Learn more about the artists in our outstanding 2023 lineup
Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks
Over the last three years, Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks have become one of the top acts in Canadian jazz. Songwriting and piano partner Ewan Farncombe, with singer and songwriter Bird, have been creating ... [Continue reading →]
Aline’s étoile magique
Aline Homzy is an award-winning violinist and composer based in Toronto. Her influences stem from collaborators such as David Occhipinti, Munir Hossn, Michael Davidson, Andre Downing and Allison Au. Aline has played her original music at the Daegu ... [Continue reading →]
Anthony Fung
Drummer, composer, producer and bandleader Anthony Fung was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He has been playing the drums since the age of ten. An alumnus of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, Anthony has studied ... [Continue reading →]
Avataar
Avataar is a JUNO-winning Toronto based world-jazz group featuring some of Canada’s finest jazz, world, funk, and pop musicians. Personnel includes bandleader Sundar Viswanathan (saxophones, flute, vocals), Felicity Williams (vocals), Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Justin Gray (bass), Ravi Naimpally ... [Continue reading →]
Bantu Salsa
The Bantu Salsa collective was born in Montreal in 2019, melding artists from diverse backgrounds into a dynamic experience. Just Wan (Cameroon), initiator of the project, is songwriter, performer and bass player. His albums explore different musical universes ... [Continue reading →]
Barbra Lica
Barbra Lica is a JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter-producer based in Toronto. A seasoned act on club and festival circuits, Barbra has performed everywhere from New York City’s legendary Birdland to the Tokyo International Jazz Festival. She has ... [Continue reading →]
Brian Barlow & Laila Biali
Multi-award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music radio host Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents, from New York City’s Carnegie Hall, to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. Brian Barlow ... [Continue reading →]
Catherine Russell
Grammy-winning vocalist Catherine Russell was born into musical royalty. He father, Luis Russell, legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, was Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, vocalist/guitarist/bassist, performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary ... [Continue reading →]
Chris Antonik
Born and raised in Markham, three-time Maple Blues Award-nominated, blues-rock guitarist, singer/songwriter Chris Antonik has been wowing audiences with his incendiary blues-rock guitar playing and innovative songwriting, transcending limitations and expectations of the genre. Chris has toured Canada, ... [Continue reading →]
Elan Trotman
Born and raised in Barbados, and educated at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music, Elan has become one of jazz’s most thrilling and emotive performers. Elan was named Jazz Artist of the Year ... [Continue reading →]
Heavyweights Brass Band
The Heavyweights Brass Band hits hard with its seasoned blend of groove, energy, virtuosity and originality. For over a decade, this Toronto-based, New Orleans-inspired brass institution has brought audiences to their feet and club-goers to the dance floor ... [Continue reading →]
Jacob Chung
Canadian saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung is a dynamic young jazz musician whose commitment to swing is heard in his hometown Toronto and in New York City, where he currently studies at the Manhattan School of Music. He established himself ... [Continue reading →]
John Finley
John Finley lives to sing, write and perform. Performing his potent soul style, John and band Jon & Lee & the Checkmates opened twice for the Rolling Stones in Toronto. John has penned songs for Three Dog Night, Ivan ... [Continue reading →]
Matthew Stevens Trio
A leading guitarist of his generation, Grammy-winning Matthew Stevens is joined at this year’s TDMJF by Jon Maharaj and Adam Arruda. The Canadian-born Stevens has a “singular style dissolves the lines between jazz, rock and ambient music.” (Mojo). ... [Continue reading →]
Melissa Lauren
“Jazz is my first love,” Melissa notes, not that a single genre could define her diverse singing style and career. Beginning as a teenager, she performed throughout North America with the Toronto All-Star Big Band, all while developing ... [Continue reading →]
Mike Murley
Saxophonist and composer Mike Murley is one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz artists, appearing on 14 JUNO-winning albums – seven of them his own. Recordings with legendary Canadian artists such as the late Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, and ... [Continue reading →]
OKAN
OKAN brings its sizzling fusion of Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms back to the TDMJF stage. With vocals in Spanish, English and Spanglish, OKAN is led by Cuban-born violinist and vocalist Elizabeth ... [Continue reading →]
Peter Hum
Born and raised in Ottawa, Peter has been a mainstay of the jazz community of Canada’s capital for three decades. He has released three albums of modern mainstream jazz, including Ordinary Heroes, which received a four-star review in ... [Continue reading →]
Rebecca Hennessy Makeshift Island
An award-winning trumpeter, singer, composer and bandleader, Rebecca Hennessy has performed and recorded around the world, including with Adele, Kevin Breit, Ron Sexsmith, Andy Kim, Broken Social Scene and Feist. Hennessy leads Massey Hall’s Women’s Blues Revue, earned ... [Continue reading →]
Shannon Chapman
Shannon Chapman is a singer, instrumentalist, and producer raised in Manitoba and currently based in Toronto. Shannon’s brand of neo-soul balances personal, introspective topics with fun, feel-good jams. Lush harmony, slinky woodwinds and head-bobbing grooves support her soaring ... [Continue reading →]