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
If you cannot see the calendar below, try our alternate calendar page or update your web browser.
The Tom Nagy Christmas Experience: Won’t Someone PLEASE Think Of Some Of The Children?!
Second show due to popular demand.
Personnel (AKA The Grand Lineup):
Here is what Tom and the group recorded for us in lieu of their covid-cancelled 2020 show:
Photo Credit: Zach Bachand
Jonathan graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA (2012-2016) where he studied on a full-tuition scholarship. In 2018, he earned a M.Mus from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.
Personnel:
Check out: “Tricotism” “Shelter” Bass Solo on “Billie’s Bounce”
The Triodes is a funky instrumental group in the spirit of The Meters, Maceo Parker, John Scofield, Booker T, Monty Alexander, and more modern peers such as Scary Pockets and Vulfpek, where creative sounds and jazz vocabulary meet the desire to make people’s bodies move! The group’s first album Chunked featur
Michael Occhipinti is a versatile, sound-sculpting guitarist and composer/arranger, who has spent decades freely moving between jazz, chamber music, world music, r&b/funk, and anything involving modern guitar sounds. Michael has received 11 JUNO Award nominations and 2 JUNO Awards including the 2022 JUNO Award for Jazz Group of the Year as a member of Avataar. 2022 also saw his duo with Elizabeth Shepherd (ES:MO) nominated for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year. In addition to ES:MO, Michael leads or co-leads several acclaimed groups including The Sicilian Jazz Project, IN ORBIT ( with Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band) on saxophone, and Felix Pastorius on bass), Shine On: The Universe of John Lennon, The Triodes, and the acclaimed 16-piece group NOJO (Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra).
Personnel:
Check out: “Live at the Toronto International Jazz Festival” “Live at the Vernon Jazz Club”
Returning recently from Europe, where this 23 year old performed, and earned her master’s degree in music from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, Canadian Billboard-charting recording artist and Alternative Soul singer Avery Raquel has entertained audiences professionally for over a decade. Having released 4 solo albums to critical acclaim worldwide, her 2022 self-titled release, debuted on the Canadian iTunes Top 200 RnB/Soul album chart at #5. Five tracks from that album were finalists in the John Lennon Song Writing Competition in 2022, in 4 different categories, with one winning the Grand Prize.
“Avery Raquel is one the most exciting and dynamic young vocalists I’ve had the chance to work with. Her command of the stage and crowd is nothing short of remarkable, her original material always leaves the crowd wanting more, and she is the consummate professional. This rising star is most DEFINITELY one that I’ll be watching.” ~ Sean Jones – Soul In The City, Toronto, ON Canada
“ Her instrument is gorgeous; lustrous, precise, and luminously powerful. Her musicianship is fierce as she digs into the expression of each word of the lyrics she writes and sings.” ~ Raul da Gama, theWholeNote Magazine
Personnel:
Check out: “No Ordinary Love” “Nothing More” “Been Through Live” “Helpless” “Come Right Back to You”
New Year’s Eve at The Jazz Room. Buy your tickets soon- it was sold out last year!
Doors open at 7 PM
Dinner music provided by our own Andriy Tykhonov followed by dancing until midnight to The Purpletones
Price is $125 per person, which features a 3 course meal (including tax and gratuities)!
Not included are any beverages or tax and gratuities on those beverages.
Note that this is a special event not covered by the Jazz Room passes.
Seating is non-reserved.
The Purpletones were featured back in January of 2024 and are an 8 piece band that focuses on performing high-energy danceable music with a distinctive Rhythm & Blues sound – from early Motown to 70’s funk, Prince to Bruno Mars, and everything in between!
Check out: “Ain’t No Mountain” “Uptown Funk” “Happy”
Jazz Room New Year’s Eve Menu:
Starter:
Roasted Red Pepper Soup or Garden or Caesar Salad
Main Course:
1. Thai Coconut Curry:
Sautéed veg, served on a bed of Basmati Rice, chicken breast & pita bread, in a curry sauce.
2. Half Rack of Smoked Ribs:
Fall off the bone ribs smothered in Adlys BBQ sauce, sautéed vegetables, with mashed potatoes or basmati rice.
3. Maple Glazed Salmon:
Baked Atlantic salmon, maple glaze, sautéed vegetables with mashed potatoes or basmati rice.
4. Vegetarian Teriyaki Stir Fry:
Sautéed mixed vegetables, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, tofu
Dessert:
Carrot cake with homemade cream cheese icing or Decadent dark chocolate cake
As a jazz singer and pianist (and Member of Parliament), Tim Louis offers something very special. His voice is his own and his talents appeal to those of us who crave warm retro feelings but want something fresh and new. Tim has been described as a triple-threat talent: singer, songwriter, and pianist.
Born in New Jersey, Louis first studied under jazz great Kenny Barron, earning a BA in Music from Rutgers University before moving to the New York scene, eventually working alongside the iconic Teo Macero.
A move to Canada brought with it a period of youthful exuberance as he took his musical talents and dallied in rock and country bands, looking for where he felt he belonged. Jazz is where he belongs! He has crafted an amalgam of Nat King Cole, meets Chet Baker, meets Frank Sinatra, meets John Pizzarelli, meets Vince Guaraldi, meets Ray Charles………
He brings his usual top-shelf local talent and Jazz Room favourites to the stage and always allows his collaborators to stretch!
Personnel (USUALLY):
Dave Thompson-guitar
Here is Tim at the Jazz Room playing his originals:
Hailed as “a major international talent that’s on its way” by the Toronto Star, Venezuelan vocalist Eliana Cuevas performs dynamic songs that defy expectations of Latin music.
Eliana has toured across Canada and abroad collaborating with Juno and Grammy Award-winning performers, and she has released 7 albums of original Latin music under her name.
Seré Libre (2023) marks a debut recording with the Angel Falls Orchestra — a new musical entity featuring some of the best and most versatile classical musicians in Canada — arranged, conducted, and produced by Juno Award-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter.
Eliana has never been constrained by genre boxes in her songwriting, drawing freely from jazz, Latin, folk, and world music elements, and her eclectic discography has brought her multiple wins at the National Jazz Awards, Toronto Independent Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, and the Independent Music Awards in the US.
Personnel:
Eliana Cuevas Vocals
Mark Kelso Drums
Jeremy Ledbetter Piano
Ross MacIntyre Bass
Juan-Carlos Medrano Percussion
Check out: “El Manantial” “Llego” “A tear on the Ground” ” El Tucusito”
This performance is sponsored by DIVA INTERNATIONAL, makers of the Diva Cup, for the” Women in Jazz Series”
Buckle up for a musical JoyRide with thrilling highs, spontaneous departures and unexpected turns! JoyRide is the collaboration of Colin Maier and Mark Camilleri. JoyRide has performed as a duo across Canada and the United States since 2018 having played full recitals, university programs, masterclasses, seminars, fundraisers and children/seniors’ outreach. With Colin on oboe, fiddle, vocals, and musical saw and with Mark on piano.
Their music is best classified as jazz crossover which encompasses many styles including Jazz, Ragtime, Blues, Tango, Romani and Klezmer. JoyRide is a “jazz crossover” duo that weaves their instruments, improvisation and personalities into a multifaceted presentation.
The New York Music Daily says “Ridiculous, virtuosic, outside-the-box fun from JoyRide… It takes a lot of nerve to make music as amusing as JoyRide’s.”
“The audience was enthralled and dizzy with these supermen of music!” (Eden Mills
Music Club audience member)
Personnel:
Colin Maier-oboe
Mark Camilleri-piano
Check out: “Demo 2024” Sample-what you will hear “Air on a Blue String”
Colin Maier (oboe, saw, vocals, from Quartetto Gelato) & Mark Camilleri (pianist and
music director for The Tenors) are “Joyride”, an all-out “music party” where they play
their favorites based in Latin jazz, pop jazz, ragtime, klezmer and bebop, as well as
Celtic, folk and tango. These two players can go out on a limb improvising and
composing on the spot, taking the audience along with them on their musical
adventures.
Colin Maier is an oboist and multi-instrumentalist who is also a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer,
martial artist and Cirque de Soleil acrobat. Originally from Calgary, he has performed with
orchestras across Canada and been seen in shows such as Lord of the Rings, Amadeus, Cats,
A Chorus Line, and Sarah Brightman’s World Tour. During the Vancouver 2010 Vancouver
Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies, he was featured as the Devil Fiddler in the Flying Blue
Canoe. Since 2009, he has travelled the world, performing as a member of Quartetto Gelato.
www.colinmaier.com
Pianist, composer, arranger and producer Mark Camilleri is the music director for The Tenors
and director/producer of hundreds of theatre and musical productions in Canada. He has
worked with some of show business’s biggest names, such as Il Divo, Celine Dion, Sting, Eric
Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Jim Cuddy and many more, and has produced award-winning CD’s
for Jeff Healey, The Toronto Symphony
He has also worked with a lengthy list of national and international artists and entertainers including Maria Schneider, Bill Holman, Vince Mendoza, Kenny Wheeler, Steve Swallow, Carla Bley, Paquito D’Rivera, Gap Mangione, Denzal Sinclaire, Aretha Franklin, Paul Anka, Diana Krall, Ann Hampton-Calloway, Bill Mays, and Dave Brubeck. Brian O’Kane has also worked with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Canada Pops Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Orchestra, Orchestra London, the Oshawa Symphony, the True North Brass and the Trillium Brass Quintet. He has been on many television/radio jingles and is also in demand as a pit musician, having played in shows including The Producers, The Boyfriend, The Full Monty, West Side Story, Follies, Chicago, and Swing Step. As well he has played at major jazz festivals throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Personnel:
Brian O’Kane-trumpet
Kevin Turcotte-trumpet
Brian Dickinson-piano
Neil Swainson-bass
Barry Romberg-drums
Check out: “Joy Spring” “Tribute to Art Fern”