JV’S BOOGALOO SQUAD
July 2 & 23 @ 5:30pm

Joel Visentin - Organ
Adam Beer-Colacino - Guitar
Jeff Halischuk - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

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 with the unparalleled guitarist Adam Beer-Colacino and veteran Toronto drummer Jeff Halischuk to form the group of his dreams, JV’s Boogaloo Squad.  The musical connection was electric, and all three musicians immediately recognized that they had stumbled on something greater than the sum of its parts.  They have since worked their way up through the national club circuit, recently headlining at major jazz festivals throughout Ontario and Québec including Toronto's International Jazz Festival in 2018. In the short time since the release of their 2019 album, "Going to Market", JV's Boogaloo Squad has reached #6 on US Campus Jazz Radio charts as well as number #29 on JazzWeek's chart for US commercial Radio. Brad Barker of Jazz FM 91 has even named this project one of three "new jazz albums from 2019 that you need to hear".  This group has truly crafted a unique and soulful sound that is both thrilling on impact and deeply evocative of a timeless musical nostalgia.  With an extensive repertoire combining original music and soul hits, along with a palatable energy on stage, a show with JV's Boogaloo squad is guaranteed to have audiences dancing on their feet and calling out for more. 

Worst Pop Band Ever
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @ 5:30 pm

Chris Gale - Saxophone
Dafydd Hughes - Keys
Drew Birston - Bass
Tim Shia - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

The Worst Pop Band Ever
With influences ranging from Wayne Shorter to Deerhoof to J Dilla, The Worst Pop Band Ever is a Toronto based group that tries to combine a love of improvisational jazz and indie pop. Individually, the members of the WPBE have worked with a who's who of Canadian and international musicians, from Feist to the Shuffle Demons, but together, whether it be blending acoustic bass with turntables or analog synths with the saxophone, the WPBE sets out to twist and bend both originals and covers, straddling genres and butting heads with expectation. Often compared to Medeski Martin Wood or the Bad Plus, the boys like to think of themselves as the ugly love child of Radiohead and Miles Davis.

Since forming in 2005, they have shared stages/ toured with the likes of the Bad Plus, Happy Apple, Jeff Parker, Rich Brown, Rich Underhill, Kelly Jefferson and Elizabeth Shepherd.
They have played festivals and clubs throughout North America including the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, NXNE, the Wreckhouse Jazz Festival (St. John’s, NL), the Ottawa Jazz Festival on Canada Day, IAJE, as well as filling notable venues/clubs like the Rex (Toronto), Schuba's (Chicago), Le Garage (Winnipeg), Yardbird Suite (Edmonton), Bassment (Saskatoon) and the Beat Niq (Calgary), the NAC (Ottawa), and The Cellar (Vancouver). They were recently referred to as a "highlight" of the 2012 TD Canada Trust Jazz festival in Toronto.

The band has just released it's latest EP, "Sometimes Things Go Wrong (and other songs we shouldn't play)". It was recorded live in Vancouver on their last tour while promoting their last album,"Dost Thou Believeth in Science" (2009). Like their first album, “Thanks for Coming Out”(2006), Dost thou received critical acclaim from traditional and online media such as the Toronto Star, Wholenote Magazine, Something Else! (jazz.com), FFWD, and All About Jazz.Com (including being the featured download of the day). The album has received national and international radio rotation, reaching # 1 on the CIUT Charts in Toronto, #28 on the overall Canadian College Radio Charts (Earshot) and was featured on CBC Radio 3.

Their music has also been used for film and videos for the United Nations, Teletoon, CBC and the National Film Board - including the NFB's video tribute to dancer, Peggy Baker at the Governor General Awards. They were shortlisted as part of Toronto's NOW Magazine and the Harbourfront Centre's "Soundclash" competition and were showcased in the June 2012 issue of Canadian Musician.

Victor Bateman Trio
July 4, 11, 18, 25 @ 5:30pm

Victor Bateman - Bass
Reg Schwager - Guitar
Nick Fraser - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Bassist/Vocalist Victor Bateman has been involved in the musical life of Toronto since arriving here from Vancouver in 1981, and the Victor Bateman Trio has been a primary outlet for his musical interests since 1990. The trio evolved from Vektor, a quintet Victor led in the 80s. Vektor was an integral part of the Queen Street jazz scene that existed at the time. Victor’s involvement in jazz, country, blues, and improvised music, as well as his experience as a working musician from the early 70s to the present day, are informing features of his music practice. Although not necessarily a jazz musician per se, his attempts to sing and play jazz are well-meaning and not intended as slights. The trio plays a mix of original material and music from the jazz tradition, with occasional excursions into the blues and country repertoire. Their idiosyncratic, improvisatory approach to presentation hopefully breathes life into familiar material. The spirit of sonic exploration and an element of humour should also be present. We’ll see what happens. On this occasion Victor will be joined by Reg Schwager on guitar, a longstanding musical associate, and Nick Fraser on drums, not as longstanding as Reg due only to their difference in age.

We’re looking forward to mixing it up and hope you choose to join us.

Paul Callander
July 26 @ 2:00pm

Led by :Paul Callander - Trumpet

No Reservations
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Drawing influence from legends like Louis Armstrong, Johnny Hartman, Chet Baker, and Clark Terry, Paul has developed a distinctive sound that captivates audiences. As a trumpeter, vocalist, bandleader, and composer, he is a vibrant presence in Toronto’s thriving music scene. His appearances at renowned venues such as the Princess of Wales Theatre, Koerner Hall, and the Royal Sonesta Hotel have solidified his reputation as a must-see artist.

melissa Lauren
July 27 @ 2:00 PM

Melissa Lauren - Vocals
Eric St-Laurent - Guitar

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Toronto-based songwriter Melissa Lauren is that rarest of performers, one as comfortable in jazz as in pop, as well as the space where the two genres converge. Whether covering a classic or elevating an original, Lauren never fails to locate a song’s emotional core. The live show features songs yet to be released and throw-back favourites. The show showcases dynamic interplay between Melissa and Eric St-Laurent on guitar, and the audience.

Scott Marshall
July 27 & 28 @ 8:30 pm

Scott Marshall - Compositions and Saxophones

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Terry Clarke - Drums

Artie Roth - Bass

David Restivo - Piano

Scott Marshall brings his incredible compositions to life with his all-star quartet and special guest David Restivo on piano!

Toronto - based composer, saxophonist, producer, band leader, and educator Scott Marshall 

          A skilled composer and arranger, Scott’s compositions have been featured onSix of his own releases:  The Solitude Suite (2024), Dream Logic Project (2018), Nihahi Ridge (2014), Vignettes (2010), Nine Moments of Time (2007), and Face It (2002). Scott has also had compositions featured on Lyne Tremblay’s release Get To It  (2021), and two releases by the group Out of Order: What Now (2000), and Out of Order (1997). Scott’s compositions have also been featured in the feature length movie The  Anniversary by Canadian film maker Valarie Buhagiar, and the short film The Loss by Consistent C Films.  

        Scott’s abilities on the saxophone, featured on his own recordings, have also found him appearing as a guest soloist on several releases including: Tom Leighton’s Better Leighton than Never (2021), Tom Swift’s release The Fortunate Few (2013), Tom Leighton’s Leighton Tendencies (2010), NOJO’S critically acclaimed release NOJO Explores the Dark Side (2010), Bill Stevenson’s ECMA award winning recording For the Record (2006),Whitney Smith Big Steam Band Life Drawing (2004), Lyne Tremblay’s critically acclaimed release Break and Enter (2003),and Out of Order What Now (2000) and Out of Order (1997). 

        In addition to recording Scott has had the opportunity to perform in Dubai UAE, Germany, Sweden, England, the United States, as well as coast to coast across Canada. Scott has band led several of his own ensembles and has performed with a lengthy and diverse list of accomplished musicians including: Norah Jones, Johnny Mathus, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Rascals, Marie Osmond, Bobby Caldwell, Lance Anderson’s Last Waltz Show, Russel de Carle, The Shuffle Demons, Denzel Sinclaire, The Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Manteca, Pretzel Logic,  Shadmehr Aghilli, Hot Toddy, Bill Stevenson, Lyne Tremblay, Out of Order, and the Juno-winning big-band NOJO.

        Scott is a skilled producer. As well as producing his own six releases, Scott produced and arranged all the music for the highly successful twenty five show concert series  Marshall at the Monarch (2013 - 2015), which featured many great Toronto jazz musicians like: Dave Young, David Braid, Kevin Turcotte, Mike Murley, David Restivo, Adrean Farugia, Rich Brown, Mike Downs, Jim Vivian, and Terry Clarke  to name a few. Scott also co-produced and arranged all the music for Lyne Tremblay’s critically acclaimed release Break and Enter (2003) and served as Lyne’s music director for several years. Scott also co produced two shows with writer, producer, actor John Evans: The Deco Show (2004), and The Beat Generation (2014).

        Scott has had a lengthy and diverse career as a music educator. He is the Director of Bands at The Oscar Peterson School of Music at the Royal Conservatory of Music,  he is a member of the jazz faculty at  the Inter Provincial Music Camp, a member of faculty at the Bobcageon Music Camp, and has been a band instructor for the Toronto District School Board  for twenty five years. Scott taught at The University of North Texas and has instructed masterclasses at St Francis Xavier University, The University of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Community College, Toronto District School Board’s Music Department, as well as numerous high schools across the country.

Scott Marshall
July 27 & 28 @ 8:30 pm

Scott Marshall - Compositions and Saxophones

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Terry Clarke - Drums

Artie Roth - Bass

David Restivo - Piano

Scott Marshall brings his incredible compositions to life with his all-star quartet and special guest David Restivo on piano!

Toronto - based composer, saxophonist, producer, band leader, and educator Scott Marshall 

          A skilled composer and arranger, Scott’s compositions have been featured onSix of his own releases:  The Solitude Suite (2024), Dream Logic Project (2018), Nihahi Ridge (2014), Vignettes (2010), Nine Moments of Time (2007), and Face It (2002). Scott has also had compositions featured on Lyne Tremblay’s release Get To It  (2021), and two releases by the group Out of Order: What Now (2000), and Out of Order (1997). Scott’s compositions have also been featured in the feature length movie The  Anniversary by Canadian film maker Valarie Buhagiar, and the short film The Loss by Consistent C Films.  

        Scott’s abilities on the saxophone, featured on his own recordings, have also found him appearing as a guest soloist on several releases including: Tom Leighton’s Better Leighton than Never (2021), Tom Swift’s release The Fortunate Few (2013), Tom Leighton’s Leighton Tendencies (2010), NOJO’S critically acclaimed release NOJO Explores the Dark Side (2010), Bill Stevenson’s ECMA award winning recording For the Record (2006),Whitney Smith Big Steam Band Life Drawing (2004), Lyne Tremblay’s critically acclaimed release Break and Enter (2003),and Out of Order What Now (2000) and Out of Order (1997). 

        In addition to recording Scott has had the opportunity to perform in Dubai UAE, Germany, Sweden, England, the United States, as well as coast to coast across Canada. Scott has band led several of his own ensembles and has performed with a lengthy and diverse list of accomplished musicians including: Norah Jones, Johnny Mathus, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Rascals, Marie Osmond, Bobby Caldwell, Lance Anderson’s Last Waltz Show, Russel de Carle, The Shuffle Demons, Denzel Sinclaire, The Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Manteca, Pretzel Logic,  Shadmehr Aghilli, Hot Toddy, Bill Stevenson, Lyne Tremblay, Out of Order, and the Juno-winning big-band NOJO.

        Scott is a skilled producer. As well as producing his own six releases, Scott produced and arranged all the music for the highly successful twenty five show concert series  Marshall at the Monarch (2013 - 2015), which featured many great Toronto jazz musicians like: Dave Young, David Braid, Kevin Turcotte, Mike Murley, David Restivo, Adrean Farugia, Rich Brown, Mike Downs, Jim Vivian, and Terry Clarke  to name a few. Scott also co-produced and arranged all the music for Lyne Tremblay’s critically acclaimed release Break and Enter (2003) and served as Lyne’s music director for several years. Scott also co produced two shows with writer, producer, actor John Evans: The Deco Show (2004), and The Beat Generation (2014).

        Scott has had a lengthy and diverse career as a music educator. He is the Director of Bands at The Oscar Peterson School of Music at the Royal Conservatory of Music,  he is a member of the jazz faculty at  the Inter Provincial Music Camp, a member of faculty at the Bobcageon Music Camp, and has been a band instructor for the Toronto District School Board  for twenty five years. Scott taught at The University of North Texas and has instructed masterclasses at St Francis Xavier University, The University of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Community College, Toronto District School Board’s Music Department, as well as numerous high schools across the country.

Sandra Bouza
July 30 @ 5:30pm

Sandra Bouza - Vocals / Guitar

No reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Sandra Bouza, a powerhouse artist with Canadian and Spanish roots, has had a year of career milestones. The soulful singer has played Massey Hall, was nominated for Maple Blues Award, and her last album; A Sound in the Dark, was nominated for best contemporary folk album of the year with the Canadian Folk Music Awards. 

Andrew Downing’s Otterville
July 30 & 31 @ 8:30pm
August 1 & 2 @ 8:30pm

Andrew Downing - Cello

Christine Bougie - Lap Steel Guitar

Paul Mathew - Bass Guitar

Nick Fraser - Drums

Tara Davidson - Alto Saxophone

Michael Davidson - vibraphone

Named after the sleepy town in Tobacco Country where Downings roamed throughout the 20th century, OTTERVILLE is a new quintet led by Andrew Downing that evokes the peace, quiet and simplicity of small-town Ontario. It features Downing on cello, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Paul Mathew on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. The subtle, song-like of compositions and the contained virtuosity of the musicians take a sweet and contendedly nostalgic snapshot of the slow passage of time in the country and the joys that can bring. The double CD and special edition book were released in October, 2016.

Worst Pop Band Ever
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @ 5:30 pm

Chris Gale - Saxophone
Dafydd Hughes - Keys
Drew Birston - Bass
Tim Shia - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

The Worst Pop Band Ever
With influences ranging from Wayne Shorter to Deerhoof to J Dilla, The Worst Pop Band Ever is a Toronto based group that tries to combine a love of improvisational jazz and indie pop. Individually, the members of the WPBE have worked with a who's who of Canadian and international musicians, from Feist to the Shuffle Demons, but together, whether it be blending acoustic bass with turntables or analog synths with the saxophone, the WPBE sets out to twist and bend both originals and covers, straddling genres and butting heads with expectation. Often compared to Medeski Martin Wood or the Bad Plus, the boys like to think of themselves as the ugly love child of Radiohead and Miles Davis.

Since forming in 2005, they have shared stages/ toured with the likes of the Bad Plus, Happy Apple, Jeff Parker, Rich Brown, Rich Underhill, Kelly Jefferson and Elizabeth Shepherd.
They have played festivals and clubs throughout North America including the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, NXNE, the Wreckhouse Jazz Festival (St. John’s, NL), the Ottawa Jazz Festival on Canada Day, IAJE, as well as filling notable venues/clubs like the Rex (Toronto), Schuba's (Chicago), Le Garage (Winnipeg), Yardbird Suite (Edmonton), Bassment (Saskatoon) and the Beat Niq (Calgary), the NAC (Ottawa), and The Cellar (Vancouver). They were recently referred to as a "highlight" of the 2012 TD Canada Trust Jazz festival in Toronto.

The band has just released it's latest EP, "Sometimes Things Go Wrong (and other songs we shouldn't play)". It was recorded live in Vancouver on their last tour while promoting their last album,"Dost Thou Believeth in Science" (2009). Like their first album, “Thanks for Coming Out”(2006), Dost thou received critical acclaim from traditional and online media such as the Toronto Star, Wholenote Magazine, Something Else! (jazz.com), FFWD, and All About Jazz.Com (including being the featured download of the day). The album has received national and international radio rotation, reaching # 1 on the CIUT Charts in Toronto, #28 on the overall Canadian College Radio Charts (Earshot) and was featured on CBC Radio 3.

Their music has also been used for film and videos for the United Nations, Teletoon, CBC and the National Film Board - including the NFB's video tribute to dancer, Peggy Baker at the Governor General Awards. They were shortlisted as part of Toronto's NOW Magazine and the Harbourfront Centre's "Soundclash" competition and were showcased in the June 2012 issue of Canadian Musician.

Andrew Downing’s Otterville
July 30 & 31 @ 8:30pm
August 1 & 2 @ 8:30pm

Andrew Downing - Cello

Christine Bougie - Lap Steel Guitar

Paul Mathew - Bass Guitar

Nick Fraser - Drums

Tara Davidson - Alto Saxophone

Michael Davidson - vibraphone

Named after the sleepy town in Tobacco Country where Downings roamed throughout the 20th century, OTTERVILLE is a new quintet led by Andrew Downing that evokes the peace, quiet and simplicity of small-town Ontario. It features Downing on cello, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Paul Mathew on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. The subtle, song-like of compositions and the contained virtuosity of the musicians take a sweet and contendedly nostalgic snapshot of the slow passage of time in the country and the joys that can bring. The double CD and special edition book were released in October, 2016.

James Brown Trio
august 1st @ 5:30 pm

James Brown - Guitar

No Reservations

$10 Cover charge

James Brown (Guitarist, Composer, Educator) is one of Canada’s most talented  and versatile musicians. He has preformed and recorded with many leading  artists and ensembles and has recorded four critically acclaimed CD’s of original  music.  

His recent full scale composition “The Mosley Street Suite” was premiered at  Koerner Hall in August 2021 and his fourth studio album “Song Within the Story”, (featuring Clark Johnston, Anthony Michelli and Mike Murley) was  released on NGP records in March of 2022.  

A fifth album was released in 2025 and finds James expanding his craft to  include two new compositions with original lyrics. This new chamber jazz  recording, entitled “Anthem For Everyone” includes Aline Homzy on violin and  Hannah Barstow on vocals and piano. 

Other recordings have featured Don Thompson, Quinsin Nachoff, Jim Vivian, Andrew Downing, Ernie Tollar, John Obercian, Mike Milligan and Christopher  Lee. James has also performed with The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (with  Eric Idol), Toronto Philharmonia, Sound Streams Canada (with The Hilliard  Ensemble), Art of Time Ensemble and CanStage. He also performed in the  Canadian premiere of 2X5: a new work by New York composer Steve Reich. 

James’ compositions range from solo guitar to symphony orchestra and have  been performed and recorded by numerous ensembles and soloists including:  Orchestra Toronto, Trinity Chamber Ensemble, Jeffrey McFadden, William  Beauvais and The Montreal Guitar Trio. James has a Master of Arts Degree in  Composition from York University and is currently on Faculty at The Oscar Peterson School of Music (formerly: The Royal Conservatory School). His  article “The Grundgestalt Concept” was published in the July 2023 issue  of Downbeat Magazine.  

www.jamesbrown.ca

Andrew Downing’s Otterville
July 30 & 31 @ 8:30pm
August 1 & 2 @ 8:30pm

Andrew Downing - Cello

Christine Bougie - Lap Steel Guitar

Paul Mathew - Bass Guitar

Nick Fraser - Drums

Tara Davidson - Alto Saxophone

Michael Davidson - vibraphone

Named after the sleepy town in Tobacco Country where Downings roamed throughout the 20th century, OTTERVILLE is a new quintet led by Andrew Downing that evokes the peace, quiet and simplicity of small-town Ontario. It features Downing on cello, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Paul Mathew on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. The subtle, song-like of compositions and the contained virtuosity of the musicians take a sweet and contendedly nostalgic snapshot of the slow passage of time in the country and the joys that can bring. The double CD and special edition book were released in October, 2016.

the Angela Pincente nonet
August 2 @ 2:00pm

Led by: Angela Pincente - Trombone

No Reservations
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Toronto-based trombonist, composer, and arranger  Angela Pincente is a dynamic force in the city's vibrant  jazz scene. A graduate of Humber College with a  Bachelor of Music, Pincente honed her craft under the  mentorship of renowned musicians such as Kelsley  Grant, William Carn, Mike Downes, and Shelly Berger.  Her sound blends intricate improvisation with a unique  compositional voice, reflecting a deep understanding  of jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries of the  genre. 

Pincente leads several of her own ensembles,  including the Angela Pincente Quintet, Angela  Pincente Tentet, and Angela Pincente Big Band,  showcasing her distinctive style as both a performer  and a bandleader. Her compositions are marked by  rich harmonic structures, complex rhythms, and a  deep connection to the art of storytelling through  music.

Matt Endahl
August 2nd @ 5:30 pm

Matt Endahl - Piano
Dan Fortin - Bass
Nick Fraser - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Matthew Endahl (he/him, she/her) is a genderfluid pianist and improviser who has  worked in improvised music for many years. Born and raised in Michigan, Matt worked  as a bandleader and sideman in the Ann Arbor scene for 10 years. She moved to  Nashville in 2013 and soon became one of the most in-demand pianists in Middle  Tennessee. In 2022, Matthew moved to Ontario to work on his PhD in Critical Studies in  Improvisation at the University of Guelph. Locally, Matthew works with the  interdisciplinary improvisation project Almost Alchemy, and also plays with the Ted  Warren Trio and Joe Sorbara’s Temporary Ensembles, among other groups.  

For tonight’s performance, Matt will be joined by Toronto mainstays Dan Fortin and Nick  Fraser, and will present a selection of jazz standards and original compositions in the  traditions of Black North American music.

Andrew Downing’s Otterville
July 30 & 31 @ 8:30pm
August 1 & 2 @ 8:30pm

Andrew Downing - Cello

Christine Bougie - Lap Steel Guitar

Paul Mathew - Bass Guitar

Nick Fraser - Drums

Tara Davidson - Alto Saxophone

Michael Davidson - vibraphone

Named after the sleepy town in Tobacco Country where Downings roamed throughout the 20th century, OTTERVILLE is a new quintet led by Andrew Downing that evokes the peace, quiet and simplicity of small-town Ontario. It features Downing on cello, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Paul Mathew on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. The subtle, song-like of compositions and the contained virtuosity of the musicians take a sweet and contendedly nostalgic snapshot of the slow passage of time in the country and the joys that can bring. The double CD and special edition book were released in October, 2016.

Matt Smith Sings Chet Baker
august 3 @ 2:00pm

Matt Smith - Vocals/ Trumpet

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Matt Smith is a soulful trumpeter and vocalist based in Toronto, Ontario. With a passion for jazz deeply rooted in the style of legends like Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Nat King Cole; Matt brings a refreshing blend of tradition and innovation to Toronto’s vibrant music scene. Joined by pianist Evan Miles, and bassist Max Simpson, the Trio pays homage to the rich history of the music while giving each tune its own unique sound. 

In addition to his trio, Matt can be found performing with integral Toronto groups such as Big Smoke Brass, and the Juno-winning Sattalites. He also performs every Monday night at Steadfast Brewery with “The Taproom Gang”, a traditional jazz band with a focus on 1920s and 30s repertoire. An artist committed to quality and versatility, Matt Smith is one to watch.

Lina Allemano standards quartet
August 3 & 4 @ 8:30 PM

Lina Allemano - trumpet 

Michael Davidson - vibraphone 

Andrew Downing - double bass 

Nick Fraser - drums

Lina Allemano Standards Quartet play spontaneous creative interpretations of choice jazz  standards as well as favourite classics from composers such as Thelonious Monk, Ornette  Coleman, Carla Bley and more. LINA ALLEMANO is a Canadian trumpeter, composer,  improviser and bandleader with an active international career in cutting-edge contemporary  music. Based in both Berlin and Toronto, Allemano is recognized as one of the leading  innovative trumpeters on the scene today. She collaborates with many important international  artists, runs her own record label for adventurous music LUMO RECORDS, and leads multiple  groundbreaking & highly acclaimed projects including her longtime acoustic quartet LINA  ALLEMANO FOUR, trumpet/electronics duo BLOOP, and power-trio OHRENSCHMAUS. She  was named Rising Star Trumpet and Rising Star Jazz Group in DownBeat Magazine's Annual  International Critics Poll for the past 3 years.

David Restivo & Reg Schwager
August 4th @ 5:30 PM

David Restivo - Piano
Reg Schwager - Guitar

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

David Restivo is one of Canada's most respected and influential jazz artists. He is a 3-time winner of the National Jazz Awards' Pianist of the Year Award, and is listed in the current edition of Canadian Who's Who.

​

Born in Lansing, Michigan, molded by the mountains and coasts of New England, and based primarily in Toronto since 1982, he has been a sought-after and influential figure in Canada’s jazz community since the late 1980s. 

David is well known for his work with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass and Tentet, the Mike Murley Quintet, and legendary songwriter Marc Jordan. He was voted Toronto's Best Keyboardist in NOW Magazine's "Best of T.O." readers' poll in 1998 and received a JUNO Award for his work on the 2001 recording The Rob McConnell Tentet (Justin Time).

He has also performed and recorded with Dave Holland, Jon Hendricks, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Mel Tormé, John Pizarelli, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Pat LaBarbera, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, George Garzone, Howard Johnson, Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen, Kevin Mahogany, Randy Bachman (BTO/Guess Who), David Clayton Thomas, Molly Johnson, and many other outstanding artists. ​

He can be heard on numerous recordings, including the Grammy-winning Mel Tormé/Rob McConnell collaboration Velvet and Brass (Concord Jazz), Mike Murley's Conversation Piece (Cornerstone), Marc Jordan's This is How Men Cry (Blue Note/EMI), and his own lauded debut Prayer for Humankind(ness) (Radioland/Universal).

​

David has served on the music faculty at the Banff Centre for the Arts, St. Francis Xavier University, University of Manitoba, Humber College, and the University of Toronto. In January 2019, David joined the faculty in the Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program, and is now helping mentor students for a future in the music industry.

​
 

"...one of the most burning piano players!"

~ Kenny Werner, jazz great

Lina Allemano standards quartet
August 3 & 4 @ 8:30 PM

Lina Allemano - trumpet 

Michael Davidson - vibraphone 

Andrew Downing - double bass 

Nick Fraser -drums

Lina Allemano Standards Quartet play spontaneous creative interpretations of choice jazz  standards as well as favourite classics from composers such as Thelonious Monk, Ornette  Coleman, Carla Bley and more. LINA ALLEMANO is a Canadian trumpeter, composer,  improviser and bandleader with an active international career in cutting-edge contemporary  music. Based in both Berlin and Toronto, Allemano is recognized as one of the leading  innovative trumpeters on the scene today. She collaborates with many important international  artists, runs her own record label for adventurous music LUMO RECORDS, and leads multiple  groundbreaking & highly acclaimed projects including her longtime acoustic quartet LINA  ALLEMANO FOUR, trumpet/electronics duo BLOOP, and power-trio OHRENSCHMAUS. She  was named Rising Star Trumpet and Rising Star Jazz Group in DownBeat Magazine's Annual  International Critics Poll for the past 3 years

Frank Botos
August 5 & 12 @ 5:30 pm

Frank Botos - Drums
Ewen Farncombe - Piano
Artie Roth - Bass

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Born into a musical family, Frank became a first call drummer in Hungary at an early age. He worked and recorded with Hungary’s most well-known musicians, including Szakcsi, Tony Lakatos, Robert Lakatos, and Gabor Gado. Frank studied at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music with Gyula Kovacs and Ivan Nesztor. After leaving the school in 1991, Frank won first place in the “Krakow International Jazz Competition” in Poland. He has played on the main stages of European jazz festivals.

In 1998, Frank Botos immigrated to Canada, shortly after arriving in Canada with his brother Robi Botos. Frank and Robi became well established in the Toronto jazz scene as “The Botos Brothers.” They soon released their independent CD featuring Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, and Attila Darvas, which has received extensive airplay.

Frank continued his professional development in Canada by studying with renowned jazz educator Jim Blackley. Since then, Frank has worked with such international and local stars as Bela Fleck and Jean Luc-Ponty (Toronto International Jazz Festival main stage 2005), Avishai Cohen (Hungarian Jazz Festival 2005), Sonny Fortune (Hungarian Jazz Festival 2006), Mario Rodrigues, Joe Sealy and Paul Novotny (Du Maurier International Jazz Festival Toronto 1999), Dave Young, Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, Kirk MacDonald, Mike Murley, Michael Stewart, Phil Dwyer, Hugh Fraser, Jake Langley, Steve Wallace, Bernie Senensky, Stan Fomin, Shawan Nykwist, Neil Swanson, Gene Dinovi, David Braid, Lorne Lofsky, Shelley Berger, Nancy Walker, Mike Downs, and Kirk Lightsey to name a few.

Michael Arnowit & George Koller Trio
August 6 @ 5:30 pm

Michael Arnowitt - Piano

and George Koller - Bass

special guest:  Ethan Ardelli -Drums  

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Acclaimed jazz and classical pianist Michael Arnowitt is joined by the  popular Toronto bassist George Koller for a colourful and diverse set  featuring Michael Arnowitt’s new medley of jazz arrangements of  Bartok’s Six Roumanian Dances, spirited music based on the vibrant  folk melodies and rhythms from Bartok’s part of Europe, all transformed  into the language of jazz. They will will also perform jazz standards,  selections from the pianist’s Jazz Suite from West Side Story, originals  and much more. 

Michael Arnowitt recently immigrated to Canada from having lived in  Vermont in the United States for many years, and has been warmly  received by Toronto locals for his extraordinary sense of touch at the  piano, the absorbing musical landscapes he creates through  improvisation, the imaginative colours and musical textures he draws  from the piano, and his natural and engaging onstage manner with  audiences of all ages. 

Bassist George Koller is well known to Toronto audiences. He is a  prolific studio and touring musician and producer and record label  owner, working with Holly Cole, Laila Biali, Mike Janzen, David  Clayton Thomas, Ensemble Vivant and hundreds of wonderful jazz,  classical and world music ensembles.  

Special guest for this performance!  

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 classical composition and music from around the  world, in particular the music of Cuba.  

Come join Michael and George and Ethan for an up-close experience –  a great opportunity to hear these three outstanding musicians perform a  set of acoustic jazz full of improvisational interplay and musical  conversation.

kirk macdonald quintet
August 6, 7, 8, 9 @ 8:30 pm

Kirk MacDonald - Tenor Saxophone
Virginia MacDonald - Clarinet
Drums - Terry Clarke
with special guests from New York
Bruce Barth - Piano
Mark Lewandowski - Bass

With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, and has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres. He has performed on over fifty CDs as both leader and sideman, and has participated in numerous national broadcast recordings for CBC Radio. In addition to performing extensively throughout Canada, he has also performed in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Monaco, Australia, Korea, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

For over thirty years Kirk MacDonald has worked and recorded with many leading Canadian, U.S. and International jazz musicians including Claude Ranger, Dave Young, Sam Noto, Sonny Greenwich, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Harold Mabern, Walter Bishop Jr., Tom Harrell, Vic Juris, Peter Bernstein, Adam Nussbaum, Rich Perry, Kurt Elling, David Virelles, Ralph Bowen, Dick Oatts, Ben Monder, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Blake, Lorne Lofsky, Bob Mover, Pat LaBarbera, John Taylor, Ron McClure, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Jim McNeely, Bob Mintzer, Vince Mendoza, John Clayton, Chris Potter, Glenn Ferris, Maria Schneider, Dave Grusin, Danilo Perez, Adam Rogers, Dennis Mackrel, Nancy Walker, Barry Romberg, Andre White, Rob Smith, Brian Dickinson, Denny Christianson, Bernie Senensky, Phil Nimmons, James Moody, Rosemary Clooney, and the Humber College Faculty Ensemble.

Over 100 performances of  Kirk MacDonald’s  compositions appear on 25 albums, both as leader and on recordings by other artists. Kirk has established a substantial body of original work as a saxophonist/composer over the past three decades. As a follow up to his award winning recordings Symmetry with Tom Harrell, and Vista Obscura with Harold Mabern, MacDonald released Common Ground, a double CD of his compositions arranged by Joe Sullivan for Jazz Orchestra. Silent Voices, a co-led quartet outing with renowned saxophonist Pat LaBarbera, featuring American jazz great Adam Nussbaum on drums. MacDonald’s latest recording Generations, brings him back full circle to his roots in a program of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. Generations features three generations of musicians: the legendary pianist Harold Mabern at age 82 and MacDonald’s wonderfully talented daughter Virginia MacDonald, at age 23, on clarinet.

Kirk MacDonald has been active as an educator for 30 years at leading jazz studies programs such as The University of Toronto, Humber College and McGill University. Through his work with these programs, numerous live performances, recordings, master classes and workshops throughout Canada and internationally, Kirk has become one of Canada’s most respected and in demand educators.

For close to three decades MacDonald has been a leader in his field of performance, composition and education and has had a huge and lasting influence on many of Canada’s younger generation of musicians. Many former students have gone on to forge national and international careers in many genres of music.

Kirk MacDonald is presently a full time professor at Humber College in Toronto. MacDonald also acts as the Artistic Director for the “Youth Jazz Canada” project and directs the “National Youth Jazz Combo”. This project also hosts a 2 week workshop in the summer for high school and post-secondary students.

Scott Marshall trio featuring Ted Quinlan
August 7 @ 5:30 PM

Scott Marshall - Saxophone
Ted Quinlan - Guitar

TBA

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Toronto - based composer, saxophonist, producer, and band leader Scott Marshall 

A skilled and prolific composer and arranger, Scott’s compositions have been featured on six of his own releases: The Solitude Suite (2024), Dream Logic Project (2018), Nihahi Ridge (2014), Vignettes (2010), Nine Moments of Time (2007), and Face It (2002). Scott has also had  compositions featured on Lyne Tremblay’s release Get To It (2021), and two releases by the  group Out of Order: What Now (2000), and Out of Order (1997). 

Scott’s impressive abilities on the saxophone, showcased on his own recordings, have  also found him appearing as a guest soloist on several releases including: Tom Leighton’s Better  Leighton than Never (2021), Tom Swift’s release The Fortunate Few (2013), Tom Leighton’s  Leighton Tendencies (2010), NOJO’S critically acclaimed release NOJO Explores the Dark Side (2010), Bill Stevenson’s ECMA award winning recording For the Record (2006),Whitney Smith  Big Steam Band Life Drawing (2004), Lyne Tremblay’s critically acclaimed release Break and  Enter (2003),and Out of Order What Now (2000) and Out of Order (1997). 

Being a diverse musician has allowed Scott to tour internationally, nationally across  Canada, and be an in demand player around the Toronto scene for twenty five years

kirk macdonald quintet
August 6, 7, 8, 9 @ 8:30 pm

Kirk MacDonald - Tenor Saxophone
Virginia MacDonald - Clarinet
Terry Clarke - Drums
with special guests from New York
Bruce Barth - Piano
Mark Lewandowski - Bass

With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, and has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres. He has performed on over fifty CDs as both leader and sideman, and has participated in numerous national broadcast recordings for CBC Radio. In addition to performing extensively throughout Canada, he has also performed in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Monaco, Australia, Korea, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

For over thirty years Kirk MacDonald has worked and recorded with many leading Canadian, U.S. and International jazz musicians including Claude Ranger, Dave Young, Sam Noto, Sonny Greenwich, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Harold Mabern, Walter Bishop Jr., Tom Harrell, Vic Juris, Peter Bernstein, Adam Nussbaum, Rich Perry, Kurt Elling, David Virelles, Ralph Bowen, Dick Oatts, Ben Monder, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Blake, Lorne Lofsky, Bob Mover, Pat LaBarbera, John Taylor, Ron McClure, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Jim McNeely, Bob Mintzer, Vince Mendoza, John Clayton, Chris Potter, Glenn Ferris, Maria Schneider, Dave Grusin, Danilo Perez, Adam Rogers, Dennis Mackrel, Nancy Walker, Barry Romberg, Andre White, Rob Smith, Brian Dickinson, Denny Christianson, Bernie Senensky, Phil Nimmons, James Moody, Rosemary Clooney, and the Humber College Faculty Ensemble.

Over 100 performances of  Kirk MacDonald’s  compositions appear on 25 albums, both as leader and on recordings by other artists. Kirk has established a substantial body of original work as a saxophonist/composer over the past three decades. As a follow up to his award winning recordings Symmetry with Tom Harrell, and Vista Obscura with Harold Mabern, MacDonald released Common Ground, a double CD of his compositions arranged by Joe Sullivan for Jazz Orchestra. Silent Voices, a co-led quartet outing with renowned saxophonist Pat LaBarbera, featuring American jazz great Adam Nussbaum on drums. MacDonald’s latest recording Generations, brings him back full circle to his roots in a program of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. Generations features three generations of musicians: the legendary pianist Harold Mabern at age 82 and MacDonald’s wonderfully talented daughter Virginia MacDonald, at age 23, on clarinet.

Kirk MacDonald has been active as an educator for 30 years at leading jazz studies programs such as The University of Toronto, Humber College and McGill University. Through his work with these programs, numerous live performances, recordings, master classes and workshops throughout Canada and internationally, Kirk has become one of Canada’s most respected and in demand educators.

For close to three decades MacDonald has been a leader in his field of performance, composition and education and has had a huge and lasting influence on many of Canada’s younger generation of musicians. Many former students have gone on to forge national and international careers in many genres of music.

Kirk MacDonald is presently a full time professor at Humber College in Toronto. MacDonald also acts as the Artistic Director for the “Youth Jazz Canada” project and directs the “National Youth Jazz Combo”. This project also hosts a 2 week workshop in the summer for high school and post-secondary students.

Steve Koven Trio
August 8 @ 5:30

Steve Koven - Piano
Zachary Dawood - Drums
Sergio Dhelomme - Bass

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Steve Koven is a composer, performer, producer,  educator and film maker. In 1993 he established the  Steve Koven Trio.   Touring the world for more than  two decades, they have been coined as ‘Canadian  Cultural Ambassadors’. Aside from performing  world wide with his trio, Steve also performs solo  piano concerts throughout North America, Europe  and the Caribbean. Dozens of Koven’s  

compositions have been licensed for national and  international film and television productions. As an educator, Steve has been teaching in the  Faculty of Music at Toronto’ s York University since  2003, teaching Contemporary Improvisation and  Jazz Piano Studies. In addition, Steve teaches in  the Music Department at Centennial College in  Toronto, He holds a Masters in Music Composition  and has presented master classes and clinics  throughout Canada, China, Japan, Colombia,  Barbados, Bahamas, USA and Mexico. Steve is  also the Education Co-ordinator of the Eleuthera  International Jazz Festival on Eleuthera, Bahamas,  and has presented a TEDx TALK at Queens  University, Kingston, Ontario.

Koven is also an award winning film maker,  receiving first price for his documentary, 20, in the  2015 Toronto Independent Film Festival and for his  documentary, Improvisation in the 2018 Toronto  Short Film Festival

kirk macdonald Quintet
August 6, 7, 8, 9 @ 8:30 pm

Kirk MacDonald - Tenor Saxophone
Virginia MacDonald - Clarinet
Terry Clarke - Drums
with special guests from New York
Bruce Barth - Piano
Mark Lewandowski - Bass

With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, and has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres. He has performed on over fifty CDs as both leader and sideman, and has participated in numerous national broadcast recordings for CBC Radio. In addition to performing extensively throughout Canada, he has also performed in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Monaco, Australia, Korea, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

For over thirty years Kirk MacDonald has worked and recorded with many leading Canadian, U.S. and International jazz musicians including Claude Ranger, Dave Young, Sam Noto, Sonny Greenwich, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Harold Mabern, Walter Bishop Jr., Tom Harrell, Vic Juris, Peter Bernstein, Adam Nussbaum, Rich Perry, Kurt Elling, David Virelles, Ralph Bowen, Dick Oatts, Ben Monder, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Blake, Lorne Lofsky, Bob Mover, Pat LaBarbera, John Taylor, Ron McClure, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Jim McNeely, Bob Mintzer, Vince Mendoza, John Clayton, Chris Potter, Glenn Ferris, Maria Schneider, Dave Grusin, Danilo Perez, Adam Rogers, Dennis Mackrel, Nancy Walker, Barry Romberg, Andre White, Rob Smith, Brian Dickinson, Denny Christianson, Bernie Senensky, Phil Nimmons, James Moody, Rosemary Clooney, and the Humber College Faculty Ensemble.

Over 100 performances of  Kirk MacDonald’s  compositions appear on 25 albums, both as leader and on recordings by other artists. Kirk has established a substantial body of original work as a saxophonist/composer over the past three decades. As a follow up to his award winning recordings Symmetry with Tom Harrell, and Vista Obscura with Harold Mabern, MacDonald released Common Ground, a double CD of his compositions arranged by Joe Sullivan for Jazz Orchestra. Silent Voices, a co-led quartet outing with renowned saxophonist Pat LaBarbera, featuring American jazz great Adam Nussbaum on drums. MacDonald’s latest recording Generations, brings him back full circle to his roots in a program of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. Generations features three generations of musicians: the legendary pianist Harold Mabern at age 82 and MacDonald’s wonderfully talented daughter Virginia MacDonald, at age 23, on clarinet.

Kirk MacDonald has been active as an educator for 30 years at leading jazz studies programs such as The University of Toronto, Humber College and McGill University. Through his work with these programs, numerous live performances, recordings, master classes and workshops throughout Canada and internationally, Kirk has become one of Canada’s most respected and in demand educators.

For close to three decades MacDonald has been a leader in his field of performance, composition and education and has had a huge and lasting influence on many of Canada’s younger generation of musicians. Many former students have gone on to forge national and international careers in many genres of music.

Kirk MacDonald is presently a full time professor at Humber College in Toronto. MacDonald also acts as the Artistic Director for the “Youth Jazz Canada” project and directs the “National Youth Jazz Combo”. This project also hosts a 2 week workshop in the summer for high school and post-secondary students.

Sarah Jerrom’s Dream Logic
August 9 @ 2:00pm

Sarah Jerrom - Vocals
Harley Card - Guitar / Vocals
Rob McBride - Bass
Jeff Luciani - Drums

No Reservations
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Modern yet respectful of tradition. Explorative yet with pop sensibilities. Music and lyrics  from the HEART. 

Dream Logic is a Canadian contemporary jazz quartet led by vocalist and composer  Sarah Jerrom, performing a diverse collection of original music written and arranged for  the group by Jerrom and other band members. An adventurous and exciting crossover  project, Dream Logic draws its sound from jazz, folk, and pop music, merging creative  

improvisation and songwriting elements. The group consists of high-profile Canadian  musicians, guitarist and vocalist Harley Card (Hobson’s Choice, God’s Gift To Yoda,  Stoptime), bassist Rob McBride (David Gillis, The Yeats Project, Sarah Jerrom’s  Magpie) and drummer Jeff Luciani (Batucada Carioca, Bankruptcy, The Dears), with  Jerrom on vocals and piano. Their critically-acclaimed self-titled debut album, Dream  Logic, was released in 2017 on TPR Records. 

“...a team of sublime musicians...” – Ivan Rod (Denmark)

kirk macdonald quintet
August 6, 7, 8, 9 @ 8:30 pm

Kirk MacDonald - Tenor Saxophone
Virginia MacDonald - Clarinet
Terry Clarke - Drums
with special guests from New York
Bruce Barth - Piano
Mark Lewandowski - Bass

With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, and has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres. He has performed on over fifty CDs as both leader and sideman, and has participated in numerous national broadcast recordings for CBC Radio. In addition to performing extensively throughout Canada, he has also performed in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Monaco, Australia, Korea, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

For over thirty years Kirk MacDonald has worked and recorded with many leading Canadian, U.S. and International jazz musicians including Claude Ranger, Dave Young, Sam Noto, Sonny Greenwich, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Harold Mabern, Walter Bishop Jr., Tom Harrell, Vic Juris, Peter Bernstein, Adam Nussbaum, Rich Perry, Kurt Elling, David Virelles, Ralph Bowen, Dick Oatts, Ben Monder, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Blake, Lorne Lofsky, Bob Mover, Pat LaBarbera, John Taylor, Ron McClure, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Jim McNeely, Bob Mintzer, Vince Mendoza, John Clayton, Chris Potter, Glenn Ferris, Maria Schneider, Dave Grusin, Danilo Perez, Adam Rogers, Dennis Mackrel, Nancy Walker, Barry Romberg, Andre White, Rob Smith, Brian Dickinson, Denny Christianson, Bernie Senensky, Phil Nimmons, James Moody, Rosemary Clooney, and the Humber College Faculty Ensemble.

Over 100 performances of  Kirk MacDonald’s  compositions appear on 25 albums, both as leader and on recordings by other artists. Kirk has established a substantial body of original work as a saxophonist/composer over the past three decades. As a follow up to his award winning recordings Symmetry with Tom Harrell, and Vista Obscura with Harold Mabern, MacDonald released Common Ground, a double CD of his compositions arranged by Joe Sullivan for Jazz Orchestra. Silent Voices, a co-led quartet outing with renowned saxophonist Pat LaBarbera, featuring American jazz great Adam Nussbaum on drums. MacDonald’s latest recording Generations, brings him back full circle to his roots in a program of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. Generations features three generations of musicians: the legendary pianist Harold Mabern at age 82 and MacDonald’s wonderfully talented daughter Virginia MacDonald, at age 23, on clarinet.

Kirk MacDonald has been active as an educator for 30 years at leading jazz studies programs such as The University of Toronto, Humber College and McGill University. Through his work with these programs, numerous live performances, recordings, master classes and workshops throughout Canada and internationally, Kirk has become one of Canada’s most respected and in demand educators.

For close to three decades MacDonald has been a leader in his field of performance, composition and education and has had a huge and lasting influence on many of Canada’s younger generation of musicians. Many former students have gone on to forge national and international careers in many genres of music.

Kirk MacDonald is presently a full time professor at Humber College in Toronto. MacDonald also acts as the Artistic Director for the “Youth Jazz Canada” project and directs the “National Youth Jazz Combo”. This project also hosts a 2 week workshop in the summer for high school and post-secondary students.

JOHN AMATO
August 10 @ 2:00pm

John Amato - Vocals
Joe Amato - Saxophone

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Toronto vocalist John Amato and his band will be joined by Joe Amato on tenor to perform a show of the music of his childhood. Growing up with a father who is a jazz musician he was exposed to many great standards, recordings and artists at an early young age. With great respect for the music and its history, he sings every song with smooth, dynamic energy. He has sung at venues and concert halls across Ontario as a featuring artist and with the Toronto All-Star Big Band. Featuring the music of Kurt Elling, Dexter Gordon, Mel Torme, John Coltrane and more!

Jacob’s Cattle
August 10 & 11 @ 8:30pm

Roy Patterson - Guitar
Mike Eckert - Pedal Steel & Dobro
Aline Homzy - Violin
Andrew Downing - Bass

“Every note that he plays seems to have a purpose and a place, and both purpose and place usually have something to do with melody.”
– The Globe and Mail

In addition to his well-known role as a jazz performer and educator, for the past decade Roy Patterson has been resurrecting the imperfect memories of the music he heard on daily radio shows while growing up in rural Nova Scotia: a constant stream of country, folk, and 1960s & 70s hit parade, and crafting highly melodic textural compositions, brought to life in performance with a jazz sensibility.

In 2014 the first Jacob’s Cattle CD was released. “Songs From My Father’s House” is a collection of original music representing his first foray into the world of instrumental Americana. After a series of personnel changes, the current roundup of Jacob’s Cattle features Andrew Downing – bass, Mike Eckert – pedal steel & dobro, Jessica Deutsch – violin, and Roy Patterson – guitar. The quartet without drums represents a modern interpretation of the old string bands from the early and mid 20th century.

Mid-century rural meets urban modern with noir undertones.

Jack Zorawski Quartet
August 11 @ 5:30 pm

Jack Zorawski - Bass
Duncan Wilson - Piano
Kevin Coady - Drums
Alison Young - Saxophone

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Jack Zorawski Quartet featuring Jack Zorawski on bass, Duncan  Wilson on piano, Kevin Coady on drums and Alison Young on  saxophone. Their repertoire focuses on original compositions  deeply rooted in the American Songbook tradition, blending  classic lyricism with modern improvisational interplay.  The group builds on the legacy of First Train,Jack’s debut album  which received critical praise for its melodic strength and  compositional elegance. With over 35 years of performance  history across Ontario clubs and festivals, the group has recently  entered a new phase with Duncan Wilson joining on piano and  addition of multi award winning saxophonist Alison Young.  Jack Zorawski is a respected figure in the Canadian jazz scene,  known for his expressive tone and ensemble sensibility. He has  performed with artists such as Big Rude Jake, Red Hot Ramble  Alex Pengman and many others. 

Jacob’s Cattle
August 10 & 11 @ 8:30pm

Roy Patterson - Guitar
Mike Eckert - Pedal Steel & Dobro
Aline Homzy - Violin
Andrew Downing - Bass

“Every note that he plays seems to have a purpose and a place, and both purpose and place usually have something to do with melody.”
– The Globe and Mail

In addition to his well-known role as a jazz performer and educator, for the past decade Roy Patterson has been resurrecting the imperfect memories of the music he heard on daily radio shows while growing up in rural Nova Scotia: a constant stream of country, folk, and 1960s & 70s hit parade, and crafting highly melodic textural compositions, brought to life in performance with a jazz sensibility.

In 2014 the first Jacob’s Cattle CD was released. “Songs From My Father’s House” is a collection of original music representing his first foray into the world of instrumental Americana. After a series of personnel changes, the current roundup of Jacob’s Cattle features Andrew Downing – bass, Mike Eckert – pedal steel & dobro, Jessica Deutsch – violin, and Roy Patterson – guitar. The quartet without drums represents a modern interpretation of the old string bands from the early and mid 20th century.

Mid-century rural meets urban modern with noir undertones.

Frank Botos
August 5 & 12 @ 5:30 pm

Frank Botos - Drums
Ewen Farncombe - Piano
Artie Roth - Bass

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Born into a musical family, Frank became a first call drummer in Hungary at an early age. He worked and recorded with Hungary’s most well-known musicians, including Szakcsi, Tony Lakatos, Robert Lakatos, and Gabor Gado. Frank studied at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music with Gyula Kovacs and Ivan Nesztor. After leaving the school in 1991, Frank won first place in the “Krakow International Jazz Competition” in Poland. He has played on the main stages of European jazz festivals.

In 1998, Frank Botos immigrated to Canada, shortly after arriving in Canada with his brother Robi Botos. Frank and Robi became well established in the Toronto jazz scene as “The Botos Brothers.” They soon released their independent CD featuring Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, and Attila Darvas, which has received extensive airplay.

Frank continued his professional development in Canada by studying with renowned jazz educator Jim Blackley. Since then, Frank has worked with such international and local stars as Bela Fleck and Jean Luc-Ponty (Toronto International Jazz Festival main stage 2005), Avishai Cohen (Hungarian Jazz Festival 2005), Sonny Fortune (Hungarian Jazz Festival 2006), Mario Rodrigues, Joe Sealy and Paul Novotny (Du Maurier International Jazz Festival Toronto 1999), Dave Young, Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, Kirk MacDonald, Mike Murley, Michael Stewart, Phil Dwyer, Hugh Fraser, Jake Langley, Steve Wallace, Bernie Senensky, Stan Fomin, Shawan Nykwist, Neil Swanson, Gene Dinovi, David Braid, Lorne Lofsky, Shelley Berger, Nancy Walker, Mike Downs, and Kirk Lightsey to name a few.

Tymish Koznarsky
August 13 @ 5:30 pm  

Tymish Koznarsky - Alto Sax  

Steve Carson -Tenor Sax  

Mateo Mancuso - Drums  

Kieran Menard - Bass 

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Award-winning saxophonist Tymish Koznarsky is a dynamic voice  in Toronto’s jazz scene. Known for his expressive tone and deep  musicality, Tymish leads his own quintet and is a sought-after  sideman, performing regularly at top venues across the city. He  has worked and studied with jazz luminaries such as Harold  Mabern, Terri Lyne Carrington, Kirk MacDonald, and Pat  LaBarbera, and was a featured soloist on Caity Gyorgy’s Juno  Award-winning album Featuring. 

A frequent performer at The Rex, Tymish has appeared with  ensembles including the Jacob Chung Quintet, Ale Nunez group,  Duncan Wilson Quartet and more. His recent work includes a  recording with acclaimed vocalist Ale Nunez on her EP Lemon  Tree. His artistry has earned him multiple accolades, including the  Lou Williamson Woodwind Scholarship, the Greg Wells  Scholarship, and the Kira Payne Memorial Bursary.  

Website: https://www.tymishkoznarskymusic.com/about

Joe Farnsworth w/ Sarah Hanahan
August 13, 14, 15, 16 @ 8:30pm

Joe Farnsworth - Drums

Sarah Hanahan - Alto saxophone

Joe Farnsworth has spent his life on the bandstand with the Kings of music, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and George Coleman. He is now sharing what spirit and wisdom the greats gave him with the great young Sarah Hanahan. Sarah is one the greatest young stars on the alto saxophone playing with the spirit of Jackie McLean and Pharaoh Sanders. Nobody sounds like she does. 

This group lead by the veteran great Joe Farnsworth will play straight from a Pure Heart, with Pure Power!

Flintlock
August 14 @ 5:30pm

Jordan Talsky - Vocals
Eric St. Laurent - Guitar

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Flintlock is a Toronto-based jazz quintet that draws influence from bebop, alternative pop, rock, and beyond. Featuring vocalist Jordana Talsky, drummer/vibraphonist Mark Hundevad, pianist Scott Metcalfe, bassist James Thomson, and saxophonist Shawn Nykwist, along with guest artists, the group thrives on freedom, fun, and creativity. Their performances are driven by deep listening and improvisation, embracing an in-the-moment spirit that invites surprises and spontaneous grooves. With a love for pushing jazz’s boundaries, Flintlock makes every show an exciting, unpredictable ride.

Joe Farnsworth w/ Sarah Hanahan
August 13, 14, 15, 16 @ 8:30pm

Joe Farnsworth - Drums

Sarah Hanahan - Alto saxophone

Joe Farnsworth has spent his life on the bandstand with the Kings of music, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and George Coleman. He is now sharing what spirit and wisdom the greats gave him with the great young Sarah Hanahan. Sarah is one the greatest young stars on the alto saxophone playing with the spirit of Jackie McLean and Pharaoh Sanders. Nobody sounds like she does. 

This group lead by the veteran great Joe Farnsworth will play straight from a Pure Heart, with Pure Power!

The Triodes
August 15 & 29 @ 5:30 pm

Paul Neufeld - Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti - Guitar

Roberto Occhipinti - Bass

Drums: Lowell Whitty (August 15), Jinu Isac (August 29)

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Toronto's Triodes is a genre-jumping instrumental group that traces its roots to the upbeat instrumental R+B, soul, and funk of groups such as Booker T and the MGs, The Meters, and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, all with generous nods to early reggae and ska, modern jazz, experimental rock, and electronica.

Their album Chunked features unique covers of everything from Desmond Decker's hit "The Israelites" to groovy Duke Ellington on "Blue Pepper" to the psychedelic funk of The Rhythm Machine's "The Kick," alongside funky and quirky original music.

Joe Farnsworth w/ Sarah Hanahan
August 13, 14, 15, 16 @ 8:30pm

Joe Farnsworth - Drums

Sarah Hanahan - Alto saxophone

Joe Farnsworth has spent his life on the bandstand with the Kings of music, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and George Coleman. He is now sharing what spirit and wisdom the greats gave him with the great young Sarah Hanahan. Sarah is one the greatest young stars on the alto saxophone playing with the spirit of Jackie McLean and Pharaoh Sanders. Nobody sounds like she does. 

This group lead by the veteran great Joe Farnsworth will play straight from a Pure Heart, with Pure Power!

Kate Wyatt Trio
August 16 @ 2:00pm

Led by :Kate Wyatt - Piano

No Reservations
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Celebrated Canadian pianist and composer Kate Wyatt is one of the top tier jazz musicians in the city of Montreal. She has been praised as having “musical ideas and a style of playing and writing that is on par with the current jazz piano elite: Mehldau, Yaron Herman, Shai Maestro, Fred Hersch.”, and has been hailed as “one of the top artists of Montreal, Quebec, or even Canadian jazz.” (Cardin/Brunet, panm360.com). Her most recent album “Artifact” was released to overwhelmingly excellent critical reviews, and was featured on “Best Jazz of 2022” lists from Canada, the US and Europe. From Peter Hum of the Ottawa Citizen: “Pianist and composer Kate Wyatt is making some of Canada’s most exciting and engrossing small-ensemble jazz these days”. 

Kate Wyatt has performed with many recognized and respected musicians, including Kenny Wheeler, Jay Clayton, Ira Coleman, Yannick Rieu, Christine Jensen, Itamar Borochov, Ranee Lee, Don Thompson, Barry Elmes, Al McLean, and the Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal (ONJ). She has a passion for improvisation and innovation, and strives for a high level of sensitivity and interaction in her performances. Her music has been recognized with awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and she was recently nominated for the prestigious Canadian 2025 Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award. 

As well as being a passionate performer and composer, Wyatt is a deeply invested music educator. She heads the jazz program at Marianopolis College and conducts masterclasses around the country. Kate has been working as part of the Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada (CAMMAC) teaching team for over 10 years and has recently been asked to join the faculty at JazzWorks Canada

Billie Newton Davis
August 16 @ 5:30 pm

Billie Newton Davis - Vocals
Stu Harrison - Piano
Bass - TBA
Drums - TBA

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Singer/Songwriter/Recording Artist, Billy Newton-Davis, is a 4 time Juno Award winner for “Most Promising Male Vocalist”, and “Best R&B Recording”.

His 4th Juno was “Best Dance Recording, a collaboration with international producer DJ Deadmau5.

 ......He has performed on Broadway, as a song and dance man...  He has done the New York Night Club scene.....performed in London, Paris,  Amsterdam, Los Angeles, and Toronto ....Has recorded a duet with Celine Dion, on his 2nd CD released on Sony, “Spellbound”, the song “Can’t Live with You, Can’t Live Without You”  He performed and toured with The Nylons for several years.

Billy has extensively donated his talent towards humanitarian causes.  Helping to raise money for various charities, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Mental Health, and The LGBTQ2S+ Community.

Billy puts his heart first: “I want the world to know that I am sincere. I love what I do and I want to bring that sincerity to my fans when I perform.”

He recently performed his One man show “Sammy & Me directed by Thom Allison

Billy has recently recorded a new Jazz Album “Make Some Noise” dropping it in 2025!

Joe Farnsworth w/ Sarah Hanahan
August 13, 14, 15, 16 @ 8:30pm

Joe Farnsworth - Drums

Sarah Hanahan - Alto saxophone

Joe Farnsworth has spent his life on the bandstand with the Kings of music, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and George Coleman. He is now sharing what spirit and wisdom the greats gave him with the great young Sarah Hanahan. Sarah is one the greatest young stars on the alto saxophone playing with the spirit of Jackie McLean and Pharaoh Sanders. Nobody sounds like she does. 

This group lead by the veteran great Joe Farnsworth will play straight from a Pure Heart, with Pure Power!

Emily Steinwall
august 17 @ 2:00 pm

Emily Steinwall - Vocals

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Emily Steinwall is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Steinwall’s roots in Toronto’s music scene run deep; her grandparents and parents were all active members of the local live music scene. This organically grew into a full-time career as a gigging musician for local and touring acts. Emily has performed numerous times at the Rex as a saxophone player, an instrument she spent the first decade of her career focused on. Around 2017 Emily started to shift her energy towards songwriting, writing songs for her initial self-released album, titled “Welcome to the Garden”. It went on to receive the 2022 SOCAN songwriters prize.  Steinwall is currently working on her sophomore album, and writing music in an ever-evolving, explorative fashion. 

Oddgeirberg Trio
August 17 & 18 @ 8:30 pm

Oddgeir Berg - Piano / Keys
Audun Ramo - Double Bass
Lars Berntsen - Drums

The island of Rolla is tiny and sparsely populated - a mere 900 people live here. On A Place Called Home, Oddgeir Berg takes us to this, his father's birth place, for a concept album about the magic of nature, the spaces hidden in memory, and the bonds that family provides. Recorded with a new trio line-up and featuring arguably the strongest compositions of his career, this is at once his most personal and most universal work.

From afar, Rolla may look more like the tip of a vast underwater rockscape than an inhabitable island. Idyllically embedded into a fjord, it rises from the waterline to Mount Sula's 1,000 meter peak. Oddgeir's father was born on a couch in the very house depicted at the back of the cover and still today, the family spends many free days among Rolla's shores, meadows and mountains.These ten wordless songs pay homage to that time, taking listeners through a sonic tour of the island and its wild landscape. 

At the same time, the music was written during a period of personal turmoil, including a cancer diagnosis for Berg's mother, and the worries which accompanied her treatment. As one would expect, the music feels intimate and pastoral, mostly slower-paced and introspective. And yet, it unfolds a magnetic pull, drawing listeners in through the lyricism of its melodies and the simmering tension of the interplay between the musicians. You can clearly hear how close these topics are to Oddgeir Berg's heart. 

Considering this background, A Place Called Home is a remarkably uplifting experience. On “Circles,” Berg explores neoclassical fusion, inviting new member Audun Ramo to embark on a gorgeous bass solo. “Song for my Mother” oscillates between the hope- and the fearful as Lars Berntsen's drums bleed into textural pulses. But it is “Happiness is where YOU are” which is the most surprising cut here: A warm, almost danceable piece based on a four to the floor bass, and latin percussion flourishes which lend it a dreamy house feeling.

The spirit of gentle exploration may feel like a contradiction for an album about home. But really, it is only natural. Once you've climbed all the way to the top of Mount Sula, you're treated to a spectacular view: On the one side, it stretches across Norway. On the other, it opens into the sea and the Atlantic. 

It is an invitation to a journey – to make any place your home.

Eric St. Laurent
August 18 @ 5:30 PM

Eric St. Laurent - Guitar

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Born in Montreal, Eric studied guitar and improvisation in New York City before moving to Berlin, where he spent a decade as a sideman to big and small names of the European music world.

After re-locating to Toronto, he worked as a studio and live musician and dove into blues, country, and music tech. This interest in art and technology has led to recent recordings exploring common ground between composition, electronica, and various global music traditions.

Oddgeirberg Trio
August 17 & 18 @ 8:30 pm

Oddgeir Berg - Piano / Keys
Audun Ramo - Double Bass
Lars Berntsen - Drums

The island of Rolla is tiny and sparsely populated - a mere 900 people live here. On A Place Called Home, Oddgeir Berg takes us to this, his father's birth place, for a concept album about the magic of nature, the spaces hidden in memory, and the bonds that family provides. Recorded with a new trio line-up and featuring arguably the strongest compositions of his career, this is at once his most personal and most universal work.

From afar, Rolla may look more like the tip of a vast underwater rockscape than an inhabitable island. Idyllically embedded into a fjord, it rises from the waterline to Mount Sula's 1,000 meter peak. Oddgeir's father was born on a couch in the very house depicted at the back of the cover and still today, the family spends many free days among Rolla's shores, meadows and mountains.These ten wordless songs pay homage to that time, taking listeners through a sonic tour of the island and its wild landscape. 

At the same time, the music was written during a period of personal turmoil, including a cancer diagnosis for Berg's mother, and the worries which accompanied her treatment. As one would expect, the music feels intimate and pastoral, mostly slower-paced and introspective. And yet, it unfolds a magnetic pull, drawing listeners in through the lyricism of its melodies and the simmering tension of the interplay between the musicians. You can clearly hear how close these topics are to Oddgeir Berg's heart. 

Considering this background, A Place Called Home is a remarkably uplifting experience. On “Circles,” Berg explores neoclassical fusion, inviting new member Audun Ramo to embark on a gorgeous bass solo. “Song for my Mother” oscillates between the hope- and the fearful as Lars Berntsen's drums bleed into textural pulses. But it is “Happiness is where YOU are” which is the most surprising cut here: A warm, almost danceable piece based on a four to the floor bass, and latin percussion flourishes which lend it a dreamy house feeling.

The spirit of gentle exploration may feel like a contradiction for an album about home. But really, it is only natural. Once you've climbed all the way to the top of Mount Sula, you're treated to a spectacular view: On the one side, it stretches across Norway. On the other, it opens into the sea and the Atlantic. 

It is an invitation to a journey – to make any place your home.

Trombone Charlotte & Jared Higgins Present: Grapevine Quartet
August 19 & 26 @ 5:30pm

Charlotte McAfee-Brunner - Trombone and Vocals 

Jared Higgins - Guitar 

Max Simpson - Bass 

Andrew McCarthy - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Toronto's very own Charlotte McAfee-Brunner, AKA Trombone Charlotte, has  been working in the local Jazz scene since 2016 as a trombone sideman and has  been singing and leading bands since 2021. With her roots in 30s and 40s swing  and both classic and modern big band music, she has made a serious footprint in  the Traditional New Orleans Jazz scene in Toronto as well. Some career highlights  of the past few years include bandleading one or more times at Toronto Jazz  Festival, Kensington Market Jazz Festival, Port Hope Jazz Festival, Mont Tremblent  Blues Festival, and singing original songs in the 2023 Women's Blues Reveue at  Massey Hall. She also performed in a big band of Toronto's top musicians  accompanying the Yellow Jackets at Koerner Hall this past April! 

Trombone Charlotte has recently returned from New Orleans where she played  regularly at many iconic venues like the Spotted Cat or Fritzel's Jazz Pub; sat in at  Snug Harbor, Preservation Hall, and the Danny Barker Festival; and played  Trombone for Monty Banks at the French Quarter Festival and for Glen David  Andrews at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. 

JV’s Boogaloo Squad
August 20 & 27th @ 5:30 pm

Joel Visentin - Organ
Adam Beer-Colacino - Guitar
Jeff Halischuk - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

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 with the unparalleled guitarist Adam Beer-Colacino and veteran Toronto drummer Jeff Halischuk to form the group of his dreams, JV’s Boogaloo Squad.  The musical connection was electric, and all three musicians immediately recognized that they had stumbled on something greater than the sum of its parts.  They have since worked their way up through the national club circuit, recently headlining at major jazz festivals throughout Ontario and Québec including Toronto's International Jazz Festival in 2018. In the short time since the release of their 2019 album, "Going to Market", JV's Boogaloo Squad has reached #6 on US Campus Jazz Radio charts as well as number #29 on JazzWeek's chart for US commercial Radio. Brad Barker of Jazz FM 91 has even named this project one of three "new jazz albums from 2019 that you need to hear".  This group has truly crafted a unique and soulful sound that is both thrilling on impact and deeply evocative of a timeless musical nostalgia.  With an extensive repertoire combining original music and soul hits, along with a palatable energy on stage, a show with JV's Boogaloo squad is guaranteed to have audiences dancing on their feet and calling out for more. 

Melody Diachun’s Sumner Tales: The music of sting
August 20, 21, 22, 23 @ 8:30 PM

Melody Diachun – Vocals

David Restivo – Piano, Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti – Guitar, Loops, Ambient effects

Doug Stephenson – Acoustic bass

Tony Ferraro – Drums

Awarded Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards, vocalist and songwriter Melody Diachun (DAY-shun) is known for her “soulful confidence, exquisite phrasing, and impeccable sense of time" (All About Jazz). With five albums to her name and nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards, she has been called “a force to reckon with in contemporary vocal music” (Toronto Music Report).

At The Rex, Melody presents Sumner’s Tales: The Music of Sting—songs by Sting and The Police, viewed through a contemporary jazz lens. Backed by an outstanding band, she blends reverence for the originals with fresh insight. The group has earned praise for its “inspired arrangements, soundscapes, and grooves that range from lush to bombastic” (Tinnitist).

Rooted in a musical journey that began in Montreal and led through Nova Scotia, New York City, Banff, and Vancouver, Melody now finds her poetic home in Nelson, British Columbia. With her acclaimed group, she offers a heartfelt take on music that resonates across generations, honouring its spirit while making it entirely their own.

melodydiachun.com

Harry Bartlett’s Mountain Air
July 21 @ 5:30 PM

Harry Bartlett - Guitar
Andrew Downing - Bass
Aline Homzy - Violin

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Harry Bartlett is an award winning guitarist and composer whose work blends elements of jazz, classical, and bluegrass music. Following the success of his debut album Wildwood, which was praised as “thoughtful, impressionistic, and cinematic” (LA Jazz Scene), Harry relocated to Nashville to immerse himself in traditional folk music.

During his time in Tennessee, he has had the opportunity to perform and record alongside Béla Fleck, Tray Wellington, Chris Eldridge, and Gary Nichols and study with renowned bluegrass guitarist Jordan Tice. These experiences have greatly influenced his evolution as both a guitarist and a composer.

Harry’s latest project, Mountain Air, showcases his personal guitar style and a deepening connection to acoustic music. While the album retains a foundational approach to jazz improvisation, it also offers clear shades of bluegrass, old-time, and folk influences. Recorded with the support of the Suba Institute, Harry worked alongside prominent Canadian jazz musicians, including violinist Aline Homzy and bassist Andrew Downing.

Melody Diachun’s Sumner Tales: The music of sting
August 20, 21, 22, 23 @ 8:30 PM

Melody Diachun – Vocals

David Restivo – Piano, Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti – Guitar, Loops, Ambient effects

Doug Stephenson – Acoustic bass

Tony Ferraro – Drums

Awarded Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards, vocalist and songwriter Melody Diachun (DAY-shun) is known for her “soulful confidence, exquisite phrasing, and impeccable sense of time" (All About Jazz). With five albums to her name and nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards, she has been called “a force to reckon with in contemporary vocal music” (Toronto Music Report).

At The Rex, Melody presents Sumner’s Tales: The Music of Sting—songs by Sting and The Police, viewed through a contemporary jazz lens. Backed by an outstanding band, she blends reverence for the originals with fresh insight. The group has earned praise for its “inspired arrangements, soundscapes, and grooves that range from lush to bombastic” (Tinnitist).

Rooted in a musical journey that began in Montreal and led through Nova Scotia, New York City, Banff, and Vancouver, Melody now finds her poetic home in Nelson, British Columbia. With her acclaimed group, she offers a heartfelt take on music that resonates across generations, honouring its spirit while making it entirely their own.

melodydiachun.com

WE 3 Trio
August 22 @ 5:30 pm

Ilios Steryanis - Drums
Josh Smiley - Piano
Bennett Young - Bass

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Coming together under unusual circumstances, the members of piano trio We 3 found a  common thread in a mutual appreciation for pianist Phineas Newborn. They quickly decided to  add the entire 1958 album We Three to their repertoire, a classic piano trio record that features  Roy Haynes and Paul Chambers. Since then, Josh Smiley on piano, Bennett Young on bass and  Ilios Steryannis on drums have added other composers to their playlist, including Oscar  Pettiford, Benny Golson, and the late and dearly missed Toronto musician Julia Cleveland.

Melody Diachun’s Sumner Tales: The music of sting
August 20, 21, 22, 23 @ 8:30 PM

Melody Diachun – Vocals

David Restivo – Piano, Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti – Guitar, Loops, Ambient effects

Doug Stephenson – Acoustic bass

Tony Ferraro – Drums

Awarded Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards, vocalist and songwriter Melody Diachun (DAY-shun) is known for her “soulful confidence, exquisite phrasing, and impeccable sense of time" (All About Jazz). With five albums to her name and nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards, she has been called “a force to reckon with in contemporary vocal music” (Toronto Music Report).

At The Rex, Melody presents Sumner’s Tales: The Music of Sting—songs by Sting and The Police, viewed through a contemporary jazz lens. Backed by an outstanding band, she blends reverence for the originals with fresh insight. The group has earned praise for its “inspired arrangements, soundscapes, and grooves that range from lush to bombastic” (Tinnitist).

Rooted in a musical journey that began in Montreal and led through Nova Scotia, New York City, Banff, and Vancouver, Melody now finds her poetic home in Nelson, British Columbia. With her acclaimed group, she offers a heartfelt take on music that resonates across generations, honouring its spirit while making it entirely their own.

melodydiachun.com

Blunt Object
august 23 @ 2:00pm

Led by Robin Jessome - Trombone

No Reservations
Cover Charges:
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Blunt Object is a Toronto-based 11-piece  jazz-type ensemble performing energetic,  creative music; balancing unique  improvisers with quirky and compelling  arrangements. Featuring the quirky music  of Carla Bley, the ensemble presents  engaging music with a refreshing sense of  humour.

Melody Diachun’s Sumner Tales: The music of sting
August 20, 21, 22, 23 @ 8:30 PM

Melody Diachun – Vocals

David Restivo – Piano, Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti – Guitar, Loops, Ambient effects

Doug Stephenson – Acoustic bass

Tony Ferraro – Drums

Awarded Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards, vocalist and songwriter Melody Diachun (DAY-shun) is known for her “soulful confidence, exquisite phrasing, and impeccable sense of time" (All About Jazz). With five albums to her name and nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards, she has been called “a force to reckon with in contemporary vocal music” (Toronto Music Report).

At The Rex, Melody presents Sumner’s Tales: The Music of Sting—songs by Sting and The Police, viewed through a contemporary jazz lens. Backed by an outstanding band, she blends reverence for the originals with fresh insight. The group has earned praise for its “inspired arrangements, soundscapes, and grooves that range from lush to bombastic” (Tinnitist).

Rooted in a musical journey that began in Montreal and led through Nova Scotia, New York City, Banff, and Vancouver, Melody now finds her poetic home in Nelson, British Columbia. With her acclaimed group, she offers a heartfelt take on music that resonates across generations, honouring its spirit while making it entirely their own.

melodydiachun.com

WATKINSON, HENDRY & MIP
August 24 @2:00pm

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Chloe Watkinson, Neil Hendry, and Mip have been playing as a trio since 2018. They played in New Orleans, Montreal, Eutin (Germany), and around Ontario. They also collaborated on Chloe Watkinson's January 2025 release "skin writer", now streaming. You can also find "Mip Power Trio", and "So Long Seven" online. For the first time at The Rex (in this iteration) they will combine forces and perform originals by all three writers.

Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz
august 24 & 25 @ 8:30 PM

Led By : Waleed Abdulhamid

Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz is always evolving, just like the artists and landscapes that inspire it. The band lives in a constant state of “Becoming,” embracing a spirit of exploration, inclusivity, and accessibility. Their music is a rich blend of African rhythms and American jazz harmonies to create a true cultural melting pot. More than just a band, Waleed Kush-Afro Jazz draws from African values of community and shared knowledge. The group isn’t solely about performing; it’s dedicated to building connections – both within the ensemble and with audiences.

Their workshops mirror this philosophy, emphasizing mentorship and collective learning. This philosophy inspired Waleed to call himself and his bandmates “Humanity Practitioners,” due to their first-hand experience seeing music as a healing art form. Through their music and interaction with audiences, they create a space for healing—for themselves and everyone they reach. “...this music is where we meet, all of us. We (the group) are from Sudan, Japan, Poland, Cuba, Barbados, Spain, for sure I would not meet all these talented artists if I were still in Sudan.”

- Waleed Abdulhamid.

In addition to live performances, the band is actively involved in educational initiatives, offering workshops and seeking mentorship opportunities to nurture the next generation of musicians and artists. They believe in the power of education and shared experiences to foster understanding and build stronger communities. Their work exemplifies how art can be a catalyst for connection, healing, and positive change in the world.

Rohaam Keyvani Quintet
August 25 @ 5:30 pm

Andrew McAnsh - Trumpet 

James Griffith - Alto Saxophone  

Rohaam Keyvani - Piano  

Kieran Menard - Bass 

Alex Sgrignoli - Drums 

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Rohaam Keyvani is an active pianist in Toronto.  He has played with many big names of Toronto and  NYC. His playing is deeply rooted in the styles of  people like Aaron Parks, Kenny Barron, and many  more. He has seen many mentors along the way like  pianist Kenneth Ascher and many top toronto Pianists.  He is also rooted in Toronto culture having worked and  played with many students and professors of  institutions like UofT and Humber. 

Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz
august 24 & 25 @ 8:30 PM

Led By : Waleed Abdulhamid

Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz is always evolving, just like the artists and landscapes that inspire it. The band lives in a constant state of “Becoming,” embracing a spirit of exploration, inclusivity, and accessibility. Their music is a rich blend of African rhythms and American jazz harmonies to create a true cultural melting pot. More than just a band, Waleed Kush-Afro Jazz draws from African values of community and shared knowledge. The group isn’t solely about performing; it’s dedicated to building connections – both within the ensemble and with audiences.

Their workshops mirror this philosophy, emphasizing mentorship and collective learning. This philosophy inspired Waleed to call himself and his bandmates “Humanity Practitioners,” due to their first-hand experience seeing music as a healing art form. Through their music and interaction with audiences, they create a space for healing—for themselves and everyone they reach. “...this music is where we meet, all of us. We (the group) are from Sudan, Japan, Poland, Cuba, Barbados, Spain, for sure I would not meet all these talented artists if I were still in Sudan.”

- Waleed Abdulhamid.

In addition to live performances, the band is actively involved in educational initiatives, offering workshops and seeking mentorship opportunities to nurture the next generation of musicians and artists. They believe in the power of education and shared experiences to foster understanding and build stronger communities. Their work exemplifies how art can be a catalyst for connection, healing, and positive change in the world.

Trombone Charlotte & Jared Higgins Present: Grapevine Quartet
August 19 & 26 @ 5:30pm

Charlotte McAfee-Brunner - Trombone and Vocals 

Jared Higgins - Guitar 

Max Simpson - Bass 

Andrew McCarthy - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Toronto's very own Charlotte McAfee-Brunner, AKA Trombone Charlotte, has  been working in the local Jazz scene since 2016 as a trombone sideman and has  been singing and leading bands since 2021. With her roots in 30s and 40s swing  and both classic and modern big band music, she has made a serious footprint in  the Traditional New Orleans Jazz scene in Toronto as well. Some career highlights  of the past few years include bandleading one or more times at Toronto Jazz  Festival, Kensington Market Jazz Festival, Port Hope Jazz Festival, Mont Tremblent  Blues Festival, and singing original songs in the 2023 Women's Blues Reveue at  Massey Hall. She also performed in a big band of Toronto's top musicians  accompanying the Yellow Jackets at Koerner Hall this past April! 

Trombone Charlotte has recently returned from New Orleans where she played  regularly at many iconic venues like the Spotted Cat or Fritzel's Jazz Pub; sat in at  Snug Harbor, Preservation Hall, and the Danny Barker Festival; and played  Trombone for Monty Banks at the French Quarter Festival and for Glen David  Andrews at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. 

JV’s Boogaloo Squad
August 20 & 27th @ 5:30 pm

Joel Visentin - Organ
Adam Beer-Colacino - Guitar
Jeff Halischuk - Drums

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

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 with the unparalleled guitarist Adam Beer-Colacino and veteran Toronto drummer Jeff Halischuk to form the group of his dreams, JV’s Boogaloo Squad.  The musical connection was electric, and all three musicians immediately recognized that they had stumbled on something greater than the sum of its parts.  They have since worked their way up through the national club circuit, recently headlining at major jazz festivals throughout Ontario and Québec including Toronto's International Jazz Festival in 2018. In the short time since the release of their 2019 album, "Going to Market", JV's Boogaloo Squad has reached #6 on US Campus Jazz Radio charts as well as number #29 on JazzWeek's chart for US commercial Radio. Brad Barker of Jazz FM 91 has even named this project one of three "new jazz albums from 2019 that you need to hear".  This group has truly crafted a unique and soulful sound that is both thrilling on impact and deeply evocative of a timeless musical nostalgia.  With an extensive repertoire combining original music and soul hits, along with a palatable energy on stage, a show with JV's Boogaloo squad is guaranteed to have audiences dancing on their feet and calling out for more. 

Adrean Farrugia
August 27, 28, 29 & 30 @ 8:30 pm

Adrean Farrugia - Piano
Band - TBA

Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano.

Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan.

Adrean has performed/recorded with some of jazz’s greatest and most diverse artists including: Ernie Watts, Adam Nussbaum, Larry Carlton, Curtis Fuller, Tom Scott, Bob Brookmeyer, Randy Brecker, Eric Alexander, Cyrille Aimee, Molly Johnson, Jane Bunnett, Ron Blake, Joel Frahm, Matt Penman, Dafnis Prieto, Kinan Azmeh, Brad Goode, Kenny Wheeler, Darcy James Argue, Don Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Kevin Turcotte, and Pat Labarbera.

Adrean currently performs/has performed with such diverse projects as saxophone legend Ernie Watts’ Band, the Matt Dusk Band, the Brad Goode Group (featuring Ernie Watts and Adam Nussbaum), The Ernesto Cervini group Turboprop (featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm), The Johnny Griffith Quintet, Heather Bambrick, Marito Marques, Violinist Drew Jurecka, Kiki Misumi, Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’, the Bob Brough Quartet, Avery Raquel, and the Darcy Hepner Big Band.

As a leader Adrean has released four albums. His second album ‘Ricochet’ was nominated for a 2011 Juno award for best contemporary jazz recording. As a composer Adrean has penned more than 30 works to date.

Adrean is currently on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College where he teaches contemporary piano, ensembles and improvisation. He has also served on the faculty of York University. He has also done workshops/clinics at the University of Colorado, University of Toronto, The University of Western Ontario, The Banff Centre for the arts, The Sydney and Brisbane Conservatories, and in Warsaw Poland as part of the Polish Jazz Society’s 35th annual Summer Jazz Workshop.

Adrean has been a contributing writer to piano guru Larry Fine’s publication “The Piano Book”, the world’s foremost publication on all things piano. Adrean has also been a performer and panelist at the 63rd, 67th, 69th and 70th annual Conference on World Affairs in Boulder Colorado.

Adrean is endorsed by Shigeru Kawai pianos.

Nastasia Y
August 28 @ 8:30pm

Nastasia Y - keyboards, vocals  

Andrew McAnsh - drums  + TBC 

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Nastasia Y (nas-TA-sya Why) braids ancient  folk songs with modern grooves to create a  sound uniquely her own - but if you need a  genre, try Ukrainian soul. Her artistry is  shaped just as much by growing up in Kyiv,  raised on her late father’s freedom songs, as  by jazz school days in Toronto listening to  Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu. Weaving  ancestral sounds with lush synths, funky  loops, and groovy basslines, her music is  fresh yet nostalgic - entangled in the  complex emotions of war and love,  heartbreak and hope. Her album Kyiv  Soul earned praise from CBC, World Music  Charts Europe, and a Canadian Folk Music  Award nomination.  

Adrean Farrugia
August 27, 28, 29 & 30 @ 8:30 pm

Adrean Farrugia - Piano

Band- Tba

Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano.

Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan.

Adrean has performed/recorded with some of jazz’s greatest and most diverse artists including: Ernie Watts, Adam Nussbaum, Larry Carlton, Curtis Fuller, Tom Scott, Bob Brookmeyer, Randy Brecker, Eric Alexander, Cyrille Aimee, Molly Johnson, Jane Bunnett, Ron Blake, Joel Frahm, Matt Penman, Dafnis Prieto, Kinan Azmeh, Brad Goode, Kenny Wheeler, Darcy James Argue, Don Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Kevin Turcotte, and Pat Labarbera.

Adrean currently performs/has performed with such diverse projects as saxophone legend Ernie Watts’ Band, the Matt Dusk Band, the Brad Goode Group (featuring Ernie Watts and Adam Nussbaum), The Ernesto Cervini group Turboprop (featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm), The Johnny Griffith Quintet, Heather Bambrick, Marito Marques, Violinist Drew Jurecka, Kiki Misumi, Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’, the Bob Brough Quartet, Avery Raquel, and the Darcy Hepner Big Band.

As a leader Adrean has released four albums. His second album ‘Ricochet’ was nominated for a 2011 Juno award for best contemporary jazz recording. As a composer Adrean has penned more than 30 works to date.

Adrean is currently on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College where he teaches contemporary piano, ensembles and improvisation. He has also served on the faculty of York University. He has also done workshops/clinics at the University of Colorado, University of Toronto, The University of Western Ontario, The Banff Centre for the arts, The Sydney and Brisbane Conservatories, and in Warsaw Poland as part of the Polish Jazz Society’s 35th annual Summer Jazz Workshop.

Adrean has been a contributing writer to piano guru Larry Fine’s publication “The Piano Book”, the world’s foremost publication on all things piano. Adrean has also been a performer and panelist at the 63rd, 67th, 69th and 70th annual Conference on World Affairs in Boulder Colorado.

Adrean is endorsed by Shigeru Kawai pianos.

The Triodes
August 15 & 29 @ 5:30 pm

Paul Neufeld - Keyboards

Michael Occhipinti - Guitar

Roberto Occhipinti - Bass

Drums: Lowell Whitty (August 15), Jinu Isac (August 29)

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

Toronto's Triodes is a genre-jumping instrumental group that traces its roots to the upbeat instrumental R+B, soul, and funk of groups such as Booker T and the MGs, The Meters, and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, all with generous nods to early reggae and ska, modern jazz, experimental rock, and electronica.

Their album Chunked features unique covers of everything from Desmond Decker's hit "The Israelites" to groovy Duke Ellington on "Blue Pepper" to the psychedelic funk of The Rhythm Machine's "The Kick," alongside funky and quirky original music.

Adrean Farrugia
August 27, 28, 29 & 30 @ 8:30 pm

Adrean Farrugia - Piano
Band - TBA

Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano.

Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan.

Adrean has performed/recorded with some of jazz’s greatest and most diverse artists including: Ernie Watts, Adam Nussbaum, Larry Carlton, Curtis Fuller, Tom Scott, Bob Brookmeyer, Randy Brecker, Eric Alexander, Cyrille Aimee, Molly Johnson, Jane Bunnett, Ron Blake, Joel Frahm, Matt Penman, Dafnis Prieto, Kinan Azmeh, Brad Goode, Kenny Wheeler, Darcy James Argue, Don Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Kevin Turcotte, and Pat Labarbera.

Adrean currently performs/has performed with such diverse projects as saxophone legend Ernie Watts’ Band, the Matt Dusk Band, the Brad Goode Group (featuring Ernie Watts and Adam Nussbaum), The Ernesto Cervini group Turboprop (featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm), The Johnny Griffith Quintet, Heather Bambrick, Marito Marques, Violinist Drew Jurecka, Kiki Misumi, Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’, the Bob Brough Quartet, Avery Raquel, and the Darcy Hepner Big Band.

As a leader Adrean has released four albums. His second album ‘Ricochet’ was nominated for a 2011 Juno award for best contemporary jazz recording. As a composer Adrean has penned more than 30 works to date.

Adrean is currently on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College where he teaches contemporary piano, ensembles and improvisation. He has also served on the faculty of York University. He has also done workshops/clinics at the University of Colorado, University of Toronto, The University of Western Ontario, The Banff Centre for the arts, The Sydney and Brisbane Conservatories, and in Warsaw Poland as part of the Polish Jazz Society’s 35th annual Summer Jazz Workshop.

Adrean has been a contributing writer to piano guru Larry Fine’s publication “The Piano Book”, the world’s foremost publication on all things piano. Adrean has also been a performer and panelist at the 63rd, 67th, 69th and 70th annual Conference on World Affairs in Boulder Colorado.

Adrean is endorsed by Shigeru Kawai pianos.

Richard Whiteman
August 30 @ 2:00pm

Richard Whiteman - Bass

No Reservations
Cover Charges:
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

“In addition to his evident skills as a pianist, Whiteman has a knack for composition, crafting bold post-bop tunes and elegant ballads that feel right at home with the group’s versions of standards.”

– Stuart Broomer, Toronto Life

Toronto native Richard Whiteman is an extremely versatile player, fluent in styles ranging from the stride masters of the twenties, through Bud Powell and Bill Evans, to modern giants like Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock. As a leader, he has released 10CDs  and has received raves from as far away as Japan, where his “GROOVEYARD” disc was rated one of the Top 500 Jazz Piano Trio records of all time.

For over thirty years  Richard has performed at major Toronto jazz venues, and has also played with orchestras (The Canada Pops Orchestra) and big bands (including The Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra), in new music concerts (Hemispheres Music Projects),  musical theatre (“Forever Plaid”), and at countless “casual” engagements with Canada’s finest jazz musicians. He has also toured Canada with the Cookers Quintet  and his own his trio and performed in Brazil and Egypt.

Some of the stellar musicians Richard has worked with are Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler, Harold Danko, Marcus Belgrave, Pat LaBarbera, Ken Peplowski, Nick Brignola, Ed Bickert, Jane Bunnett and Dutch violin star, Tim Kliphuis. As well as leading his own groups, Richard is a member of the The Al Henderson Quintet and is much in demand by vocalists, including John Alcorn, Jackie Richardson, Dee Daniels, Bonnie Brett and Heather Bambrick.

In addition to his busy club, corporate and touring schedule, Richard is also an educator, teaching jazz piano and leading ensembles at York University in Toronto.

Joanna Majoko Duo
August 30th @ 5:30pm

Joanna Majoko - Vocals

No Reservations
$10 Cover Charge

For many Canadian music fans, the name Joanna Majoko is a familiar one: the Toronto-based vocalist, composer, and bandleader has established a reputation as one of Canada’s most exciting young singers. Majoko has been a regular presence on the bandstand with some of the country’s top musicians, including Jane Bunnet and Maqueque, David Clayton-Thomas, of Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Larnell Lewis, of Snarky Puppy. She has performed at some of the world’s biggest festivals, such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, France’s Jazz sur son 31 Festival, and Switzerland’s Internationales Jazz festival Bern, where she participated in a week-long residency with Maqueque. Majoko has also been the recipient of a number of notable accolades, including Emerging Jazz Artist at the 2021 Toronto Arts Foundation awards, Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2019 ByBlacks People’s Choice Awards, major grants from the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council, and FACTOR, and has been a master class artist at Humber College and the University of Toronto.

Born in Germany to German and Zimbabwean parents, Majoko spent the majority of her childhood in Zimbabwe, where she grew up speaking Shona and German and participating in choirs, musicals, drum ensembles, and traditional Zimbabwean dance groups. From Zimbabwe, Majoko moved briefly to South Africa; then, at the age of fourteen, she and her family moved to Manitoba. It was at the University of Manitoba that Majoko would become immersed in jazz, and would hone her skills as a vocalist, composer, and bandleader. Later, a move to Toronto would prove to be the catalyst for the next stage of her career. In Toronto’s rich, multi-faceted musical community, Majoko found a steady stream of festivals, radio stations, and club programmers who were eager to hear her voice, both as a guest vocalist and with her own successful group. Majoko has been a fixture at the Toronto Jazz Festival, on Jazz FM, at clubs such as The Rex and Poetry, and at major venues, including the Harbourfront Centre and the Canadian Opera Company’s Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. In addition to her talents as a vocalist, composer, and arranger, Majoko has expanded her skills as a multi-instrumentalist, developing a sense of advanced rhythmic independence by incorporating the caxixi and claves into her performance practice. This year, she adds another important entry to her list of accomplishments: the release of her debut EP, No Holding Back.

Adrean Farrugia
August 27, 28, 29 & 30 @ 8:30 pm

Adrean Farrugia - Piano
Band - TBA

Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most distinct voices on the piano.

Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan.

Adrean has performed/recorded with some of jazz’s greatest and most diverse artists including: Ernie Watts, Adam Nussbaum, Larry Carlton, Curtis Fuller, Tom Scott, Bob Brookmeyer, Randy Brecker, Eric Alexander, Cyrille Aimee, Molly Johnson, Jane Bunnett, Ron Blake, Joel Frahm, Matt Penman, Dafnis Prieto, Kinan Azmeh, Brad Goode, Kenny Wheeler, Darcy James Argue, Don Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Kevin Turcotte, and Pat Labarbera.

Adrean currently performs/has performed with such diverse projects as saxophone legend Ernie Watts’ Band, the Matt Dusk Band, the Brad Goode Group (featuring Ernie Watts and Adam Nussbaum), The Ernesto Cervini group Turboprop (featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm), The Johnny Griffith Quintet, Heather Bambrick, Marito Marques, Violinist Drew Jurecka, Kiki Misumi, Tim Shia’s ‘The Worst Pop Band Ever’, the Bob Brough Quartet, Avery Raquel, and the Darcy Hepner Big Band.

As a leader Adrean has released four albums. His second album ‘Ricochet’ was nominated for a 2011 Juno award for best contemporary jazz recording. As a composer Adrean has penned more than 30 works to date.

Adrean is currently on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College where he teaches contemporary piano, ensembles and improvisation. He has also served on the faculty of York University. He has also done workshops/clinics at the University of Colorado, University of Toronto, The University of Western Ontario, The Banff Centre for the arts, The Sydney and Brisbane Conservatories, and in Warsaw Poland as part of the Polish Jazz Society’s 35th annual Summer Jazz Workshop.

Adrean has been a contributing writer to piano guru Larry Fine’s publication “The Piano Book”, the world’s foremost publication on all things piano. Adrean has also been a performer and panelist at the 63rd, 67th, 69th and 70th annual Conference on World Affairs in Boulder Colorado.

Adrean is endorsed by Shigeru Kawai pianos.

Brooke Blackburn
August 31 @ 2:00pm

Primarily first-come, first-served, Limited VIP tickets are available for guaranteed premium seating and meet & greet.
Cover Charges
$15 Front Section
$10 Back Section

Brooke Blackburn is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and the lead vocalist for The Bentley Collective; guitarist for two-time Juno nominated band The Blackburn Brothers.
As a songwriter Brooke has had a focus in Black Canadian historical events on many compositions. With the release of The Bentley Collective’s solo album, “Songs,” the band has been performing throughout Toronto and have established a few residencies that keeps the vibe fresh. Through the shutdown they had the opportunity to write and record at home set-forth a single release “ “Heroes” and another 2 albums worth of material that could be heard presently on stage during the bands live performances. This is music that has a message and a groove.