Results for "Winnipeg"

Lorne Lofsky: Steward of the Canadian Guitar Tradition

by John Chacona
April 17, 2024

Guitarist Lorne Lofsky rocketed to fame when It Could Happen To You (Pablo Records, 1981), his debut release as a leader, was produced by fellow Canadian Oscar Peterson. Lofsky has since toured and recorded with a wide range of musicians from all around the world, including Peterson, but his hometown of jny: Toronto has been his ...

Brendan Grey (Super Duty Tough Work): Hip-Hop's Liberation Through Hedonism

by Lawrence Peryer
February 3, 2024

Today, the Spotlight shines On multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, and performer Brendan Grey of the Canadian hip-hop group Super Duty Tough Work. In addition to his duties as MC, drummer, and band leader, Brendan has become a sought-after performance, session, and touring drummer. Super Duty Tough Work delivers to the feet and the ...

Will Bonness

Born: October 1, 1985

JUNO-winning pianist Will Bonness has been active on the Winnipeg, Canadian and international jazz scenes for two decades. At 17, Will joined Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau Band for a world tour, which included performances in Europe, Thailand, and the Caribbean. He has performed at many of the major jazz festivals in Canada and the United States, as well as in the world’s most prestigious venues, with such luminaries as Jon Gordon, Avishai Cohen, Quincy Davis, Jimmy Greene, and Derrick Gardner. Locally, he can often be seen performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra. Will’s performance career has led him to spend substantial time in New York City, where he has played at the Blue Note, Smalls, and Dizzy’s. Aside from his performances, he maintains a full-time teaching position at the University of Manitoba, where he has taught music for the past 12 years. Will has four releases to his credit: "Subtle Fire" (2009), "Halcyon" (2016), "Change of Plans" (2020), and "Is This a Dream?" (2023).

Candice Tugby

Born: August 23, 1995

Candice Tugby is a Jazz musician, composer, arranger, and educator from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Candice graduated with a Bachelor of Jazz (Trumpet) Degree from the University of Manitoba's Desautels Faculty of Music's Jazz Studies Program where she has had the opportunity to study with Derrick Gardner, Steve Kirby, Quincy Davis, Jon Gordon, Larry Roy, Will Bonness, and Anna-Lisa Kirby. She has performed at local venues such as the Lyric Theatre, CCFM, The Berney Theatre, Sam's Place, Joe Black's Coffee Shop, Resto Gare, The King's Head Pub, The Orbit Room, and The Palm Lounge where she has had the opportunity to perform with many talented local and international musicians. More recently, Candice played in New York City at several different venues including with the Anna-Lisa Kirby quintet at Small's Jazz Club and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks at The Iguana. Candice is in the process of creating content for an album to be released in the near future.

Steve Kirby

When Sony Music recording engineer Mark Wilder (Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Miles Davis) returned the final mastered version of All Over The Map, he said this: “By the way, Steve Kirby IS A BADASS. Every once in awhile a project comes in that just blows me away. This was the 2016 project. It is an amazing record on so many levels. It moved me.” Led by composer and jazz bassist Steve Kirby, the Oceanic Jazz Orchestra is a hybrid jazz-classical ensemble, with instruments like bassoon, oboe, pedal steel, and classical violin folded in alongside vibes, trumpet, saxophone, flute, and vocals

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra

Active since: January 1, 1997

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) is Canada’s first community-based, non-profit professional jazz orchestra. Founded in 1997 (registered charity in 2000), the WJO has matured to become an important part of Winnipeg’s cultural landscape, reflected in the ongoing support the organization receives from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Winnipeg Foundation, and other sponsors. 
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The mandate of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is to be an instrumental force in the promotion and development of big band jazz in Manitoba and beyond, through performance, composition, recording and education.

The WJO has been fulfilling this mandate in the following ways: 1

Keith Price

Born: October 13, 1983

Having strummed since grade six on his grandfather’s old guitar, Price landed his first gigs at age fifteen. First influenced by pop, punk and heavy metal, Price discovered jazz music through the intensity and spirituality of John Coltrane. At age 19, Price began his formal studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Upon his return to Winnipeg, Price turned down a scholarship at New School University in New York City and opted instead to stay in Steve Kirby’s newly established jazz program at the University of Manitoba. He has also studied in Boston with renewed guitar guru Mick Goodrick. Over the last four years Price has played professionally with numerous groups including the Ron Paley Big Band, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, and Manitoba Artists in Health Care

Jeff Presslaff

Born: April 5, 1956

Jazz pianist, trombonist, and composer/arranger, JEFF PRESSLAFF, has become a mainstay of the Winnipeg jazz scene since moving from New York in 1997. Born in Manhattan, educated at Princeton and Wesleyan Universities, he has had a varied career working with many distinguished jazz and avant- garde musicians, including Benny Carter, Bill Barron, Ed Blackwell, Roswell Rudd, Sheila Jordan, Howard Levy, Stanley Jordan, George Garzone, Steve Nelson, Edgar Meyer, Sim Cain and many others. Jeff is also a teacher of great distinction, having served on the faculties of Princeton University, Bard College, Union College, and several others

Janice Finlay

Born: April 3

I am a top call saxophonist in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, presently developing a national presence following the release of my debut CD, She's Hip. I play all saxophones, specialize in mainstream and hard bop jazz (my heart is firmly in the middle of the last century!) and am a Selmer artist. I also play flute and clarinet and maintain a busy freelance performance schedule. I am also active as an educator and adjudicator. A recent career highlight was sharing the concert stage in a quintet setting with jazz great Clark Terry. My fans have voted me TOP SAX for three years running and I appear frequently as a guest artist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Curtis Nowosad: Dialectics

by Dan Bilawsky
February 26, 2015

While it may be tempting to simply call Dialectics a straight-ahead session, Kevin Sun's liner notes set the record straight: According to Sun, “neo-hard bop" is a more accurate term for this music. What's most important to note, however, is that the music is pretty irresistible, regardless of what you call it. On ...