Results for "Contemporary Jazz"

The Ostara Project

Active since: 2022

For Canadians, the arrival of spring is momentous: the air is fresh and full of possibility as tender green shoots reach up towards the light and the cycle of rebirth and renewal begins again. The Ostara Project, named for the Germanic goddess of the spring equinox, embodies hope and growth by showcasing the strength and creativity of Canadian women in jazz.

Ostara artists are all top-tier musicians, composers and bandleaders who reflect the geographical, cultural and creative diversity of Canada’s musical landscape. Lead by award-winning jazz musicians Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff, The Ostara Project includes Rachel Therrien, Allison Au and Valérie Lacombe, with guest artists invited on a per-project basis. Individually, they are outstanding artists: collectively, they are a force.

Akemi Yamada

Born: September 18

Akemi Yamada, a native of Tokyo, has been captivating audiences with her unique "Dreamy Jazz" style in New York City since 2008. She graduated with a BFA in Jazz Vocal Performance from City College of New York in 2007, studying under jazz luminaries including Sheila Jordan, Mike Holober, Ray Santos, and John Patitucci. Her musical education was further enriched by mentorship from Grammy-winning Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza.

Akemi's discography includes her debut jazz album "With A Song In My Heart" (2007), showcasing her interpretation of jazz standards, and "Ta Bi Ji -My Journey-" (2015), introducing her original compositions. Additionally, she recorded for renowned flautist Ronald Lashley’s compilation album “Christmas Jingles” in 2014. Her "Dreamy Jazz" style uniquely blends contemporary jazz harmonies with elements of pop, Brazilian music, classical, gospel, and Japanese traditional music, exploring a connection between sophistication and deep emotion. Musical influences include Pat Metheny, Toninho Horta, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Yumi Arai (Matsutoya), and Monday Michiru.

Zhengtao Pan

Born: May 22, 2003

Zhengtao Pan is a composer and arranger born in 2003 who grew up in Shanghai, China. Currently studying Jazz Composition and Composition at Berklee College of Music, his commercial game works include "Mist Sequence," "Lost Soul Aside," "One Piece: The Bloodline," and "Arknights," among others. He has worked on music outsourcing for companies like ByteDance, Masaya Games, and miHoYo.

Beyond media scoring, Zhengtao Pan excels as an arranger and orchestrator for jazz orchestras and Big Bands, with his concert music premiered by ensembles like the HyperCube ensemble, Cascadia Composers, and Webster University.

Avery Scanlon

Mina Choi

Mina Choi is a Korean-born, Los Angeles–based jazz pianist, composer, and arranger whose music uniquely blends jazz, classical influences, and the rich traditions of her Korean heritage. With years of experience as both a performer and educator in California, Mina’s work reflects her personal journey, characterized by beautiful melodies, intricate rhythms, and colorful harmonies. Each composition tells a story, inviting listeners to experience a deep emotional connection to her music.

Mina studied music at the Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts in Korea and received a Master’s Degree in Music from California State University, Fullerton. She has performed at renowned venues across the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the Queen Mary, Catalina Jazz Club, and the Blue Whale Jazz Club. Internationally, her group has performed at the Bucharest International Jazz Festival, as well as in France, Spain, Portugal, Japan, and Korea.

Dave Manington

Gwen Sampé

Gwen Sampé is a jazz singer for whom the art of improvising is an integral and indispensable part of her musical soundscape. Born into a family of singers in Houston, Texas her approach to jazz singing is rooted in the past yet unapologetically modern.

Nurtured on John Coltrane and Betty Carter, she brings surprise and daring to her performances. Her artistic background is rich and diverse. As well performing on the jazz circuit, she has also performed in, and directed, contemporary jazz inflected mixed media theatre pieces, including a self-produced one woman show, “From the Fields to the Concert Hall,”  first performed in Italy.

Graeme Wilson

Graeme Wilson is a saxophonist whose playing features on over 30 albums including releases by his own Quartet, Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, ACV, Ushaw Ensemble and Bill Wells. His writing for ensembles large and small, including six jazz works for John Warren’s Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra, has been performed at venues such as Sage, Gateshead and Festspielhaus Hellerau, Dresden. Recent work includes duo releases A Cast of Thousands with Raymond MacDonald and Shoes for Losers with Andy Champion; an album of songs based on Italo Calvino stories for new group Monsterosa featuring vocalist Rebecca Hollweg; and  a score commissioned by Hexham Jazz Festival for the silent film Die Bergkatze

Barbara Bruckmueller

Barbara Bruckmüller, a composer and jazz pianist born in Vienna, was influenced by the sounds of "Hollywood Jazz" from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s at a young age. Although she received piano lessons early on and studied intensively for seven years, it took some time for her to discover her true passion for jazz. She successfully completed her jazz piano studies with Paul Urbanek at the Gustav Mahler Conservatory in Vienna in 2004, marking the beginning of a remarkable musical journey.

Barbara's inspiration and role models lie not so much in individual pianists, but rather in great Big Band leaders and composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Gil Evans, Joe Henderson, and Maria Schneider.

Gordon Hulbert