Nathan Hiltz is an outstanding jazz guitarist who moved to Toronto from his native Halifax in 1999. Since then he has recorded with a lengthy line-up of leading artists, and consistently performs on more than 200 gigs each year. Hiltz received a Bachelor of Music degree from Humber College in 2005 and a Master of Music from University of Toronto in 2011 and has studied jazz guitar with greats including Reg Schwager, Jim Hall, and Adam Rogers. In addition to maintaining an intensive performing career, he currently teaches at Humber College. He released his debut solo album,Your Love Is A Plane Crash, in 2007, and after a decade spent touring and working on the recording projects of others, he returned to the studio in 2015 to record his second CD, Songs Poetics, original arrangements of classic tunes. Critical comment is consistently effusive, with praise such as “Hiltz makes each musical moment count. He creates multi-dimensional improvisations and offers every audience his very natural, organic, melodic instincts.”
Guitarist and composer born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1980, Nathan began studying guitar at age 12 with a family friend and then later with Ross Anderson, a disciple of George Benson, at the Halifax Folklore Centre. At 15 he met alto saxophonist and Dalhousie music professor Don Palmer and was introduced to the jazz of Lee Konitz, Lennie Tristano, and John Coltrane. After listening to Lenny Breau, he started to hear other great Canadian jazz guitarists like Sonny Grenwich, Ed Bickert, and Lorne Lofsky. Soon after moving to Toronto at age 18 he began performing with drummer Norman Marshall Villeneuve and pianist / hammond organist Bernie Senensky. He has since been recognized as an important voice on the Canadian guitar. Nathan studied with Canadian jazz icons like Don Thomposon, Alex Dean, and Rob McConnell of the Boss Brass. In 2014 Nathan was honoured to perform posthumously with McConnell’s Mighty Boss Brass at Koerner Hall in Toronto.
Upcoming Shows:
DATE: Sunday, April 24, 2022
TIME: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: CD Release of “My Vocie”
VENUE: Mahtay Café and Lounge (241 St Paul St, St. Catharines, ON)
PRICE: In Advance: $29 + HST; At the Door: $39 + HST; Musicians/Arts Workers/Students: $13 + HST
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Past Shows:
EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: Valentine Jazz Featuring the Ori Dagan Trio
DATE: Sunday, February 13, 2022
TIME: 6pm – 9pm
LOCATION: Mahtay Cafe and Lounge (241 St Paul St, St. Catharines ON)
TICKET PRICE: In Advance: $29 + HST; At the Door: $39 + HST; Musicians/Arts Workers/Students: $13 + HST
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DATE: Monday, February 10, 2020
TIME: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
EVENT: ‘In Your Own Backyard’ Guitar Series
VENUE: In YOUR own backyard (This event will be Live-streamed)
PRICE: FREE
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DATE: Sunday, May 5th, 2019
TIME: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
EVENT: Twilight Jazz Series: Pat Metheny Tribute
VENUE: Mahtay Cafe and Lounge
ADDRESS: 241 St. Paul St., St. Catharines
TICKET PRICE: $12 in advance / $15 at the door / $8 for Musicians and Arts Workers / $5 for students