Results for "Calgary"

Rubim de Toledo

Born: November 2, 1972

Award-winning bassist and composer, Rubim de Toledo combines the influences of his Brazilian heritage and his dedication to the jazz tradition, to create an approach to music that is refreshing and uplifting. Boasting a diverse rhythmic palette inspired by world music, jazz, and contemporary music, a lure towards improvisation and a forward-looking traditionalism, Rubim nurtures a commanding sound and style as a bassist, soloist, and composer.

Rubim began his professional career in Edmonton at seventeen, performing with Albertan Jazz legends Tommy Banks, PJ Perry and Clarence “Big” Miller

Chris Dadge

Began playing the drums as a youth in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. By high school, interest in jazz and improvised musics started to flower. Played in rock bands and jazz groups with friends, made albums, played a few shows. Studied jazz in college, furthered knowledge of improvised musics, played in jazz quartets, co-founded the Bent Spoon Ensemble, recorded & released album, none nothing, sometimes, worked semi-professionally playing jazz, graduated from college, received a large pile of Wire back issues, heard AMM, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, et al. Bent Spoon Ensemble turned into Bent Spoon Trio, recorded new CD, formed Bug Incision Records, played jazz fests, more recording session and sideman work for acts of varying genres in Calgary (Lorrie Matheson, Tariq, Dolly Silitto, Chris Vail, Jay Crocker), more professional jazz work, fronted rock band, played festivals and music weeks (NXNE, Western Canadian Music Awards, etc). 2004/5/6: Played on more records and with more bands, increased activity as improvising musician and organizer of such events, beginning of Bug Incision Presents concert series, more BIR releases from Bent Spoon Trio and other artists, increased activity with Edmonton improvisers, cross-Canada tour with Jay Crocker, played SXSW with Lorrie Matheson, inaugurated monthly Bug Incision Improvisation Nights. Currently: organizing improvised music events in Calgary and area, playing and recording in dizzying array of local bands, recording solo improvisations & collages, releasing records and overseeing Bug Incision Records activities

Zoe Theodorou

Born: October 30, 1967

Hearing Zoë sing, it dawns on you how she is naturally able to encompass the heart of a tune and make it completely her own. In simple terms, she was born to sing. Growing up in Clearwater Florida, she first found her voice in various high school productions. After moving to Canada, and attending several jazz vocal workshops, she was asked to go overseas, where she sharpened her singing and performing talents in a show band. When she returned to Canada, she developed her jazz skills, while fronting a popular R & B Band. Her other credits include being featured vocally on various commercials and jingles as well as being showcased on the nationally syndicated CBC Radio Two show “Disc Drive”, where she performed live acoustic versions of selected material from her upcoming album. Because of her natural gift to relate to people both musically and personally, Zoë was chosen to be in the fourth season of the popular award winning Canadian documentary/reality show “Taking It Off” which airs on the Life Network across Canada, and on the Discovery Channel in the U.K. The excitement, energy and life which are the very essence of Zoë (her name means “life” in Greek) is now harnessed, as evidenced in her full length album of original material entitled “Essence of Life”

PJ Perry

Born: December 2, 1941

PJ Perry has shared the stage with countless jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Michel LeGrand, Pepper Adams, Kenny Wheeler, Tom Harrell, Rob McConnell, Slide Hampton, Herb Spanier, Bobby Shew, Fraser McPherson, Tommy Banks, Joe LaBarbera, Clarence “Big” Miller, Red Rodney and many more talented artists, too numerous to list here. Recently, he was a featured soloist on the hit 2010 Broadway production of Come Fly Away, highlighting the songs of Frank Sinatra and the choreography of Twyla Tharpe. In 2007 PJ was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Alberta. In autumn of 1999 Justin Time Records released a JUNO-nominated recording of PJ and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Cindy McLeod

Born: December 11, 1956

"Jazz musicians work to find their voices, their sound. The vocalists' work is to find the song, to use timing and phrasing to best reveal the mysterious marriage of melody and lyric. A great jazz vocalist carves something unique and insightful from well-worn tunes." That's why Cindy McLeod is here to stay. McLeod is a jazz vocalist who is a musician, and like the most assured instrumentalist, her subtle vocal mastery and burnished phrasing wring emotion from every note. Her sultry, rich voice has been compared to the husky mellowness of a valve trombone. With a repertoire ranging from jazz standards to bebop, Cindy delivers a tune with the improvisational spirit that lies at the heart and soul of the best jazz. Cindy has performed around the world, from her native Canada to exotic Asia

Johnny Summers

"At the age of 11, Johnny Summers sat in his bedroom, listening for the first time to Harry Connick Jr.’s ‘Blue Light, Red Light’ album. The life, connection and humanity in that music, changed something inside of Johnny. That instant, he knew he was going to be a part of making that change happen inside of others. Johnny Summers He immediately began seeking out the best teachers he could, wherever he could. His dynamic talent as a vocalist, trumpet player, arranger and composer, was born out of a true passion to exceed the status quo at every turn. Johnny has intentionally filled his life with top professionals in numerous disciplines and continues to be inspired by many he has met along the way, from the incomparable Wynton Marsalis to the core members of Harry Connick Jr.'s band

Glennis Houston

Born: March 17, 1963

Glennis credits the origins of her talent to the rhythms of the swing and big band era that filled her childhood home with the sounds of Duke Ellington, the Dorsey brothers and Glen Miller. Her parents taught ballroom dance, so her parents' appreciation for music was a tremendous influence on Glennis and the nurturing of her musical pursuits. Although she chose to listen to the pop music of the day (oh the 70s – Carpenters! Olivia Newton John! - all that soft stuff!), she was surrounded by music of another era – that was her first exposure to music and she remembers poring over her parents’ albums of music from a bygone era. Despite telling her mother, at the ripe age of five years old, that she was going to be a singer, she played classical piano as a child and teenager, and played clarinet for three years in her junior high band

Mark R DeJong

Born: August 25, 1968

Accomplished, professional, creative. Consistently demonstrates high level of achievement in numerous contexts. Open to change and facilitates diversity. Demonstrates success in artistic creation, performance, presentation, programming, assessment __________________________________________________________ Passion for the performing arts I have managed a successful career as a performer in music for close to 30 years. During that time I have gained experience in virtually every aspect of music including performance, education, presentation, jazz improvisation, composition, arranging and doubling (flute/clarinet)

Stephanie Richards: Creative Music

by Kevin Press
June 26, 2019

Calgary's Stephanie Richards has been rubbing shoulders with some of the world's finest jazz players since putting down roots in jny: New York City. The trumpeter has a passion for testing boundaries and an intuitive approach to her work. Her latest, Take the Neon Lights, is a tribute to her new home. All About ...

Al Muirhead

Al Muirhead Al Muirhead has long been an iconic gure on the Canadian jazz scene. And the trumpeter, composer, arranger, sideman and recording artist has been making listeners take notice for longer than jazz fans might realize. Born in Regina in 1935, he was playing in the Regina Symphony and dance bands by age 12. Muirhead began to take notice of greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. While Muirhead’s playing is infused with the indelible in uence of the jazz giants, his owing, melodic sound is his own — and has become in uential in its own right. He unleashes melodies that are incredibly inventive and utterly timeless