a Brazilian samba group led by sambista Maninho Costa, a native of Rio de Janeiro. The group is made up of 25-30 percussionists from the local community consisting of Brazilians, Canadians and many other cultural...

July 19, 2021

BEN BISHOP

2021, ,

Ben Bishop favours a freewheeling, bop-based guitar style, most reminiscent of the classic guitarists of the 1950s and 1960s. Players such as Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green are major inspirations to his sound and...

November 18, 2022

Ben Wittman

2022,

Percussionist, composer and producer Ben Wittman was raised in the creative and adventuresome atmosphere of Bennington College, Vermont during the ’60s and ’70s. He attended college at New England Conservatory of Music in...

March 15, 2022

BENNY BENACK III

2022,

By age 30, trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the postbop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but...

March 23, 2023

BERND REITER

2023,

Award-winning Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, who studied in Graz & New York & now lives in Paris, always delivers a rock-solid beat. He has worked with many international jazz stars such as Harold Mabern, Charles Davis, Don...

July 25, 2020

BERNIE SENENSKY

2017, 2020,

Gifted composer, arranger, and conductor in his own right, the brilliant Bernie Senensky began occupying the keyboard chair in The Moe Koffman Quintet in 1979 when the band was the number one small jazz combo in Canada. He had played...

February 22, 2022

BETH BARTLEY

2022,

We all met in 1990 and started an annual benefit concert for Women’s Shelters in Niagara. That’s when I moved here with my husband and musical partner Mark Clifford. Together as the duo Vox Violins, we have played all over...

February 9, 2022

BETSY TAURO

2022,

Betsy Tauro is a singer, actor and musician from the Niagara Region. She has performed with Niagara Big Band, Niagara Express, sisterLune, and BroadBand as vocalist, bass player, on keyboards and guitar. Performing on the TD Jazz...

June 30, 2021

BIG 6 BRASS BAND

2021,

The Big 6 Brass Band is currently one of the hottest and most talked about brass bands in New Orleans. Bringing a new modern edge to the brass band sound, BIG 6’s popularity amongst second-lines clubs, Mardi Gras Indians and hip-hop...

July 10, 2020

BIG SMOKE BRASS

2020, 2022,

Big Smoke Brass was formed in the summer of 2017 by a group of friends from the University of Toronto’s Jazz Performance program. The band cut its teeth playing on the streets of the Toronto and quickly garnered a following...

July 6, 2023

Bill Beard

2023, Photographer,

I have been photographing seriously since 2001 concentrating on nature and street photography. In 2012 I started my jazz  photography career taking pictures of the group Red Hot Ramble. When I retired in 2013 I started to volunteer at...

May 27, 2021

BILL MCBIRNIE

2017,

Bill McBirnie is a jazz and Latin flute specialist based in Toronto, Ontario. He has studied with renowned American flutist, Samuel Baron, distinguished Canadian flutist and composer, Robert Aitken, and charanga legend, Richard Egues....

July 10, 2023

Bobby Carcassés

2023,

Bobby Carcassés is an 85 year old jazz legend from Cuba. The founder of the Havana Jazz Festival, Bobby has been dubbed “the Guru of Afrocuban Jazz” and has played with heavyweights like Bud Powell, Jane Bunnett, Tito...

June 6, 2018

BOBBY MILITELLO

2018,

Bobby Militello has played with many artists for the last 5 decades, along with leading his own groups. From 1982 to 2012 he played alto & flute with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and recorded over 25 cds, played with almost every major...

July 18, 2019

BOBBY ROZARIO

2019,

Bobby Rozario is a guitarist, composer who has received acclamation as soloist and band leader and has cultivated a distinct voice through his musical journey and collaborations in a genre of music well defined as fusion world jazz...

April 11, 2019

BRADLEY KRAUSS

2019, 2022,

Bradley Krauss is a professional musician residing in the Niagara Region. Fluent on the piano as well as the guitar, he prefers the latter to convey his contemporary influenced modern jazz style. He has performed around Ontario with...

February 17, 2022

BRENDAN PELTIER

2022,

Having 30+ years of performing experience and enjoyed success from a very young age in the field of music, Brendan Peltier feels fully qualified to add his musical texture to whatever project comes over the horizon. After studying...

May 25, 2022

BRENON PARMAR

2020, 2022, Youth,

Alto Saxophonist Brenon Parmar (b.2000) is an upcoming performer in the Toronto jazz scene. Currently studying Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto he has been awarded the Mary Alive Stuart Jazz Scholarship, Richard Iorweth...

May 6, 2023

Brent Setterington

2020, 2023,

Brent Setterington has played the local Niagara scene extensively debuting with the Jazz Combo he co-created with Peter Shea in their high school days. He has been gigging professionally ever since. As one of original keyboardists in...

March 24, 2023

Brooke Blackburn

2023,

Bentley Collective is led by Brooke Bentley Blackburn, the composer and guitar player of the JUNO-nominated, Maple Blues winning Toronto based soul blues band “Blackburn”. Performing for thirty plus years as a Canadian musician, Brooke...

May 27, 2021

BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO

2018,

Heralded as “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpeter” by NYC’s Village Voice and considered one of the most acclaimed improvisers residing in Canada, Brownman Ali, born on the small Caribbean island of Trinidad, is the...

July 14, 2020

BRUCE TOURNAY

2018, 2020,

Bruce Tournay has been impressing Canadian and international audiences with his effortless piano performance and his powerful voice since 1988. Bruce began as a member of the acclaimed Hamilton All Star Jazz Band, in which he won gold...

August 14, 2021

BRYAN COVEY

2020, 2021,

Bryan is a graduate of Western University and the University of Windsor, earning degrees in both music performance and music education. He has performed on flutes, clarinets, saxophones and other wind instruments within a wide variety...

June 2, 2021

BUCKY BERGER

2021,

Bucky Berger has been a professional musician for over 51 years and still going strong. He has recorded many albums over the years and has had a wide and varied career touching on many genres of music including: blues, soul, soca,...

May 4, 2023

Caiden Faith Gutierrez

2023, Youth,

Caiden Faith Castelo Gutierrez is 10 years old from Toronto, Ontario. She has been singing since she was able to talk. Her vocal range continues to grow and she is discovering many styles and genres in her craft. Caiden sprinkles her...

March 23, 2023

Caity Gyorgy

2023,

Caity Gyorgy (pronounced George) is a JUNO award winning Canadian vocalist who is known for singing bebop and swing music. She has performed at popular clubs and jazz festivals across Canada and the USA and has worked and recorded with...

December 8, 2021

CHERI MARACLE

2022,

Cheri Maracle is a multi- award nominated actor/singer/ songwriter from the Six Nations of the Grand river Territory, Ontario. She has been performing in Canada, the U.S. and Europe in the last 20 years. Cheri has released three...

May 26, 2022

CHRIS ADRIAANSE

2022,

Music has taken Chris Adriaanse on many adventures. He has played most of the Toronto/GTA bars, clubs and venues. He has toured through Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Austria, in many venues in the USA and from...

May 9, 2023

Chris Banks

2023,

Graduate of Mohawk applied music program, Chris Banks has studied with Don Thompson, Paul Novotny, and has recorded & played with Alex Pangman’s Alleycats for many years now on multiple cross Canada tours, as well as with Sarah...

July 14, 2020

CHRIS GESTRIN

2020,

Since graduating with a Film Scoring degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1995, Vancouver native Chris Gestrin has become an integral part of the Canadian music scene. As a versatile pianist and multi-keyboardist,...

June 14, 2018

CHRIS LAMONT

2018, ,

BAND: Dixie Demons
DATE: Sunday, July 29th, 2018
EVENT:  DIXIELAND JAZZ by the LAKE #2
ADDRESS: Pop-up location in Niagara-on-the-Lake (private residence on the lake)
EVENT TIME:   7pm – 9:30pm
PRICE: $79 + HST (includes meal)

April 21, 2021

CHRIS NORTHINGTON

2021,

While performing a benefit for Camp Good Days, when asked about his favorite kind of music to play his response was simply “good.”  For over 30 years C-Note has been doing just that, playing good music for anyone who needed a bass...

December 23, 2020

CHRISTOPHER ALAN GRAVES

2018,

Christopher Alan Graves was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA but now lives outside of Columbus, OH. Christopher is currently employed as a Guest Entertainer for Carnival Cruise Lines traveling throughout the fleet with his very own...

May 6, 2020

CHRISTOPHER BUTCHER

2020, 2021,

Christopher Butcher is a musician firmly established as a representative of the global music village, transcending genre and cultural predisposition, and pleasing audiences across the world. As a leader of The Heavyweights Brass...

July 11, 2019

CINNAMON JONES

2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023,

Behold the very essence of an unadulterated phenomenon of talent. Cinnamon was designed to leave an indelible impression for all to admire. She embodies an unequaled exhibition of love and dedication for the art of music which shows...

August 14, 2021

CLAIRE FALLE

2020, 2021, 2023, Youth,

Claire Falle is a 13 year old singer and actress from St. Catharines. Claire began classical voice training at the age of 6 and joined a local theatre group, Linus Hand Productions at age 8. Since then, Claire has been in 9 musicals...

June 6, 2018

CLARK JOHNSTON

2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023,

Clark Johnston started his professional career as a bassist in 1994 and has since had the opportunity to work with the likes of Peter Appleyard, Diana Panton, Reg Schwager, and Don Thompson–just to name a few. He performs...

July 12, 2021

CLAUDE HALL

2021,

Claude Hall, born in Brooklyn, New York, of Haitian parents, moved first to Europe before settling in Los Angeles in 2007. When in 1989 her instinct drew her to Paris, her love of jazz was sparked by the stylings of Nina Simone, Ella...

July 24, 2020

CLEREL

2020,

Wielding a vocal tone often described as “liquid gold”, Clerel discovered a natural taste for melody in his native Cameroon, where he grew up singing along anything from church hymns, to French folk songs. He performs today as a...

July 4, 2023

Cosmo Condina

2023, Photographer,

A professional photographer since 1985, Cosmo Condina is known for his subtle, and compelling travel images. His photographic journeys have taken him across Canada, the USA, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. An...

December 10, 2020

CRYSTAL D’CUNHA

2020,

Crystal D’Cunha is highly respected as a Leader in the Customer Experience Industry for her unique approach to Employee Experience(EX) and Customer Experience(CX) Design. As The INSIDE View’s Chief Experience Officer, Crystal D’Cunha...

February 26, 2021

CYNTHIA FAY

2017, 2018, 2021,

Cynthia Fay is a soul, folk, RnB, jazz, influenced singer songwriter. She started singing and songwriting in high school, and released her first EP at the age 16. She has performed in various places in and around Toronto including the...

June 14, 2018

DAN DOUGLAS

2018,

Dan Douglas is a Toronto born Trombonist and euphonium player who has been steadily working in the Toronto jobbing and Jazz scene for over 20 years. As an avid student, Dan began playing professionally while in high school and was...

November 30, 2022

DAN FORTIN

2023,

JUNO-nominated bassist Dan Fortin was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. His eclectic tastes and stylistic flexibility have led to work with a wide variety of artists in the jazz, rock and pop worlds, including Bernice, The...

August 15, 2021

DAN KOZAR

2016,

Dan Kozar fingerstyle guitarist who performs his repertoire from American songbook, Django Reinhardt, as well as popular songs that plays basslines, melodies and harmonies simultaneous. Kozar, a lifelong Niagara, Ontario resident began...

May 9, 2020

DANCIN’ MAN 504

2020,

Bio Coming Soon. Past Shows: DATE: June 30, 2020 TIME: 6 PM – 7 PM EST EVENT: 2nd Line Dance Steps with Dancin’ Man 504 VENUE: Shady Acres Studio (St. Catharines) and New Orleans (This event will be Live-streamed) PRICE: FREE...

May 25, 2022

DANIEL ROLDÁN

2020, Youth,

Daniel Roldán is an aspiring 22 year old vocalist and instrumentalist, born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. In between his university studies, Daniel is active in the Latin music scene, while also working as a music teacher. Music...

June 16, 2023

DANNY BOY PHELAN

2022,

Coming soon Past Shows DATE: Sunday, Jan 29, 2023 EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: January Blues – The Spencer Mackenzie Band VENUE: Mahtay Cafe and Lounge TIME: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm TICKET: $29 + HST; MAWS (Musicians/Arts...

August 15, 2021

DAVE GILLIS

2016,

David Gillis has won awards as a guitarist, a songwriter and more recently recognized as a producer and studio musician. David was nominated for a 2010 CFMA, “Producer of the Year” award. He is also the recipient of the 2003 Colleen...

July 14, 2020

DAVE RESTIVO

2017, 2018, 2020,

David Restivo is an award-winning pianist and composer and educator, well-known for his work with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, the Mike Murley Quintet, and legendary songwriter Marc Jordan. Born in Lansing, Michigan, molded by the...

December 11, 2020

DAVE YOUNG

2017,

Toronto-based and Winnipeg-born multiple award-winning bassist and composer Dave Young is, without a doubt, one of Canada’s most valuable and beloved musical exports. Whether he’s performing as part of a classical symphony, or as an...

June 6, 2018

DAVID BRAID

2018,

“Sophisticated and authentic” – New York Observer “Refreshingly uncategorizable” – Paris Transatlantic Hailed in the Canadian press as “one of his country’s true renaissance men when it comes to...

June 6, 2018

DAVID COX

2018,

David Cox has been dancing since the age of 2, as he was brought into this world by a musical family. His father a Motown artist and his mother a dance teacher. At 13 he made his first trip to NYC on scholarship and that would change...

May 12, 2023

David Friedman

2023,

David Friedman, known for both a dazzling 4-mallet vibraphone technique and profound creativity, is regarded as one of the greatest vibraphonists of his generation and remains at the forefront of jazz as both a performer and educator....

July 27, 2018

DAVID RESTIVO TRIO

2018, ,

BAND MEMBERS: David Restivo – piano Clark Johnston – bass Alyssa Falk – drums. DAVID RESTIVO is an award-winning pianist and composer and educator, well-known for his work with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, the...

July 10, 2020

DAVIS ROGAN

2020,

Bio coming soon… Past Shows: DATE: July 14, 2020 TIME: 6 PM – 7 PM EDST EVENT: Niagara’s Summer MARDI GRAS Sessions VENUE: Shady Acres Studio (St. Catharines) and Toronto (This event will be Livestreamed) PRICE: FREE Click...

April 21, 2021

DEEANN DIMEO

2021,

More beautiful than ever, in a twenty-plus-year-career, DeeAnn DiMeo releases, a six-song collection of American jazz and folk classics that is reminiscent of Popular hits from the 1990’s to the 2000’s. It is dedicated to her brother,...

July 10, 2020

DELFEAYO MARSALIS

2020,

Delfeayo Marsalis is one of the top trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today. Known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor…” (Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times), he is “…one of the best,...

June 6, 2018

DENIELLE BASSELS

2018, 2021, 2023,

Indie-Swing chanteuse and bandleader Denielle DeLange (Bassels) hails from Toronto ON. Her original music whimsically weaves a caravan of influences from her childhood and travels abroad from folk and blues, to Parisian jazz manouche...

March 23, 2023

DERRICK GARDNER

2023,

Performer, composer, and veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra and Harry Connick Jr. Big Bands, Derrick Gardner has worked with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Forster, and Tony Bennet to name only a few. Recently,...

April 16, 2021

DEXTER FRANK

2021,

Dexter Frank is a musician from St. Catharines, Ontario, currently completing his Bachelor of Music at Humber College. Dexter has been studying, performing and writing music for the better part of 15 years and has a passion for...

July 27, 2018

DIXIE DEMONS

2018,

It all started way back in 1984 when trombonist Dan Douglas, a student at Humber College in Toronto, was asked to put together a Dixieland jazz band for a school function. He found some of his best musician friends to do the job, and...

January 12, 2021

DIZZY & FAY

2021, 2022, 2023,

“…what draws us in most is the songwriting. Inspired by the Great American Songbook, Lalama and Walther have given us a set of songs that are both lyrically and musically strong and stylized, yet heartfelt.” – Cathy Riches, The...

October 19, 2021

DJ MARINKO (NIAGARA SOLAR SOUND SYSTEM)

2016,

Marinko has been a DJ and electronic musician for about 20 years, traveling and performing internationally but always based out of Niagara and / or Toronto. Marinko is one of Niagara’s top wedding DJs. He has performed at a large...

June 27, 2019

DKNO AND MIGUEL ANTHONY

2019, ,

In the beautiful island of Cuba, province of Matanzas a talented young boy was born, on August 18th, 1985, named Erick Martin Lovio. From the young age of 10, he felt the love for music, listening to his grandfather sing. He started...

July 14, 2018

DnA

2018, ,

Making sweet music together for 19 years, blues/folk duo  “DnA“ is comprised of husband and wife Doug Boudreau and April Mitchell-Boudreau. Bringing Acadian (Doug)  and Haudenosaunee (April) roots together, they embody the philosophy...

January 7, 2021

DOMINIQUE LALAMA

2020, 2021, Youth,

Dominique Lalama is a 23-year-old Fenwickian living in Toronto, who is so happy to be back in the Niagara region to participate in this amazing festival! Dominique has been playing instruments and singing since she was 4, encouraged by...

June 14, 2018

DOUG BURRELL

2018, ,

Doug Burrell was born in Montreal where he began to play the tuba at the age of seven. He studied privately in Montreal and attended Vanier C.E.G.E.P. Doug moved to the Toronto Area in 1976. From 1977 to 1981 he attended the Faculty of...

July 27, 2018

DOUG MUNDY

2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023,

Doug Mundy, a long time Niagara resident, began studying piano at 10 years of age concentrating on Royal Conservatory of Music repertoire. At age 14, Doug began experimenting with improvisation, mainly playing around with simple blues...

May 20, 2020

DR. BRICE MILLER

2020, 2021,

Dr. Brice “Doc” Miller is a second-generation New Orleans Grammy-nominated jazz musician and award-winning educator, anthropologist and ethnomusicologist. Growing up in New Orleans culture alongside his father, saxophonist Dwight J....

May 9, 2023

Drew Jurecka

2023,

Drew Jurecka is a versatile musician, composer and producer based in Toronto, and known for his skills on the violin, Sax and clarinet. He has performed on numerous JUNO award winning albums and also has one Grammy nomination to his...

June 8, 2018

DUNCAN HOPKINS

2018, 2020, 2023,

British/Canadian double bassist, composer and arranger Duncan Hopkins has been working at the highest levels of jazz for almost thirty years. In that time he has worked with such luminaries as Norma Winstone, Bobo Stenson, Rob...

October 31, 2022

Duncan Wilson

2022,

Duncan Wilson (b. 2002) is a Toronto-based pianist rooted in the bebop tradition. Born and raised in Orillia, Ontario, Duncan currently studies jazz performance at the University of Toronto. His teachers have have included Chris...

May 4, 2023

DyonTae Louis

2023, Youth,

DyonTae is a young multi-talented individual who is musically oriented and seriously fun pianist and student-athlete. Playing, composing and writing music, as well as performing and showcasing his musicianship is his heart and soul....

May 4, 2023

Elise Bernard

2023, Youth,

Hi, I’m Elise Bernard! I was born in St. Catharine’s on September 28th, 2010. I have always loved to sing and I’ve been working hard to improve. Even though I’ve only had a few singing lessons so far, I’m honoured to...

March 26, 2021

ELIZABETH PEREIRA

2021,

Elizabeth Pereira is an active member of the performing arts scene in Niagara as a coloratura soprano soloist, performer, and collaborator. She completed her undergraduate degree with a double major in Dramatic Arts and English at...

May 4, 2023

Ellie Warren

2023, Youth,

Ellie Warren is an 18 year old vocalist who has been singing and writing songs for as long as she can remember. In the past few years she has been able to channel her passion for music into more concrete work through her involvement in...

May 28, 2021

EMILIO GEREMIA

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, Youth,

Emilio Geremia, from Welland, Ontario, is 15 years old and has been studying piano since he was 3 ½ years old. For the last two years, he has been the piano accompanist for the Brock University Jazz Ensemble and the Brock University...

October 19, 2022

Emma Rush

2022,

Emma Rush has established herself as one of Canada’s top classical guitarists. Her career has commanded world recognition. Recent touring highlights include a four-city tour in China, starting with the Altamira Shanghai International...

January 11, 2023

Eric Boucher

2023,

Pianist Eric Boucher has work with some of Toronto’s top artists. A regular pianist at the Reservoir Lounge, Eric can be found backing singers or at recording sessions around town. Eric has worked with many artists including Queen...

June 8, 2018

ERIC ST. LAURENT

2018, 2020,

Guitarist and composer Eric St-Laurent has been an important part of the music scene in Canada for many years now. He’s been featured on more than 100 recordings, and his tasteful and inventive playing make any project he works on...

March 15, 2022

ERNESTO CERVINI

2021, 2022,

JUNO Award winner Ernesto Cervini is a sought-after drummer, composer and bandleader and an influential presence on Canada’s modern jazz scene and beyond. He has documented his vision with the Ernesto Cervini Quartet (featuring Joel...

February 4, 2022

ERNIE PORTHOUSE

2022,

Ernie has been playing as a professional musician since age 13. During that time, he has played with professional symphony orchestras, major jazz ensembles, recordings (Grammy-nominated), theatres, Big Band (Canadian Stage Band...

August 21, 2021

ESTHER & EZEKIEL

2021, Youth,

A musical duo, brother and sister with strong passion to use their music as healing to many around the World. Ugandan born in a musical household, Esther & Ezekiel now live in Ontario, Canada. They are the worthy winners of East...

November 30, 2022

ETHAN ARDELLI

2023,

Drummer and composer Ethan Ardelli has been one of Canada’s most acclaimed jazz musicians for more than a decade. Always a cultural omnivore, Ardelli has sought out inspiration in a wide variety of places, from art house films to...

November 12, 2020

EVAN DIM

2018,

Evan Dim was one of a select three emerging guitarist’s in the world accepted to study with Matthew McAllister and Allan Neave at the world-class Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for a Bachelors of Music with Honours in guitar...

August 15, 2021

EVAN LEWIS DOLINSKI

2021, 2023, Youth,

Evan Lewis Dolinski’s passion for performing began at 8 yrs old when he started stage acting. Since then Evan has appeared in 8 theatrical plays including being cast in Gypsy at the Shaw Festival. Evan also won first place in his age...

July 24, 2021

EVE ATOMS

2021,

Eve Atoms is a writer, performer and sound tinkerer living in Niagara Falls. True to her two-tone roots (British/Jamaican descent), she is heavily influenced by ska and reggae music. Eve explores critical topics such as race, class,...

January 16, 2023

Ewen Farncombe

2023,

Ewen Farncombe is a Juno-nominated pianist and composer based out of Toronto and has been a professional on the scene there for nearly a decade. Having played on various recordings and with numerous bands, he has earned his reputation...

March 14, 2019

FAITH AMOUR

2019, 2021, 2022, 2023,

Raised in Toronto church and community choirs, after studying classical voice and piano, organ and composition, Faith Amour found that her innate spontaneity, creativity, and outside the box nature drew her straight to jazz. Today...

June 13, 2019

FIDDLE FADDLE

2019, , ,

Fiddle Faddle is Jamie Snider (vocals, guitar and fiddle), and Neva Tesolin (piano, accordion) playing a mix of canadian fiddle music and song.  Jamie is an accomplished fiddler and song-writer (Newfoundland’s Wonderful Grand Band)....

July 14, 2020

GABRIEL PALATCHI

2020,

Gabriel Palatchi is a world class artist.  His music embodies a complex flavour of genres. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1982, Gabriel Palatchi started his first piano lessons at the age of 8. He spent his formative years in...

July 25, 2019

GAIL DAVIDSON

2019,

Winner of the NMA’s 2013 Jazz Group of the Year (with Dually Noted), and twice nominated jazz vocalist of the year, Vocalist Gail Lynn Davidson (Gail D.) performs regularly with Niagara’s top players with a large repertoire of jazz...

June 2, 2021

GENE HARDY

2021

Gene Hardy is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He performs on saxophone, violin, musical saw and theremin. Hardy’s early music training began in Victoria, British Columbia—first on violin at age 9, then on saxophone...

June 8, 2018

GEORGE KOLLER

2018, 2022, 2023,

Bassist, Composer and Producer George Koller has accumulated hundreds of wildly diverse performing and recording credits in his expansive musical career. A prolific composer and producer, yet recognized primarily as a bass player,...

September 28, 2023

GEORGE KOLLER TRIO

2023,

George Koller is a bassist, producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and promoter of jazz, world and folk music through concerts and his home grown label ZSAN Records (the zenith of science art and nature). In a wildly diverse and...

August 14, 2021

GEORGE TIRPKO

2020, 2021, 2022,

Ten thousand hours of rehearsal. A few thousand gigs. Lifelong resident of Niagara. Jazz, Blues, Country, Pop and Gypsy Jazz. Still in love with the guitar. Solo, duos and ensemble work. The goal is to stay fresh and vital! Performances...

June 8, 2018

GLENDON SMITH

2018, 2019, 2022,

Juno nominated and multiple gold record recipient, East Coast born Glendon Smith continues to emerge as one of Canada’s most versatile and in demand professional freelance musician, clinician, and private teacher. After studying at...

January 11, 2023

Glenn Anderson

2023,

Born and raised in Toronto, Glenn Anderson has been playing drums for close to four decades now. Well known for his hard swinging, yet sensitive drumming, Glenn is a favourite rhythm section member for many vocalists in Southern...

April 11, 2019

GORDON WEBSTER

2019,

A jazzman with a rock star status in swing dancing community – pianist Gordon Webster is  the most sought after musicians in the lindy hop world. His tremendous musicianship and passion, supported by his first-hand knowledge of...

July 27, 2018

GRAHAM LEAR

2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022,

Originally from Plymouth, England, Graham began drumming at age eight, auditioning for the Police Boys Concert Band of London, Canada. An early student of Police Band alumnus Don Johnson and Robert Comber, he also cites Canadian jazz...

January 13, 2019

GRAVELY JAMES

2019,

Chris Madronich AKA “Gravely James” is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist and wild child born from the steel city of Hamilton and raised in Port Colborne. His involvement with music started from an early age...

July 14, 2020

GREG RODMAN

2020,

Greg Rodman’s musical life has been an eclectic one. Equally at home on both acoustic and electric guitars, his style and concept are unique, and are characterized by an unusual depth of emotion, backed by dazzling technique. After...

December 7, 2020

GUY NWOGANG

2021,

“Dipita Na Wélisanè” it means faith and perseverance in duala, those are words that perfectly describe Guy NWOGANG ‘s philosophy. He was born in Cameroon, where music is more than an institution. As a young boy, he often skip school...

December 9, 2020

HAMSA HAMSA

2021,

In an imaginary point in the Mediterranean, Ziryab, Fayrouz, Led Zeppelin and Chick Corea are dancing in unison, on a kaleidoscopic wave of harmonies in different languages, melodies and traditional rhythms. A soundscape which moves...

January 5, 2021

HARLEY CARD

2021, 2022,

Harley Card is a Toronto based guitarist and composer. In addition to leading his own groups, Harley is a member of and co-composer for the innovative Canadian bands; Hobson’s Choice, God’s Gift To Yoda, and Stoptime. As a contributor...

May 25, 2022

HARRY BARTLETT TRIO

2020, Youth,

The Harry Bartlett Trio is a Toronto based group featuring three young emerging artists on the Canadian Jazz Scene. While rooted in the jazz tradition, their music draws from a wide range of musical traditions which is highlighted in...

June 8, 2018

HEATHER BAMBRICK

2018, 2022, 2023,

Heather Bambrick is a JUNO-nominated vocalist, a voice actor, and an award-winning broadcaster. She’s worked with numerous artists, including Fred Hersch, Guido Basso, Rob McConnell, Ann Hampton Callaway, Peter Appleyard, Lea Delaria,...

August 15, 2021

HILARIO DURÁN

2016,

Cuban Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Orchestra Leader, Educator ALMA Records Recording Artist / Universal Music Canada One of the world’s most innovative creators of Afro-Cuban music & Latin Jazz. “Hilario Durán is an unparalleled...

June 8, 2018

HISAKA SAKAI

2018,

Hisaka Sakai (“h i s a k a”) was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She started her career in Toronto, Canada in 2011. Canadian radio station Jazz FM 91.1 selected “h i s a k a” as one of 24 jazz vocalists in...

August 15, 2021

HWO (HAMMERTON-WAGLER-O’NEILL)

2017,

Original music, as well as covers of music by The Beatles, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Genesis, Tears for Fears, and more. Piano/Bass/Drums – a classic jazz trio format. Past performances include shows at The Jazz Room,...

May 15, 2022

IAN WRIGHT

2022,

Ian Wright is an award-winning, Toronto-based drummer, composer and dance-accompanist. Born in 1992, and raised in Belleville, Ontario, Ian has developed a thoughtful approach to his instrument that has been recognized by the Toronto...

January 13, 2019

ILANA WALDSTON

2022,

“Ilana has great comic timing and a terrific voice!” – Michael Orland, former associate musical director of American Idol Ilana Waldston is a singer, comedienne and M.C. best known for her warm sound, her unusual...

August 14, 2021

ISABELLA MILANO

2020, 2021, Youth,

Isabella Milano is a classically trained singer from Niagara Falls, Ontario, with a background in guitar and piano. As a Niagara Music Festival Award-winning performer, Isabella has performed a solo as a member of Chorus...

November 16, 2020

ITAMAR EREZ

2020, 2021,

Itamar’s music holds a depth and sensitivity that touches listeners deeply. It blends the delicateness of Middle Eastern music, the freedom found in jazz and the passion of flamenco, creating a unique sound all his own. Recipient...

January 13, 2019

JACK DE KEYZER

2019,

Two-time Juno winner, blues guitarist, singer, song writer Jack de Keyzer plays the blues world wide. His music has taken him from the Arctic Circle to Puerto Escondido, Mexico; from Athens, Greece to Hornby Island, BC & many...

August 14, 2021

JACK TREDWAY

2021, Youth,

Twelve-year old Jack is thrilled to be named a finalist in the Jazz 4 the Ages Competition! He had the opportunity to participate in 2019 and would be back this year were it not for his commitment to the St. Catharines Cobras baseball...

January 11, 2023

Jack Zorawski

2023,

Jacek “Jack” Zorawski arrived in Canada from Poland in 1986 and wasted no time establishing himself in the Toronto traditional jazz scene.  As a young man, Jack travelled all throughout Europe playing “Dixieland” music gaining valuable...

August 16, 2021

JACOB CHUNG

2021, 2022, Youth,

Canadian saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung (b. 2000) is a young and swingin’ voice in the Toronto jazz community. He currently studies as a 2018 BMO National Scholar at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music where he has twice...

January 11, 2023

Jacob Gorzhaltsan

2023,

Jacob Gorzhaltsan is a Juno-nominated multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Toronto, Ontario.  Born in Jerusalem, Israel, to parents who are both visual artists, Jacob moved to Canada at a young age and began studying music...

May 4, 2023

Jakob Durst

2023, Youth,

Jakob Durst is a young and devoted student of many musical forms. Although drawing his main influence from creative and improvised music, namely the Black American Art-form “Jazz”, he is also interested in a variety of other musical...

July 20, 2021

JAKUB ZAPOTOCZNY

2021,

Do you like guitar solos with a good dose of humour? Do you like drums to get somewhat loud and aggressive at some point during a show? Do you like keyboards that sometimes don’t sound like keyboards and still have a healthy amount of...

January 10, 2020

JAMES BRYAN

2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,

James Bryan McCollum (PKA James Bryan) is a  Juno and Latin Grammy winning songwriter, guitarist and producer who’s mission is to inspire, uplift and connect through music. He began his career in Canadian acts The Philosopher Kings and...

February 17, 2022

JAMES MCELENEY

2022,

Born in Scarborough Ontario, James McEleney is an Upright & Electric bassist active in Toronto’s Roots & Bluegrass scene. Early in his practice he studied classical bass with Timothy Dawson (TSO) & Jazz with Mike Murley,...

July 20, 2019

JAMIE SNIDER

2019,

Jamie Snider has been playing fiddle and guitar for about 40 years, inspired by hearing live music at Saturday night dances in the Ottawa Valley. Truly a product of Canadian traditional music, he claims as his musical fathers, Rufus...

November 2, 2020

JANE LEWIS

2021,

Jane Lewis wears many musical hats—performer, songwriter, music workshop facilitator, and community music instigator. As a songwriter, she is often compared to Carole King, playing piano-based music that draws on her strength as a...

March 14, 2019

JAY BURR

2019,

Bio coming soon… Past Shows: DATE: Sunday, June 16th, 2019 TIME: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: Tuba in Old Town VENUE: Corks Playhouse Theatre ADDRESS:  19 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake TICKET PRICE: $15 in...

March 23, 2023

Jay Yoo

2023,

Jay Yoo is a guitarist, composer, and arranger originally from South Korea, and now based and active in Toronto. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. Having studied with a number of...

June 8, 2018

JAYMZ BEE

2015, 2018,

Jaymz Bee was born in North Bay, Ontario and made a bee-line for Toronto at the age of 18. He has had a colourful career as a nightclub owner, art gallery curator, best-selling author (Cocktail Parties for Dummies) and band leader....

April 18, 2019

JEFF GUNN

2019,

Jeff Gunn is Juno Award nominated guitarist, songwriter and producer for his work on Emmanuel Jal’s The Key (Gatwitch/Universal). He is the author of the Hidden Sounds: Discover Your Own Method on Guitar (Mayfair Music...

February 23, 2022

JEFF HALISCHUK

2022,

Jeff Halischuk is a drummer currently based out of Toronto. He attended Humber College and after graduating began performing throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. He has performed or recorded with Johnny Reid, Gord Sinclair,...

January 5, 2021

JEFF LUCIANI

2019, 2021, 2023,

Jeff Luciani is a Canadian drummer and percussionist from St. Catharines, Ontario. After graduating from Mohawk College’s Applied Music Program in 2003, he began to work on establishing himself within the jazz, improvised music,...

July 19, 2021

JEFF MCLEOD

2021, ,

Jeff McLeod is a well-loved Canadian pianist, Hammond organist and composer that regularly appears at clubs and festivals across Canada and the US, and has appeared on dozens of recordings across the musical spectrum with a special...

July 4, 2023

Jeff on Camera

2023, Photographer,

Jeff is a Niagara based photographer whose love for the camera and music have combined in his business Jeff on Camera. For over 5 years, he’s had the privilege of shooting a variety of artists, from local musicians in small clubs to...

March 3, 2021

JENNIFER LEWIN

2021,

Jennifer Lewin is a passionate writer/arranger/musician/vocalist who has devoted her music to helping people find peace, hope and a relationship with God from the tender age of 6. She began her journey in a children’s choir and has...

November 6, 2020

JEREMY LEDBETTER

2020, 2023,

An engaging and fiery performer whose music knows no boundaries, Canadian pianist Jeremy Ledbetter has made a career travelling the far-flung corners of the globe in search of the most fascinating and unique musical ideas out there....

July 14, 2020

JILLIAN LEBECK

2020,

Canadian jazz pianist/composer/vocalist Jillian Lebeck is one of the most dynamic and exciting voices on the Canadian Jazz scene. Her debut recording “Living in Pieces” (Maximum Jazz/Universal) spent several weeks in the...

February 22, 2022

JIM CLAYTON

2022,

DownBeat Magazine called Jim Clayton’s music “warm and happy… tender and soulful.” He calls it a blend of bebop and New Orleans, the city he considers a second home. His repertoire is a mix of jazz standards, reimagined pop classics,...

June 8, 2018

JIM SLOMINSKI

2017,

Jim Slominski, string, and electric basses has been the leader of the Niagara jazz duo/trio Dually Noted for close to six years. He began to play music when he was 20 years old and studied with Eric Lagace, the great Montreal symphonic...

August 15, 2021

JIMMY STAHL BIG BAND

2017,

The Jimmy Stahl Big Band has been performing since 1977 and has toured extensively throughout Ontario, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio both as a headline act and touring with numerous Grammy winning artists. We started in...

June 8, 2018

JOCEYLN BARTH

2018,

Jocelyn Barth is one of Canada’s exciting emerging vocalists. As a jazz singer, Jocelyn is known for her emotional expressiveness and sensitivity. She delivers a lyric with intention, depth and authenticity while maintaining the...

August 9, 2022

JOE SEALY

2022,

Joe Sealy (pianist, organist, composer) four-time JUNO Nominee and one-Time JUNO Award Winner, was born on August 16, 1939 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His early piano studies were with Oscar Peterson’s sister Daisy Peterson Sweeney...

August 15, 2021

JOEL PARISIEN

2016, 2017,

BAND MEMBERS (As Chops n’ Soul): Lead vocals and Keyboards: Joel Parisien Guitar and vocals: Josh Toal Bass and vocals: Rich Moore Drums: Nathaniel Rustenburg Alto Saxophone: Darryl Dixon Tenor Saxophone/Flute: Dave Watson Trombone:...

July 14, 2022

JOHANNES LINSTEAD

2022,

From having over 350 million streams on Pandora Radio, to being named Canada’s “Guitarist of the Year,” to winning eight “Best Album” awards, to seven top-ten US Billboard charting albums, and winning the “People’s Choice” award in the...

June 13, 2019

JOHN DEVENISH

2015, 2019,

John is a musician and actor with professional experience on stage, in film, on television and radio. He was the male narrator for The Globe and Mail’s Facts and Arguments podcasts, also the Dear Sweetheart series featuring letters...

July 14, 2020

JOHN NEUDORF

2018, 2020,

John Neudorf has been very active in the music industry for the past 20 years studying jazz at Mohawk College as a drummer. Later under the instruction of Rosemary Burns, John transitioned from Instrumentalist to Vocalist, performing...

April 11, 2019

JOHN SHERWOOD

2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023,

Born in Oakville Ontario in 1961, raised in St. Catharines, John Sherwood is easily among the top jazz pianists in Canada today. His strong foundation in classical music is apparent, but does not overshadow his ability to swing. John...

May 4, 2023

Jonah Tredway

2023, Youth,

Nine year-old Jonah Tredway is thrilled to be participating in the 2023 Jazz 4 the Ages Competition. He’s a proud Ridley Tiger who has been studying piano with Janice Fralick since first grade. His musical influences include Michael...

December 11, 2022

JONATHAN MEYER

2023,

Jonathan Meyer, born and raised in Toronto, has performed professionally for over fifteen years with internationally renowned and award-winning artists such as Peter Appleyard, Allison Au, Tony “Oulabula” Bazley (Wes Montgomery, Leroy...

May 30, 2022

JORDAN O’CONNOR

2022,

Jordan O’Connor is a freelance Jazz bassist, composer, and film editor, currently studying to be a psychotherapist. Art begins the moment we ask a question. Over the years Jordan has worked with many artists in many idioms. What...

July 23, 2021

JOSHUA LYNES

2021,

Joshua Lynes is a contemporary artist whose singing ranges from R&B and Funk to Soulful Gospel and the smooth rhythms of Jazz. One may easily define Josh’s style as a cross between John Legend and Mario or Lauryn Hill and Kim...

January 16, 2023

Julian Anderson-Bowes

2023,

“Julian Anderson-Bowes is an acoustic and electric bassist and composer who grew up in Toronto. He collaborates and performs with artists across a range of musical styles from traditional jazz, to experimental pop, and sometimes...

December 8, 2021

JULIAN FAUTH

2022,

Julian Fauth is a Canadian blues pianist, singer and songwriter. He has collaborated on record with Harmonica Shah, Curley Bridges, Fruteland Jackson, Finis Tasby, and David Rotundo. auth has recorded four solo albums for Electro-Fi...

October 19, 2021

JULIANN KUCHOCKI

2016,

Juliann sings in four languages & performs all genres of music including jazz, blues, r&b, funk, soul, disco, rock, rock & roll, country musical theatre & more. Since the release of Juliann’s North American debut...

September 27, 2021

JULIEN BRADLEY-COMBS

2021,

Julien Bradley-Combs is a promising Toronto-based guitarist and composer. He has recently completed his Bachelors degree in Music, with Honours, from Humber College where he was the recipient of the Yamaha Music Award and the...

December 1, 2019

JULIET DUNN

2020, 2022,

Juliet performs regularly with her husband and musical partner Peter Shea in their duo called ‘The Shea D Duo’. With this duo they perform an assortment of jazz, soul and pop.  Juliet’s other bands include the Juliet Dunn Quintet, Le...

August 15, 2021

JUNE GARBER

2017,

June Garber is one of Canada’s most accomplished jazz vocalists. Her luscious, masterful interpretive skills and on-stage personality capture audiences and draw them in. June’s latest album This I Know is a journey of emotions and...

August 31, 2020

JUNEYT

2020,

He didn’t pick up guitar until the age of 18, but it seems that Juneyt was destined from birth to be a musician. His name means “Soldier of Music” in his native tongue, and has proven to be a true foreshadowing of his life path. Born...

August 14, 2020

JV’S BOOGALOO SQUAD

2018, 2019, 2020,

Toronto-based keyboardist and composer Joel Visentin is a proud Winnipeg export with a passion for the Hammond B3 organ. Originally a pianist, the organ first grabbed him while studying music at Humber College. In 2015 he joined up...

August 25, 2021

Kai Oszlai

2021, 2023, Artist, Youth,

Kai Oszlai, 15, can be described in three words. A musical character. Starting his journey on the piano at the ripe age of 5, Kai has always been infatuated with music and how it shapes the way we feel and experience, living by the...

January 12, 2021

KATE STEVENS

2019, 2021,

Kate Stevens is a vivacious RnB singer/songwriter based in Calgary, Alberta. Her buoyant stage persona mirrors her hearton- sleeve, lyrical sensibilities. Her latest single, the reserved and honest Meant for Me has received over 300k...

March 14, 2019

KELLYLEE EVANS

2019,

Six albums deep and Juno Award winner Kellylee Evans is still shaking it up on Come On, her latest Decca album. The stylistic connoisseur has tackled everything from jazz to R&B and pop in such previous tasty classics fight or...

February 10, 2022

KEN YOSHIOKA

2022,

Ken Yoshioka is a Toronto based blues musician originally from Kamakura, Japan. He started his career as a harmonica player and developed into a singer, guitar player and songwriter. Ken’s harmonica playing is dynamic and...

February 15, 2022

KENNY KIRKWOOD

2022,

Kenny Kirkwood is a Juno award-winning Celtic-Canadian musician who has worked with Gord Downie, Kim Mitchell and Jacksoul, and has opened for James Brown, Al Green in a career spanning three decades. In recent years he has performed...

March 15, 2021

KETURAH MORRIS

2021,

Keturah was born into a family that was birthed into ministry and music. She has had the privilege to grow up experiencing music in the church sphere all of her life. This ultimately helped develop the gift and passion for music in her...

June 21, 2018

KEVIN BREIT

2018,

Kevin Breit has recorded with Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, k.d. Lang, Hugh Laurie, Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, Jane Siberry, Serena Ryder, Taj Mahal, Irma Thomas and countless others. Known for his inimitable guitar playing, exquisite...

February 10, 2022

KEVIN DEMPSEY

2022,

Kevin Dempsey (drummer) was born in Waterdown, Ontario, Canada.  He has become a familiar figure on the local jazz scene around Toronto, but has also toured extensively throughout North America, and to international destinations...

April 6, 2022

KEVIN LIPISHAK

2022,

After meeting the Stirzinger brothers in 1979, Kevin Lipishak has been playing jazz in the Niagara Region since 1985. His main gig has been as house drummer for Jazz Express Saturday afternoon sessions for the last 36 years and still...

October 19, 2021

KEVIN TURCOTTE

2017,

KEVIN MICHAEL TURCOTTE (trumpeter, flugelhornist) was born on January 22, 1964 in Ottawa, Ontario, but raised in Sudbury, Ontario. He is recognized as one of Canada’s major trumpet talents with an impressive list of recording and...

April 6, 2019

KHEA EMMANUEL

2019, 2021,

The daughter of legendary Motown artist Leroy Emmanuel, Khea has all the key ingredients that spell nothing less than success. Her love for the arts and creativity are deeply embedded in her soul. Young and self-taught, Khea is...

October 21, 2021

KIERAN OVERS

2021,

Toronto-born bassist Kieran Overs has been active on the Canadian music scene since 1970, first on guitar and electric bass, and for the past 34 years on acoustic bass. Overs holds an Honours Diploma from Humber College, a B. Mus. from...

March 23, 2023

KIRK MACDONALD

2023,

Two-time Juno Award winner and recipient of the Toronto Music Association’s Life Time Achievement Award, saxophonist/composer Kirk MacDonald is one of the most well-established Canadian jazz musicians of his generation. With over 100...

May 26, 2022

KYLE TARDER-STOLL

2022,

Kyle Tarder-Stoll is a saxophonist from Toronto, who has performed and toured across multiple the globe. A graduate of Humber college, he has played with many prestigious musicians, such as The Shuffle Demons and Caity Gyorgy, who just...

April 27, 2019

KYLIE SOMERVILLE

2019,

Kylie Somerville is a harm reduction outreach counselor and Toronto-based artist. At the age of three, Kylie was introduced to tap dance, and it was love at first shuffle. Passionate about creating safer spaces for feeling and...

July 14, 2020

LAILA BIALI

2017, 2020, 2023,

Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali has toured with Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega and Sting. She has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents including Carnegie Hall. Her...

July 14, 2020

LANCE ANDERSON

2018, 2019, 2020, 2021,

Lance is a Juno award winning producer (Leahy) and the 2014 Maple Blues Award ‘Keyboardist of the Year’. In 2015, Lance was music co-producer and performer on ‘Oscar With Love’ a critically acclaimed 3CD package that commemorated Oscar...

July 27, 2018

LATIN SWING ORCHESTRA

2018, 2023,

The Latin Swing Orchestra was founded in January of 2013 by Fhanor Molina. He formed a great band which brings a modern musical legacy of salsa from the 60’s and 70’s like the Charanga, Latin Jazz and more, to please both the dancer...

June 8, 2018

LATIN VINTAGE ORCHESTRA

2018,

Latin Vintage Orchestra was formed in 2011. The concept our band is our own rendition to the great Latin music produced and developed in the 20th century. The ensemble is composed with a 3 horn section, trumpet, tenor sax and trombone...

July 30, 2016

LAURA FERNANDEZ

2020,

Laura was born in Madrid into a family that boasted Laura’s great grandfather as the mayor. She lived in Switzerland as a child, and her parents migrated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she spent her youth. Laura’s father was an...

July 20, 2023

Laura Martinez

2023,

Laura grew up listening to many genres of Latin music. Her favourite childhood memories centre around dancing to Merengue and Cumbia during holidays with her family. After taking her first Salsa classes in university, she became hooked...

March 3, 2022

LAURA THOMAS

2022,

Laura Thomas is a conductor, arranger, composer, percussionist and teacher. She is Music Director of the Dundas Valley Orchestra, as well as Artistic Director of the Hamilton/Niagara area WomEnchant Chorus & Drummers and conductor...

October 19, 2021

LEN STACK

2016,

Len Stack is the sweetest guy you would ever want to meet. His number one passion is his wife, Mary and his two children, Aaron and Desirae. Len’s philosophy of life is based on his favorite expression “Live, Love and Laugh”. Len spent...

November 25, 2015

LIBERTY SILVER

2015,

Multiple Award-Winning recording artist Liberty has been a supporting act or shared the stage with prominent and influential figures, that include US President Barack Obama, Bob Marley, Maya Angelou, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, Celine...