It all happens starting November 9 at some of Calgary’s finest music venues. JazzYYC’s Canadian Festival features some of the finest Canadian musicians playing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and around the World.
Your eyes and ears will thank you for gifting them experiences from Headliner Gil Goldenstein and Mark de Jong playing the music of Michael Brecker with the MusicConnect Chamber Orchestra, to Rubim de Toledo’s Global Jazz Project, Elizabeth Shepard, Dirty Catfish Brass Band, jazz brunches with Kai Poscente and Calgary Women’s Jazz Orchestra, and of course the return of our world-famous JazzWalk.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning your November long weekend and get your tickets today.
A member of many local groups, most notably The Primetime Big Band and the Calgary Creative Arts Ensemble, Keith O’Rourke is blessed with the opportunity to regularly perform for many of Calgary’s jazz fans, he has been able to make a name for himself and become a recognizable figure in the jazz community.
From Edmonton, Canadian-Brazilian bassist Rubim de Toledo presents a concert of new music inspired by Latin, funk, Afro-beat and ethno-jazz influences. Featuring guest vocalist, the Edmonton-based soul/jazz songstress Karimah, the band ignites the stage with irresistible grooves, melodies, and improvisations sure to please the body, soul, and mind.
Gil Goldstein (Florida), composer/accordion/keyboard
Mark DeJong, (Calgary), saxophone
Andre Wickenheiser (Calgary), Poopet
Carsten Rubeling (Calgary), trombone
Daniel Nava (Calgary), bass
Brett Hansen (Edmonton), guitar
Sanah Kadoura (Toronto), drums
Katrina Kwantes (Calgary) - english horn/oboe
Jia Jia Li (Calgary), flute
Cedric Blary (Calgary), bass clarinet
Lauria Matiation, french horn
Luis Tovar (Calgary), percussion
Genevieve Micheletti (Calgary), violin
Diane Lane (Calgary), violin
Liza Scriggins-Lowry (Calgary), viola
Andrea Case (Calgary), cello
MusicConnect and JazzYYC are proud to present a retrospective of American jazz saxophonist phenom Michael Becker’s amazing career and body of work featuring Gil Goldstein, Mark DeJong, and the MusicConnect Chamber Orchestra featuring some of the best musicians in Calgary, across Alberta, Canada, and the World.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba and formed in the fall of 2011, Dirty Catfish Brass Band’s aim is to inspire, create and instigate – but, mostly, they just want you on your feet.. Much like the great brass bands from New Orleans, DCBB are dedicated to offering their community a gathering place to feel the joy of music and dance.
This soul-jazz innovator based in Montreal has established herself as one of the most captivating and imaginative artists on the current scene. A classically trained pianist who turned to jazz through her love of old-school hip-hop, Elizabeth Shephard has been hailed as a “jazz virtuoso with a pop sensibility” (Real Detroit Weekly) and has been praised by critics worldwide for her compelling song writing and soulful performances.
Long time bassist and arts advocate Kai Poscente pays homage to the musical legacies of some of Calgary’s historical greats of jazz; Brian Buchanan (piano), Keith Smith (guitar) and Bob Day (trumpet). The group delves into the musical catalogue’s of these beloved musicians with his all-star group of some of Calgary’s current jazz stars.
Hailed by the Montreal Jazz Festival as “one of the greatest female singers in the history of Canadian jazz,” Cheryl Fisher is also a composer and lyricist who has recorded six albums under her own name. A Global Music award winner for her latest disc, “Quietly There,” she was voted Best New Jazz Artist by the Alberta Recording Industry Association.
Mark is one of the most sought-after double bassists in Toronto. He, along with Pram Trio, was nominated for the Julian Award of Excellence for Emerging Canadian Artists and was awarded the Grand Prix de Jazz from the 35th Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. Join him and Allison Au for a night of great music.
The Calgary Women’s Jazz Orchestra is comprised of many of the finest female instrumental musicians in Calgary and beyond. Formed in 2023 specifically for the Girls in Jazz Workshop, the Orchestra enjoys playing beautiful music written by female composers and arrangers, including some its members.
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