Jazz Winnipeg Announces 2010-2011 Concert Season
From the dynamic singer-songwriter Wil to Quebec Gypsy guitar trio The Lost Fingers, jazz vocal sensation Emilie-Claire Barlow and electro/dancehall group Bonjay, Jazz Winnipeg has programmed an exciting, multi-genre season of can't-miss concerts. In August, Jazz Winnipeg announced two concerts - Michael Kaeshammer and Jill Barber as well as blues duo Sue Foley and Peter Karp.BONJAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2010
With guest Cyclist
Bonjay, one of the sleeper hits of the 2010 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival are back on tour, and we couldn't be happier to have them back in Winnipeg!
Drawing their name from spice island slang for "Good God!", Bonjay were born in a basement at Ottawa's legendary Disorganised parties. What began as a simple crowd-pleasing party lark has developed into a serious commitment to songwriting and production, including remixes for labels like Mad Decent, Ninjatune, and Ghetto Arc (XL Recordings). With Alanna on the mic and Pho on beats and effects, their live performance is a high-energy sound system of bass and soul. Dancehall innovation, indie sentiments, and R&B hooks - these are the sounds booming out from the jeeps, towers, and headphones of young Toronto, and Bonjay makes them their own.
Their brand new EP, Broughtupsy, hits stores in October.
WIL - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2010
With guest Leeroy Stagger
After his jaw-dropping double bill with Matt Andersen at the WECC this past April, Wil is back in town with a new record under his belt!
You could say Wil Mimnaugh was always destined to be a musician. Born into a musical family, Wils mother was always singing along to the coveted record player or belting out duets accompanied by Wils father on guitar. Songs rhythms were stomped out on the kitchen floor late into the weekend nights. Tunes from the likes of Hank Williams and Simon and Garfunkel were in-house performance staples.
His early performance career consisted largely of covers. Five nights a week, anywhere in Calgary he could claim a stage, Wil refined the craft of performing and playing live. Starting with his takes on songs from bands like The Verve, Pearl Jam and the Violent Femmes, he soon realized the next logical move was to pen his own tunes. Busting out that very Fender acoustic, Wil set about writing his debut album, Both Hands.
By way of momentum and Wil's dynamic performances, Both Hands racked up over 6,000 sales off Canadian stages alone. The album connected Wil to a major label deal with EMI. The label took on distribution for the record and signed on to make another - By December. These two records kept the doors and roads open for more touring and offering shared stages with artists such as Matthew Good, Gomez, Serena Ryder and stateside theatre dates opening for Feist.
Last year, it came time to think about making a new record. Wil hunkered down in his cabin in the woods and wrote the most honest, heartfelt and optimistic record to date, In This Together.
DIG! MAGAZINE RENT PARTY - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010
The second annual dig! magazine Rent Party takes over The Park Theatre on December 4th featuring live jazz and fantastic prizes - all to raise funds for Winnipeg's jazz magazine.
There will be some great prize packages with recordings, concerts, books, gift certificates, and various treasures.
A rent party pays the proverbial landlord, so you'll also have an opportunity to donate money to support dig! as it continues to share the news in the Jazz Capital of Canada.
THE LOST FINGERS - SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2011
In 2006 guitar virtuosos and Django Reihnhart enthusiasts Byron Mikaloff and Christian Roberge met jazz bassist Alex Morisette at the Quebec Conservatory of Music, and formed the trio The Lost Fingers. Two years laters the group created an ingenious tribute to the the music they grew up on in the '80s mixed with the music of Reinhardt with the album Lost In The '80s.
The album was an instant success - more than 200,000 copies sold in less than a year. The trio's live shows were in high demand thanks to the combination of great musicianship, their charming sense of humour, and their trademark colourful suits. The 2009 Montreal International Jazz Festival had no hesitation when selecting the group as the festival's closing performers, and the trio has also been showcased at the Calgary Stampede and the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
EMILIE-CLAIRE BARLOW - TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011
Emilie-Claire Barlow, Canada's incomparable vocal-jazz jewel, is dazzling the world! Her energetic live performances and exquisite recordings thrill sold-out audiences from Tokyo to Montreal! Emilie-Claire leads her stellar band through innovative arrangements of American-songbook treasures, rhythmic bossa novas and elegant ballads. Emilie-Claire continues to endear herself to critics, peers and audiences everywhere with her relaxed, polished demeanour, her charming humour, and a voice of unforgettable beauty.
Barlow is truly an independent artist. Her most recent album, Haven't We Met? is the 7th release under her own label, Empress Music Group. Emilie-Claire follows the "do-it-yourself" model in every area of her career - not only is she self managed, but she also writes all the charts, and produces her own albums.
Haven't We Met? follows up a string of successful releases including the Juno nominated Tribute, 2005's Like A Lover, and her successful holiday album Winter Wonderland, which elevated Emilie-Claire's profile on both a national and international level. Winter Wonderland earned Barlow a stack of rave reviews, a spot in the top 10 holiday albums on iTunes, and a circuit of national television appearances. Meanwhile, Haven't We Met? has enjoyed several weeks as the #1 jazz album in Canada.
NU SOUNDS SERIES
Jazz Winnipeg is also excited about the return of the popular Nu Sounds series. The series, now in its fifth season, runs from December until March. All performances take place at the Park Theatre.
The series launches on December 12 with the Curtis Nowosad Trio featuring Magnum KI. For this special Nu Sounds presentation, drummer Curtis Nowosad, along with bassist Julian Bradford and pianist Will Bonness, joins forces with WCMA nominated group Magnum KI to combine jazz with hip hop. This supergroup will perform contemporary and recognizable hip hop songs but take liberties with form and style, as well as composing alternate sections to provide contrast to the original grooves. Furthermore music by Magnum K.I. will be performed in a much more open-ended jazz style than what is featured on their albums and music from the jazz canon will be performed and adjusted for a hip hop style, featuring Magnum KI as soloists, with rapper Ismaila freestyling, and DJ Kutdown scratching and sampling.
Nu Sounds kicks off the new year with the Luke Sellick Quartet. Luke Sellick is a Winnipeg-born double bassist and composer. Now 19, Luke has been performing professionally for five years. He has collaborated with some of Winnipeg's best jazz artists, including Ron Paley, Will Bonness and Larry Roy. For his first Nu Sounds appearance, Sellick is eager to dedicate the entire concert to his own compositions and adventurous arrangements of standards.
On Sunday, February 27, award-winning composer and piano player George Colligan plays The Park Theatre. He has garnered a considerable fan base through his sideman work with the likes of Jack Dejohnette, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Buster Williams, and Ravi Coltrane, but he is best known to Winnipeggers as the latest addition to the University of Manitoba's jazz department. For his Nu Sounds concert, Colligan will be debuting a suite of new compositions written since he has moved to Winnipeg. His group will feature Kerry Politzer on keyboards and vocals Steve Kirby on bass, Jimmy Greene on saxophone and Colligan taking a turn on drums. The music will combine jazz and pop rock elements.
Then on March 31, the energetic sound of Paradigm Brass comes to the Nu Sounds Series. Paradigm Brass is a new model of brass ensemble, presenting a hybrid of styles designed to create a distinct sound and reach a broader range of listeners. From church stages to nightclub scenes, Paradigm brings Bach to the bars and groove to the concert halls.
MICHAEL KAESHAMMER & JILL BARBER - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2010
Michael Kaeshammer has been called Canada's triple-threat combo of piano virtuosity, vocal ability and charisma. This potent combination has earned the Toronto-based artist international critical acclaim and a loyal and growing fan base. Kaeshammer's much anticipated new recording is set to be released in 2010 and will continue the high standard set by his previous Juno nominated recording Lovelight; memorable self-written songs, compelling musicianship and a captivating voice with arrangements that make you want to move.
For Kaeshammer, 2010 has been another special year with highlights including a much acclaimed performance in Vancouver at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic games, performing in front of 60,000 people and millions on television internationally, successful performances at U.S. summer jazz festivals, a tour of German festivals and continued touring in Canada, all the while writing and recording his new album.
Jill Barber was last in Winnipeg when she and he band played a sold out concert at the West End Cultural Centre. This time around Jill and her band will be giving sneak previews of a new album set to be released in March 2011. The tour also coincides with the publication of Baby's Lullaby, a charming board book written by Jill Barber and based on her song for Read To Me, a Nova Scotia-based non-profit program that promotes early literacy.
SUE FOLEY & PETER KARP: HE SAID-SHE SAID - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010
A hit of the 2010 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, blues duo Sue Foley and Peter Karp return to Winnipeg for a one-night only performance at The Park Theatre.
An accomplished guitarist and piano player, Peter Karp is equally comfortable on harmonica, drums, or mandolin. He's a player's player but it's his knack for penning songs that truly defines Karp and places him in an elite class.
Sue Foley is considered to be one of the finest blues/roots artists working today. Born to a working-class family, Sue spent her early childhood moving from Canadian town to town with her mother. At 16 she embarked on her professional career. By 21 she was living in Austin TX and recording for legendary blues label Antone's Records. Her first CD Young Girl Blues quickly established her unique talents as a blues guitarist and songwriter.
He Said-She Said is based on a correspondence the two shared through letters that were written over a one-year period. These letters started as a casual exchange between two committed performers sharing their common bond of the loneliness of the road, the pain of separation from family and home, and above all, the drive to make music. But as time went on, the letters became more poignant, more revealing. Those letters became their songs.
