2011 Season
Jazz Around Town
Participating Guelph restaurants also offer jazz and live music during the Festival. These artists are programmed by the individual restaurants, not the Festival.
Tuesday
Van Gogh's Ear: Tues. Sept. 6, 9 PM, No Cover
Derek Hines
Derek Hines has been delighting audiences with his voice for several years. The musical idiom of choice is Jazz and Hines can swing with the best of them. Firmly rooted in the standards Hines has carved out a reputation as being a gifted and thoughtful interpreter.
Highlights of his career include performances with Freddy Cole, and 70's television great John Davidson. This path also led to a five year run with Carnival Cruise Lines where he cut his teeth nightly with some of the world's finest musicians.
Thursday
Atmosphere Cafe: Wed. Sept. 8, 8 PM, No Cover
Joni NehRita
Joni NehRita is a Guelph based singer/songwriter/pianist. Her music blends classic soul with a modern sensibility that flirts heavily with jazz and pop. NehRita was honored in The Guelph Mercury's 40 Under 40 this year and was named female artist of the year for her first album in 2008 (Echo Magazine). Her jazz quartet is comprised of Jeff Daniels on piano, Jesse Turton on bass and Adam Bowman on drums. NehRita and "the fellas" have an easy and infectious chemistry on-stage and brings a soulful twist to jazz standards.
Friday
Latino's: Fri. Sept. 9, 6:30 - 10 PM, No cover
Juan Carlos Pizarro
Juan Carlos Pizarro was exposed to music at a very young age. As a child in Chile, he sang, played guitar and piano in his cousin's folk/andina band. As a member of a politically-inspired Latin rock group in the early 1980s, he also faced persecution and arrest by the Chilean secret police, sometimes even in the middle of performances, while singing lyrics asking for freedom and democracy from Pinochet's military government. In 2002, Jaun Carlos moved to Canada with his family and continues to sing and perform today.
Diana Downtown: Fri. Sept. 9, 6:30 - 10 PM, No cover
Joni NehRita
An accomplished musician and song writer Joni NehRita offers a range of soulful originals and covers. Combining classic soul, pop, jazz and a modern sound, Joni will be performing a range of songs including originals from her sophomore album "The Bare Truth". The Joni NehRita Trio offers a smooth and relaxed sound combining time-honoured musical qualities while remaining fresh and new.
Red Papaya Thai and Grill: Fri. Sept. 9, 8 PM, No cover
Brenda Lewis & John Zadro Vocal-Piano Duo
David Kidney (Green Man Review, Hamilton), describes her vocals as "Torch singing of the highest standard" and her new CBC-played CD "JazzLike" as "a jumping jazz album that should satisfy anyone who's been missing Rosemary Clooney." Over recent years, popular Guelph jazz vocalist Brenda Lewis has been a featured artist in Kitchener's Jazz At The Registry Series, Halton Museum's Fireside Jazz Concert Series and has performed in our "Jazz Around Town" Series with acclaimed Canadian jazz guitarists Margaret Stowe, and, Tony Quarrington. This year, she returns with Guelph's own John Zadro - a gifted and versatile pianist.
Saturday
Diana Downtown: Sat. Sept. 10, 6 PM - 10 PM, No cover
Boomerang Band
Boomerang is an exciting, hard workin' and high energy seven piece band playing R&B / soul / rock classics that will stir your soul.Consisting of trumpet, saxophone, keyboard, drums, vocals, and guitar, this band is the complete package. Easily combining the sounds of rock, soul, and R&B, the Boomerang Band offers a sublime range of toe-tapping classics.
Latino's: Sat. Sept. 10, 6:30 - 10 PM, No cover
Juan Carlos Pizarro
Juan Carlos Pizarro was exposed to music at a very young age. As a child in Chile, he sang, played guitar and piano in his cousin's folk/andina band. As a member of a politically-inspired Latin rock group in the early 1980s, he also faced persecution and arrest by the Chilean secret police, sometimes even in the middle of performances, while singing lyrics asking for freedom and democracy from Pinochet's military government. In 2002, Jaun Carlos moved to Canada with his family and continues to sing and perform today.
Atmosphere Café: Sat. Sept. 10, 9 PM, No cover
THUG MANSION DANCE
Presenting DJ Guelph and DJ Koko Bonaparte, dance party impresarios of Guelph. Koko Bonaparte, also lead singer of pop group INTERSTLLR, plays old grimey blues and improbably new dance songs for musicologists and dancers alike. DJ Guelph speaks to the body and mind with hand-picked, vine-ripened Dirty South and soul electro. They will trade short sets on Guelph's best: the Thug Mansion Sound System, full bass.
Woolwich Arrow Pub: Sat. Sept. 10, 9:30 - 1 AM, No cover
Jazz Café Noir
Jazz Café Noir is a trio with an unusual and unique approach to the Great American Song Book. Fronted by veteran blues and jazz guitarist and vocalist Allan Johnson, their varied repertoire runs the gamut from the music of Ellington, Rodgers and Hart, Gershwin, etc., to Latin and French stylings and original compositions by Johnson. This trio will no doubt draw you into their musical sphere for a memorable night.
Red Brick Café: Sat. Sept. 10, 10 PM, No cover
Matt Brubek (solo cello)
Matt Brubek is on the music faculty at York University, Humber College, and the University of Toronto. He teaches jazz strings, jazz piano, improvisation, composition, and leads various ensembles.In the pop/rock world, Matt's eclectic adventures have included touring with the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, and the Indigo Girls, as well as performing and/or recording with Tom Waits, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie MacMaster, Tracy Chapman and others. He will be performing a special solo cello concert as part of this year's Jazz Around Town.
Sunday
Norfolk Street United Church: Sun. Sept. 11, 7 PM, No Cover
Jazz Vespers Service
Vespers are early evening prayers which celebrate the gift of light. They include great jazz, the lighting of candles, prayers, scripture readings and a short reflection. Minister the Reverend Arty Miller will be joined musically by the Norfolk Street United Church music director, John Zadro (piano), along with Andy Klaehn (woodwinds) and Gary Tomlin (percussion).
Jimmy Jazz: Sun. Sept. 11, 10 PM, No Cover
Open Mic with Nate Coles
Join Nate Coles as he guides Guelph’s unruly musical masses through an evening of open mic madness. If you are a weathered rock and roller, an aspiring musician, or simply a music enthusiast, come down to the Jazz for an opportunity to stretch your chops. A Guelph local and prolific singer-songwriter, Nate may even treat the audience to a few of his own sultry ditties.
Donate Online
