After 10 years as a national and international jazz percussionist, Agneya Chikte has stepped forward in 2026 to release his first album of original music. He brings together South Asian rhythmic cycles, West African groove traditions and contemporary ... [Continue reading →]

Accolades have always greeted Amanda Martinez. The Toronto-based composer, who sings Latin jazz in Spanish, has been named the Toronto Independent Music Awards’ best world music artist, and Latin Awards Canada’s composer of the year. She has performed ... [Continue reading →]

Bassist Artie Roth is a jazz influencer on many levels: as a composer, bandleader, performer and educator. As a bandleader, Artie has released four albums, most recently “Resonants.” He co-leads the jazz trio Tunetown, and is also a ... [Continue reading →]

Composer and pianist Diane Roblin leads a six-piece ensemble, Life Force, exploring high-energy sounds punctuated by intricate improvisations. Many songs are taken from her album “Breath of Fresh Air,” released on Zsan Records in late 2024. It combines ... [Continue reading →]

From Winnipeg comes Erin Propp, presenting original music as a vocalist behind the piano. Her first full-length album, now in production, will be an experimental exploration between jazz and folk genres. It features Fabio Ragnelli on drums and ... [Continue reading →]

Canadian vocalist Eunice Keitan infuses soft jazz with ancestral Malaysian folk music. She and her band make use of layers of music loops and unusual instruments such as the guzheng, or Chinese zither, a plucked instrument with a ... [Continue reading →]

Is there a “Toronto jazz” sound? If so, then Joseph Funk is helping to define it. The trumpeter leads the Funk10tet, a group of brass, woodwind and rhythm players presenting original works that are heavily influenced by traditional ... [Continue reading →]

Musicians from many countries have performed at the Markham Jazz Festival, and now Gabriel Palatchi adds Argentina to the list. The pianist, composer, arranger and producer performs a fusion of Latin rhythms, jazz, tango, funk and middle eastern ... [Continue reading →]

JabFung is a jazz quintet formed in Toronto, now based in Los Angeles, whose name is an amalgamation of its co-leaders, bassist Julian Anderson-Bowes and drummer Anthony Fung. Up front are three virtuosos with international reputations: Luis Deniz ... [Continue reading →]

Recording artist Jean-Michel Pilc has toured as a jazz pianist and composer in more than 60 countries since the late 1980s.He has released many albums and collaborated with numerous jazz giants. Born in Paris and now residing in ... [Continue reading →]

Jessica Lalonde is a classically trained jazz singer, originally from Midland, Ontario, whose work transcends genres. She moves easily among jazz, folk, opera and swing styles. She is collaborating with Adrean Farrugia, a Juno Award-winning pianist, composer and ... [Continue reading →]

Habana Safari is a Canadian-Cuban band founded by percussionist Joaquín Núñez. They blend traditional Afro-Cuban folkloric music with modern Latin jazz. Their 2025 debut album, “Ruta de la Clave,” (the route of the clave) is described in a ... [Continue reading →]

Attendees at the 2026 Markham Jazz Festival will have the opportunity to witness an unusual jazz singer’s performance. Jazz singers, especially men, are a rare breed. They use their voices not only as painters of melody but as ... [Continue reading →]

It’s a word, it’s a band, it’s a social movement. “Kaiso” means “go forward” in the Ibibio language of Nigeria. In the 19th century, it became the name of a Caribbean music genre created by enslaved Africans in ... [Continue reading →]

Canadian jazz vocalist, composer, educator and visual artist Kayla Ramu likes to tell stories in song. Sometimes she makes them up herself. Other times, she reinvents songs created by others. She draws inspiration especially from vocalists of the ... [Continue reading →]

In June, Toronto-based pianist, composer and singer Mike Janzen released his eighth album of Christian songs, titled “The End of Myself.” Reviewing it, Clara Bajalan wrote on www.jubileecast.com: “Blending folk-pop, roots, jazz and soulful influences, the 12-track project ... [Continue reading →]

What should you expect from a band called Mr. Beeper? Nostalgia, for one thing. The name derives from a song composed by guitarist Steve D'Angelo of Toronto about a furry green creature from a 1990s kids’ TV show ... [Continue reading →]

Nancy Walker is everywhere in Canadian jazz. She has received many awards including the Montréal Jazz Festival’s Grand Prix de Jazz and the National Jazz Awards Keyboardist of the Year Award. She can be heard on numerous recordings ... [Continue reading →]

He’s a jazz artist and a composer of classical chamber works. He is also an associate professor and jazz area coordinator at York University. Noam Lemish’s quartet includes saxophonist Sundar Viswanathan, bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser. ... [Continue reading →]

Ori Dagan interprets jazz for the 21st century. The award-winning singer, born in Israel and now resident in Toronto, has released four albums since 2009. His latest is “Click Right Here” (2022), his first all-original album exploring 21st ... [Continue reading →]