Ally Fiola & the next quest
September 29 @ 8:30 PM

Ally Fiola - Saxophone
Simon Oakey - Trombone
Addison Sowery-Quinn - Sousaphone
Tom Richards - Keys
Lowell Whitty - Drums

Ally Fiola is a Nova Scotian saxophonist, film composer, and bandleader of the groove-based jazz ensemble, The Next Quest. Quirky melodies combined with joyous grooves and unexpected twists and turns, The Next Quest is inspired by funk, soul, and traditional New Orleans brass band. As an experienced composer, Ally connects to a wide-range of listeners with music that is emotionally charged, infused with personality yet widely accessible. “Thoughts of Home”, an original composition from her latest album, was nominated for the 2022 Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards in the jazz category.

Ally’s recently released original jazz album, Interblaze, features 3x Grammy winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones), Grammy winning keyboardist Glenn Patscha (Bonnie Raitt), Kurdish guitarist Shvan Kaban, and many top-tier Nova Scotian musicians, including co-producer Chris Mitchell. The full-length album considers themes of grief, wonder, fear, and passion through the exploration of one’s inner fire. It includes seven original compositions and concludes with a tribute to Ally’s late grandfather, which are strategically arranged to highlight the talented artists she assembled for this project. The melodies are often artfully handed off from one musician to the next, and each has their opportunity to demonstrate their proficient improvising skills.