JUNE 20
Nakajima Duo
June 20 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Guitarist Yuji Nakajima and percussionist Liam MacDonald's nimble interpretations of bossa nova, choro, a range of Brazilian music, interlocking Latin rhythms, a wide palette of percussion instruments, classical influences, and incandescent original compositions make for an irrepressibly dynamic duo.
Plimley/Babin/Poole Experience
June 20 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
One of Canada’s foremost improvising musicians, pianist Paul Plimley (NOW Orchestra, Scott Amendola) is a tornado of avant-improvisation, modal melodic manipulations, and sharp neo-classicism.
JUNE 21
Alexis Baro Quintet
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 1:30pm Free
Exciting and colourful Cuban-Canadian trumpeter Alexis Baro has electrified the Toronto jazz scene.
The Boom Booms
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 7:30pm Free
Think ‘70s soul, funk, afro-beat, R&B, reggae and Latin vibes—and then stop thinking and just move!
Celia Enestrom and Zazuiera
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ Noon Free
Sao Paolo-raised vocalist Celia Enestrom and her sizzling hot band Zazueira explore the colorful rhythms of traditional and contemporary Brazilian music.
Company B Jazz Band
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 6:45pm Free
Equal parts sassy and sweet, the six-piece Company B Jazz Band blends old time jazz and swing with lush, pitch-perfect melodies and an infectious sense of fun.
Dal Richards & His Orchestra
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 12:30pm Free
For more than six decades, 96-year-old bandleader Dal Richards has delighted Canadians with memorable dance music and classic swing, and is still one of B.C.’s busiest entertainers. To see and hear Dal Richards & His Orchestra play is to experience a magical piece of Vancouver’s cultural history.
DJ Kubanito
June 21 & 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Ice Rink @ 5:00pm Free
Born and raised in Cuba, DJ Kubanito (aka Karlos Reyes) shares his passion for Cuban music and dance with captivated audiences.
Florence K
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 3:45pm Free
2014 JUNO Award nominee for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Montreal vocalist/keyboardist Florence K’s sumptuous pop is intermingled with bossa nova, salsa, and flamenco.
Hersog and Rasmussen Standards Project
June 21 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Vancouver’s next generation of jazz is ably represented in swinging, hard-bopping style by trumpeter Daniel Hersog and keyboardist Andrew Rasmussen.
The High Bar Gang
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 2:15pm Free
With almost too much talent for just one band, Barney Bentall, Shari Ulrich and the rest of the Gang play all shades of authentic bluegrass, gospel, and (very) old country with equal measures of “earthly trial and heavenly reward.” (Irish Times)
High Society
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 3pm Free
This young Vancouver 4-piece "will tickle the loins of your ears and tantalize the cockles of your eyes.” (Shane Koyczan)
Lady
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 5:15pm Free
Former Missy Elliot and Black Keys collaborator, powerhouse vocalist Nicole Wray (above) and her band Lady blend the flair of ‘60s soul with the driving beat of hip-hop and the silky rhythms of modern R&B.
Neelamjit Dhillon Quartet - Komagata Maru
June 21 Robson Square Room C400 (Improvising Across Boundaries Colloquium) @ 10am Free
June 21 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
One of the darker incidents in Canadian history is approached by four of the country’s most creative talents.
Rumba Calzada
June 21 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 5pm Free
Led by composer/bandleader Raphael Geronimo, Vancouver’s Rumba Calzada blends an eclectic, powerful mix of salsa, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a mesmerizing Caribbean musical fusion.
JUNE 22
Andrea Superstein
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ Noon Free
Sassy and sparkling vocalist Andrea Superstein’s charming, quirky sound evokes a tantalizingly illicit speakeasy, packed wall-to-wall with hipsters jiving to cheeky jazz, ’50s doo wop, and playful pop.
Bill Coon Trio
June 22 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
JUNO-nominated guitarist/composer Bill Coon’s music is intimate, exploratory, conversational, and virtuosic.
Brad Muirhead & Propulsion
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 6:45pm Free
Propulsion is heavy horn funk of the highest order.
Brandi Disterheft (above)
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 3pm Free
Bassist/composer Brandi Disterheft is one of jazz’s brightest rising stars. The Vancouver-bred, New York-based JUNO winner marries swinging grooves, lush atmospheres, cool jazz, and Brazilian pop.
Bushman’s Revenge
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 2:15pm Free
Named for a mouth-searing hot sauce, the Norwegian guitar trio Bushman’s Revenge (Rune Grammofon) embrace prog rock, Hendrix, the exploratory jazz of Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane, and the raw power of Black Sabbath.
Electric Miles
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 5pm Free
Vancouver jazz stalwarts join forces to dig into Miles Davis’ monumental, game-changing electric period of 1968-1975, when an amped-up combo of rock and funk birthed hard-edged fusion and spacey acid-jazz.
Ester Rada
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 3:45pm Free
Singing in English and Amharic, Rada's irresistible voice carries echoes of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, while standing shoulder to shoulder with contemporary greats like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.
Hedvig Mollestad Trio
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 5:15pm Free
Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad and her trio play wild, overdriven rock that throws the horns to Zeppelin while keeping a jazz heart.
Laila Biali with special guest Phil Dwyer
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Robson Stage @ 1:30pm Free
JUNO-nominated keyboardist/vocalist Laila Biali (Sting) moves effortlessly between traditional jazz and modern pop. “A voice that makes the listener shudder it’s so rounded and pure” (Montreal Gazette)
Nomadic Massive
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 7:30pm Free
Fiery and festive, “this is hip-hop at its finest—a giddy, funky pass-the-mic throwdown, with smiles all around.” (Montreal Gazette). The nine member Montreal collective Nomadic Massive combines groove-infused live instrumentation, omnivorous cross-genre sampling, and next-level poetics…in five languages!
Partisans
June 22 Downtown Jazz - Georgia Stage @ 12:30pm Free
Uncompromising creativity, wild improv, and gutsy, tightly woven tunes from BBC Jazz Award-winning saxophonist Julian Siegel’s mammoth quartet.
The Sun Trio
June 22 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience new dimensions in impressionist melodies, meditative ambience, and full-bore explosive dynamism from these Finnish jazz comets.
JUNE 23
The Bridge Quartet with Phil Dwyer, Darrell Grant, Tom Wakeling and Alan Jones
June 23 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
This exciting cross-border ensemble brings together four critically acclaimed musicians.
Distant Relatives featuring Phil Minton
JUNE 23 Ironworks Afternoon (Mats Äleklint Vancouver 4tet) @ 5pm Free
JUNE 24 Performance Works (Lisa Ullén and Torsten Müller) @ 1:30pm Free
A master of extended techniques and polyphonics, Brit Phil Minton (Fred Frith, Derek Bailey) manipulates his powerful voice in surprising, mesmerizing, and sometimes unsettling ways.
Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet
JUNE 23 Tom Lee Music Hall (Jason Marsalis workshop) @ 1pm Free
Simultaneously cerebral and playful, Marsalis is emerging as a prodigious vibraphone talent after establishing himself as an uncommonly gifted, complex and electrifying drummer.
Maria Ho Trio
June 23 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Performing a breezy mix of jazz standards, Latin sambas, and bossa nova, Vancouver vocalist Maria Ho has a distinctive voice and an energetic stage presence.
Mats Äleklint Vancouver 4tet
June 23 Innovation Series - Ironworks @ 5pm Free
Powerful and prolific Swedish trombonist Mats Äleklint is a major figure in Nordic jazz and improv, having played with Mats Gustafsson’s Fire! Orchestra, The Thing XXL, and more.
JUNE 24
BaixaBlue
June 24 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
BaixaBlue (bi-sha blue) is a modern West Coast jazz combo with an eclectic repertoire inspired by soul, blues, drum & bass, and reggae.
John Paton’s Soft Morning City
June 24 Innovation Series - Ironworks @ 5pm Free
Saxophonist/composer John Paton’s Soft Morning City uses a unique double guitar/no bass instrumentation to create spacious music that allows for great sonic interplay between the melodic instruments and Scott Wannop’s expressive drumming.
Lisa Ullén and Torsten Müller
June 24 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
Lisa Ullén is a Swedish pianist of alarmingly intensity and control. “The sounds she coaxes—nay, demands—are unrelentingly powerful, and often quite stunning” (Squid’s Ear)
Barking Sphinx presents Michael Blake - The Komagata Maru Blues
JUNE 24 Tom Lee Music Hall (Michael Blake Workshop) @ 1pm Free
Hailed for his “panoramic imagination” (New York Times), New York saxophonist Michael Blake returns to his Vancouver roots with a compelling project written specifically for a stellar band of creative West Coast talents.
JUNE 25
The Deciders
JUNE 25 Tom Lee Music Hall (Ole Morten Vågan & Fredrik Ljungkvist workshop) @ 1pm Free
Calling together adventurous heavy hitters from Berlin, Stockholm, and Oslo, The Deciders represent pan-European improv at its best.
Gavin Youngash Trio
June 25 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
One of Vancouver’s emerging multi-genre talents, guitarist Gavin Youngash is a member of Proud Animal and Star Captains.
Myriad3
June 25 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
Unconventional and engaging, Toronto’s Myriad3 bring new energy and compelling ideas to the classic piano trio format.
Tony Wilson’s Flowers for Albert
June 25 Innovation Series - Ironworks @ 5pm Free
The uncompromising, influential and ecstatic work of pioneering avant-garde saxophonist and composer Albert Ayler is filtered through the omnivorous ear and expansive improvisations of guitarist Tony Wilson.
JUNE 26
Benedikt Jahnel Trio
June 26 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
From spare, meditative calm, to rigorous groove, this expressive multi-national trio blurs melodic and rhythmic roles, “embedding the piano trio tradition into a new context where things aren’t always as they seem.” (All About Jazz)
Ben Henriques Trio
June 26 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Saxophonist Ben Henriques has been making a name for himself in the jazz scenes of Montreal and Vancouver.
Copilots (with Royal Canoe, above)
June 26 Innovation Series - Ironworks (Tommy Babin & Skye Brooks Solos) @ 5pm Free
Renowned for his driving and empathetic drumming with Fond of Tigers, Veda Hille, Inhabitants, and others, Skye Brooks brings his soaring voice, dream-like lyricism and adventurous song craft to this engaging five-piece indie rock band.
THE JEFF BALLARD TRIO with Lionel Loueke and Miguel Zénon Time’s Tales
JUNE 26 Tom Lee Music Hall (Jeff Ballard Workshop) @ 1pm Free
Lively polyrhythms, forward-thinking melodies, unusual harmonies, open improvisation and palpable excitement infuse their broad repertoire of Afro-beat, Iranian folk, Thelonious Monk, Bartok, and even some Queens of the Stone Age.
Tommy Babin & Skye Brooks Solos
June 26 Innovation Series - Ironworks @ 5pm Free
Solo and duo improvisations by two of Vancouver’s most compelling and relentlessly creative musicians.
JUNE 27
Joel Miller Quartet
June 27 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
“Passionate and creative, melodic yet exploratory,” (Downbeat), Miller’s a chart-topping and versatile talent.
PK3 Jazz Trio
June 27 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
PK3 Jazz Trio is a sleek, sophisticated, and sumptuous classic jazz combo. Echoes of Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal and Harry Connick Jr can be heard in their polished, beguiling sound.
Tyson Naylor Trio
June 27 Innovation Series - Ironworks @ 5pm Free
A member of Dan Mangan’s band, he’s also played with Tony Wilson and François Houle. With Skye Brooks drums, Russell Sholberg bass.
Vagabond Opera
June 27 West Vancouver Memorial Library @ 7:30pm Free
Naughty. Bold. Dramatic. Utterly entertaining. The Vagabond Opera wowed audiences back in 2009 and we welcome them back.
JUNE 28
4=4
June 28 Roundhouse - Exhibition Hall @ 2:30pm Free
An ensemble of blending opposites, 4=4 marries elegance and grit, soft subtleties and forceful crashes, melodious harmony and crunchy dissonance.
Alexander Hawkins / François Houle / Harris Eisenstadt
June 28 Roundhouse (Alexander Hawkins Workshop) @ 1:30pm Free
June 28 Roundhouse (Harris Eisenstadt workshop) @ 3pm Free
July 1 Performance Works (Hawkins/Houle/Eisenstadt) @5:30pm Free
One of the UK’s fastest rising stars, pianist/organist Alexander Hawkins has played with Evan Parker, Wadada Leo Smith, and Mulatu Astatke.
David Ward
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ 7pm Free
“Imagine Jeff Buckley’s untethered falsetto with Stevie Wonder’s warm, grainy tenor. David Ward has mastered both, plus all points between.” (Uncut)
Delhi 2 Dublin (above)
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ 8:45pm Free
With their free-thinking blend of Bhangra and Celtic music, hip hop, dub reggae, breakbeats, rock, and electronica, Delhi 2 Dublin is “part Bollywood wedding, part Celtic kitchen party, and all electronic dance fest.” (The Snipe)
Destroy Vancouver featuring Nate Wooley and DJ Olive
June 28 Roundhouse (Nate Wooley Workshop) @ 4:30pm Free
Using extreme extended techniques and electronic processing to render his instrument unrecognizable, NYC Jazz Record’s Musician of the Year Nate Wooley “is one of the most interesting and unusual trumpet players living today.” (Dave Douglas)
Euan Burton & Occurrences
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ 1:45pm Free
Award-winning Scottish bassist/composer Euan Burton’s “deftly crafted pieces – with their hints of Pat Metheny’s song shapes, the stuttering melodic mazes of contemporary jazz, and occasional sunny, Andy Sheppard-like relaxations – are good spurs to improvising.” (The Guardian)
Harris Eisenstadt’s Golden State
June 28 Roundhouse (Harris Eisenstadt workshop) @ 3pm Free
June 29 Roundhouse (Mark Dresser workshop) @ 1:30pm Free
June 29 Roundhouse (Sara Schoenbeck workshop) @ 3pm Free
JULY 1 Performance Works (Hawkins/Houle/Eisenstadt) @ 5:30pm Free
Playing with stark contrasts as well as synergistic interactions, oddly funky off-kilter grooves, and compositions that often end with questions rather than conclusions, Golden State features daring explorations from forward-thinking interpreters.
Lisa Cay Miller Trio
June 28 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
Using extended technique and complex structures to pursue the deepest forms of human expression, Cay is joined by creative greats André Lachance bass, and Dylan van der Schyff drums.
Lorraine Klaasen
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ 3:30pm Free
Influenced by classic South African Township music and greats such as Miriam Makeba and her own mother, Thandi Klassen, Lorraine will “steal your heart and soul with a running start.” (All Music)
The Modelos
June 28 Civic Plaza (14th and Lonsdale) @ 1pm Free
Enjoy a 100-mile musical diet with Vancouver’s own rock ‘n’ roll cowboy surfers. Originally East Van rockers with a spaghetti Western sound, Joe Rotundo and Mike Kenney join forces with Brad Ferguson and Geoff Hicks in this adventurous alternative rock project, which is sure to get you on your feet.
Poetrio
June 28 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Taking their cue from artists ranging from Wayne Shorter to John Keats, Poetrio’s repertoire is a collection of original material and adapted jazz standards, with lyrics from vocalist Shannon Scott.
Sick Boss
June 28 Roundhouse - Exhibition Hall @ 5:30pm Free
Led by JUNO Award-winning Pugs and Crows guitarist Cole Schmidt, Sick Boss grew from a grassroots weekly music series Schmidt programmed and is now a cherry-picked cast of Vancouver All-Stars performing his sweeping, beautiful, and cerebral originals.
Sprïng
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ Noon Free
Bringing acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies to the fore, they evoke ‘60s British psych-pop, but haven’t left all the prog behind, as their “diverse arrangements touch on acoustic strumming, doom-filled soundscapes, twitchy complexity and jarring heaviness.” (Exclaim!)
Tanga
June 28 David Lam Park Stage @ 5:15pm Free
From old Havana to modern Vancouver, this West Coast collective blends Latin funk, electronica, hip hop, and salsa to create the hottest grooves around.
TD High School Jazz Intensive with Tomeka Reid (above)
JUNE 28 Tom Lee Music Hall (TDHSJI) Open Rehearsal with Tomeka Reid @ 1pm Free
June 29 Roundhouse - David Lam Park Stage @ Noon Free
The culmination of an exciting and focused series of student music workshops led by Chicago-based experimental jazz cellist, composer, and educator Tomeka Reid.
JUNE 29
The 24th Street Wailers
June 29 David Lam Park Stage @ 5:15pm Free
Fronted by the drums and hellfire vocals of Lindsay Beaver, the multiple Maple Blues Award nominated 24th Street Wailers are a hard-driving electric blues and boogie rock freight train that’ll get any crowd moving down the track.
The Belle Game
June 29 David Lam Park Stage @ 8:45pm Free
Vancouver’s most buzzed about band of the past year (Pitchfork Best New Track), The Belle Game more than live up to the waves of critical praise.
Ben Lockwood Trio
June 29 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
UK-born reeds man Ben Lockwood now calls Vancouver home. An in-demand player on the local scene, he’s shared stages with Bill Coon, Sharon Minemoto, and more.
BESTiE
June 29 David Lam Park Stage @ 3:30pm Free
Peak Performance Project runners up BesTie’s tropical pop is bouncy, hot, and irresistible.
The Big Much
June 29 Roundhouse - Exhibition Hall @ 2:30pm Free
Burning through thoughtful, dynamic originals from all three members, plus tunes from Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley, Claude Ranger, and Thelonious Monk, the group performs some seriously thrilling post-bop, avant-jazz, and raw improv.
Film in Music
June 29 Performance Works (Jillian Lebeck/Peggy Lee/Meredith Bates) @ 1:30pm Free
For her Film in Music project, Lee takes cues from the dark and dusty Deadwood television series, and assembles a cast of some of Vancouver’s finest creative improvisers to create a flowing, diverse narrative suite.
Ibrahim Electric
June 29 David Lam Park Stage @ 1:45pm Free
Feral psychedelia, a propulsive, almost punk-jazz aesthetic, ferocious avant garde groove workouts and a wild mix of soul, Afro beat, funk, rock, and even hints of surf, “this boundary-stretching Danish group is impossible to classify.” (All Music)
Jeff Younger’s Devil Loops (Workshop)
June 29 Roundhouse - The Studio @ 4:30pm Free
Intrepid, irreverent and ingenious! From the soul/funk of The Deep End (Dawn Pemberton) to his future-jazz ensemble The Unsupervised, Jeff Younger is one of Vancouver’s busiest and most creative guitarists.
Jillian Lebeck / Peggy Lee / Meredith Bates
June 29 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
One of the most exciting voices on the Canadian jazz scene, Vancouver pianist/vocalist Jillian Lebeck is influenced by artists as diverse as Carla Bley, Elliott Smith and Björk.
Miami Device
June 29 David Lam Park Stage @ 7pm Free
Afro-beat/funk 10-piece Miami Device is a deep grooving, Fela Kuti-inspired, dance party juggernaut.
Sharon Minemoto Trio
June 29 Roundhouse - Exhibition Hall @ 5:30pm Free
Vancouver-based keyboardist/melodica player Sharon Minemoto is a swinging and sensitive performer with a highly melodic style
JUNE 30
Steve Smith’s ROLL
June 30 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
An active member of the Vancouver jazz community, bassist Steve Smith (Richie Beirach, Billy Hart, Clarence Penn) writes compositions that are full of varied imagery and vibrant originality.
Trio Jérôme Beaulieu
June 30 Performance Works @ 1:30pm Free
Rock and pop-influenced modern jazz that’s blowing up!
JULY 1
The Bat, The Bee & The Butterfly
July 1 Granville Island - Ron Basford Park Stage @ Noon Free
Three beautiful voices that give shimmering sass to Company B Jazz Band take a different path to our hearts in this new trio.
Blue Moon Marquee
July 1 Granville Island - Railspur District Stage @ 12:30pm Free
Delta blues, old time jazz, ragtime, and Django Reinhardt all find a home in this raw duo led by guitarist/vocalist A.W. Cardinal.
Cat Toren Band
July 1 Performance Works @ Noon Free
Pianist Cat Toren is on the rise in the jazz scenes of both Vancouver and New York.
Dawn Pemberton
July 1 Granville Island - Ron Basford Park Stage @ 2:30pm Free
Vibrant and soulful, West Coast Music Awards nominee Dawn Pemberton’s deep musicality and powerful voice beats a soulful path from gospel and R&B to jazz and funk.
Deanna Knight & the Hot Club of Mars
July 1 Granville Island - Railspur District Stage @ 8pm Free
Chanteuse Deanna Knight adds a feisty, vaudevillian take on torch-song standards, hot and sultry jazz, and tango.
Kristin Fung Band
July 1 Granville Island - Railspur District Stage @ 3pm Free
Vancouver-born, Toronto-based pianist/singer-songwriter Kristin Fung blends her considerable talents, infectious charm, and theatre and choir chops into an effervescent cocktail of ‘70s R&B, funk, jazz, nu-soul, and pop.
Mike Allen Quartet
July 1 Performance Works @ 9:30pm Free
From standards to inventive originals, ballads to barnburners, Allen is joined by Miles Black piano, Adam Thomas bass, and Julian MacDonough drums.
Quatuor André Lachance
July 1 Performance Works @ 7:30pm Free
Drawing on jazz, rock and electric improvisation, one of Canada’s top bassists, André Lachance, switches to guitar for this dazzling mix of cool tunes, pulsing grooves, and cosmically compelling sonic excursions.
Ribcage
July 1 Granville Island - Public Market Stage @ Noon Free
Vancouver guitarist Jon Roper leads this quartet that explores the melodic landscape of old school funk, indie rock, and hangman blues, never letting go of the good groove.
Star Captains
July 1 Granville Island - Railspur District Stage @ 5:30pm Free
Navigating a constellation of influences from slamming funk to sultry groove and hip-hop, The Sky Captains take you higher.
Tim Sars Band
July 1 Granville Island - Ron Basford Park Stage @ 5pm Free
Saxophonist about town Tim Sars has thrilled Vancouver audiences for years with his considerable charm and top notch chops.
The Westerlies
July 1 Performance Works @ 3:45pm Free
Drawing inspiration from folk music, jazz, classical, and indie, New York based, Seattle-reared young brass quartet The Westerlies (Songlines) explore the ever-narrowing gap between American folk, jazz, classical, and indie rock.
