Live Music at The Jazz Room
Featuring International jazz acts that play the world’s top clubs (the Saturday program features artistic direction from Mark Kelso).
Please note that only Grand River Jazz Society events are shown below.
Photo Credit: Nick Moreland
Charlie Ballantine is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile young guitarists on the scene today. JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE hails his playing as “teeming with intricate grooves and maniacal precision his guitar work is both beautiful and complex” and VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE described his style by stating “Jazz, rock, and folk music peacefully coexist in Charlie Ballantine’s world”.
Equipped with an impressive body of original compositions on albums like “Vonnegut” and “Cold Coffee”, Ballantine also displays a great reverence for the jazz tradition through the inclusion of standards like ‘My One and Only Love’, ‘East of the Sun’ and an entire double album dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk released September 2021. “In the vein of fellow guitarists like John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, Ballantine reconciles his educational background in jazz with the stylistic background of his instrument. He approaches the gratifying tonal and harmonic language of rock/roots with the groove, ambition and improvisational focus of a jazz musician” – (JAZZIZ MAGAZINE)
After releasing two solo albums Ballantine was able to attain global recognition with his award winning third album “Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan” which ALL ABOUT JAZZ named in their top ten jazz albums of the year. “From the opening bars of “The Times They Are a-Changin'” it is clear that something special is happening” – (ALL ABOUT JAZZ)
“Befitting a guitarist from America’s heartland, Charlie Ballantine mixes jazz, folk-rock, surf/instro, blues, pop, and country into a simmering pot of guitar sound and style.” – Vintage Guitar Magazine
Personnel:
Check out: “Strange Idea” “Con Alma”
Trombonist Robin Jessome is currently based in Kitchener/Waterloo and performing around the Tri-Cities as well as Hamilton and Toronto, making loud and intriguing creative music. Robin like things dark, with a quirky sense-of-humour — deeply influenced by the likes of Carla Bley, Tom Waits, Kenny Wheeler and Charles Mingus.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Robin received a Bachelor of Music at St. Francis Xavier University (2003) and then completed a Master of Music in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto (2009). While at UofT he studied trombone with William Carn and Terry Promane; composition with Phil Nimmons and David Braid.
Personnel:
Lukas Bouda – guitar
Greg Prior – bass
Jonathan Hann – drums
Here is Robin in a “Blues solo” and “Alone Together“.
The Blue Note Retrospective highlights the music of the Blue Note record label and some of it’s more recognizable compositions from the 50’s to the 60’s, what could be described as it’s heyday. The music blended a mixture of Hard Bop and the emerging popularity of Soul jazz creating a new genre of music we now refer to as the “Blue Note Sound”. The Bluenote retrospective features music by Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Kenny Durham, Lou Donaldson, Donald Byrd, Joe Henderson and others. The band celebrates the history of the Blue Note era with respect and dignity as it is the basis for most modern jazz that came after it.
Alex Dean, one of Canada’s foremost jazz saxophonists, has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for many years. He has played and recorded with Gil Evans, Kenny Wheeler, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Phil Nimmons, the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Alex held the tenor saxophone chair with Rob McConnell’s Grammy award winning Boss Brass and, the Juno award winning Rob McConnell Tentet. He has collaborated extensively on C.D’s as side man with Canadian and American Jazz Artists. The Alex Dean Quartet/Quintet recordings include the newly released At this Point (November 2010), Dreamsville, Both Feet, and Kaitlyn’s Waltz. Kaitlyn’s Waltz was voted Best Jazz CD of 1994 by The Jazz Report and one of the Top Ten Jazz CD releases by New York’s Village Voice. He was also voted Jazz Musician of the Year by the Toronto Star.
Personnel:
Alex Dean-saxophone
Brian Dickinson-piano
Ted Warren-drums
Pat Collins-drums
Brian O’Kane-trumpet
Check out: “At This Point”
Photo Credit: Gary Taylor
Lance Anderson is a Juno award winning producer and Maple Blues Award winning keyboardist. He was honoured to be nominated for the MBA ‘Keyboardist of the Year’ once more in 2022 for his sixth nomination. Lance is a specialist in the N’Orleans piano style. The NOLA Parish (New Orleans L.A.) brings the music of N’Orleans and creates a Mardis Gras atmosphere, whenever they play. Lance will be joined by a collection of some of the finest players in the country. Gene Hardy (Bourbon Tabernacle Choir) sax, Art Avalos (Manteca) percussion, Gary Taylor (Sisters Euclid, Downchild Blues Band) drums, Roger Williams (Shakura S’Aida) bass.
They play their own versions of Nawlins standards made famous by Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Huey Piano Smith, the Neville Bros. James Booker etc. When Lance pulls out the accordion and plays some Zydeco favourites, the party is on! Lance has been featured on CBC Radio’s Saturday Night Blues and the Gumbo
Kitchen on Jazz.fm Toronto. Formed in 2020, The NOLA Parish has appeared at the Calgary Blues Festival, Kitchener Blues Festival, North Bay Blues Fest , Etwell concert series and the TD Niagara Jazz festival and in 2024 played at the Panama Beaches Jazz and Blues Fest, Panama.
Personnel:
Check out: “Live at Blues Summit 10” ” St John’s Matchedash Parish Hall”
Toronto’s TuneTown are an adventurous saxophone, bass, and drum trio who apply their vibrant mix of post-bop, funk, and avant-garde jazz to originals and creatively reimagined standards. They first garnered buzz playing live before releasing their debut album, “There from Here”, in 2019 and sophomore album, “Entering Utopia” in 2021
Formed in 2015, TuneTown features the talents of three Juno-nominated, Toronto-based performers: tenor saxophonist Kelly Jefferson, bassist Artie Roth, and drummer Ernesto Cervini. Along with their work as a trio, they’ve each built highly regarded reputations in the international jazz scene. Jefferson, a graduate of Montreal’s McGill University and New York’s Manhattan School of Music, has performed with Brian Blade, Phil Woods, Joey DeFrancesco, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and many others. Similarly, Roth, a graduate of Toronto’s York University, has regularly led his own groups and worked as a member of the Rich Underhill Group and the Bob Brough Quartet. Cervini, who has issued his own albums and recorded as a member of Myriad3, has drawn well-earned comparisons to drummers like Art Blakey and Billy Higgins.
Personnel:
Kelly Jefferson, Tenor and Soprano Saxophones
Artie Roth, Bass
Ernesto Cervini, Drums
Check out: “Kindling” “Sycamore” “Billyish”
Internationally renowned violinist Jerzy Kapłanek has established himself as a chamber musician, member of the celebrated Penderecki String Quartet, soloist, dedicated teacher, adjudicator, artistic director of QuartetFest and lately as a jazz violinist.
With his sublime, soulful sound, the Kaplanek Quartet will explore a combination of jazz standards and originals. They will introduce us to the varied and powerful tunes by iconic jazz violinists Jean-Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, Zbigniew Seifert and Adam Baldych. Spend an evening at the Jazz Room going on this musical journey with Kaplanek as he brings the high-powered jazz-fusion vibe that suits his violin playing so perfectly.
Personnel (last time):
Jerzy Kaplanek- violin
Anthony D’Alessandro – piano
Mark Godfrey – bass
Ethan Ardelli.– drums
Check out: “Misty”
Photo Credit:Andi State
Andrés Vial (pronounced Vee-al) is a pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser and educator born and raised in Montréal. His compositions are inspired by jazz and popular music, his South American heritage, and several African and European musical traditions.
For his June 8 show at the Jazz Room, he will be joined by bassist Martin Heslop and drummer Ethan Ardelli. They will perform new compositions, material from Vial’s Juno-nominated albums, and music by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, George Shearing and others.
He has collaborated with Joe Chambers, Peter Bernstein, Ingrid Jensen, Malika Tirolien (Bokanté), Ivan Neville, Michael Blake, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, André White, Kevin Dean, Greg Cohen, Al McLean, Kalmunity, Gamelan Giri Kedaton and many others. Active as a leader and sideman, he has performed at over 50 festivals around the world, most recently appearing at the 2019 Vancouver International Jazz Festival and 2022 OFF Jazz Festival in Montréal. He has released 8 albums as a leader, including the Juno-nominated trio albums “Gang of Three” and “When Is Ancient?”.
He holds a doctorate (DMUS) in jazz piano performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. In addition teaching at McGill, he has given jazz piano masterclasses at Dartmouth College, Vanier College and UQAM. He has contributed articles about jazz and improvisation to Downbeat Magazine and Cumulus Press. He also composes music for film and contemporary dance.
Personnel:
Check out: “Gang of Three” “Ferguson”
Ray Robinson, Nicole Faye, and Juno Award winner Carlos Morgan, perform a concert celebrating the distinctive, dynamic and eclectic sounds of Black music. Robinson, Faye and Morgan will perform songs from some of the best of Black Music, as well as their original music, and songs from Black artists from across Canada. Come see and hear these dynamic artists, and with Morgan’s band, perform some of the best songs from the Black music sphere, to celebrate “Black Music Month”. This performance is sponsored by the Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference, and launches their conference which takes place June 14-16 in Kitchener.
Personnel:
- Ray Robinson – vocals
- Nicole Faye – vocals
- Carlos Morgan – vocals
- Taijon Williams – drums
- Anthony Wisdom – bass
- Omar Martin – guitar
- Liam Myrie – keyboards