Featured
Andrew Melzer: The Art of Song and the Song of Life
Every known civilisation partakes in music, though definitions of what that music is might vary wildly. Even more contentious is whether music arose simultaneously with language or after it. No matter which side of the debate you might lean towards it’s likely that almost everyone will agree that since the dawn of popular music – be it Singspiel and Opéra comique, Opéra seria or opus [first used to describe composition in which poetry, dance, and music are combined, in 1639] – most of us would agree that the best popular music has endured because of its songfulness.
That is to say: music with a pleasing melody, enriched by harmony, and propelled by danceable rhythm. It’s the reason why music has endured for a very long time – such as the arias of the kings of opera such as Verdi and Rossini, the moguls of lieder such as Schubert and Mahler, the songs of the great writers such as Johnny Mandel, Harold Arlen, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and Neil Diamond and others such as Simon and Garfunkel, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, or Lerner and Lowe, George and Ira Gershwin and Alec Wilder [names that come easily to mind].
In 1972, Alec Wilder published a definitive book – American Popular Song. This came from a place of considerable pedagogy and deep analysis. It was written with wit and flair, but also contained bold opinions on what – and what did not – constitute the art of songfulness. This book, together with Gene Lees Singers & The Song have – or ought to become – essential working manuals that young songwriters, singers and even critics must consult on the topic of the art of song. Of course, like Mr Wilder, Jerome Kern, Carole King and others, some songwriters are to the manor born. And they are well-known.
Others – not so well known today – certainly deserve to be. Andrew Melzer is one of those songwriters. Mr Melzer as a young man left Hungary with his parents shortly after the student uprising in 1956, finally in Canada via Austria in 1957. Making Toronto their home Mr Melzer began to chart a course as a Canadian music student in early 1958. “My parents bought me a violin and sent me to Remenyi Music for lessons,” he told me. “[Later they] switched me to Jack Montague at the Royal Conservatory. Jack suggested that I enter the Kiwanis Music Festival competitions,” Mr Melzer reminisces. It was a happy, fruitful time for him.
Mr Melzer had already come to Canada with a strong foundation in musical studies. “As a child, I wanted to be a conductor. They [his parents] had a piano teacher come by when I was four and he thought I was too undisciplined because I was experimenting. I called it improvising, but he suggested that we should wait until I was older. My parents took me to [another] teacher again and did some tests with me. I was accepted, but had to go to a solfeggio and theory class for a year before they would let me learn an instrument,” Mr Melzer said. The Hungarian-born Canadian has lived as a Canadian since coming to this country via Austria – in 1957, his family making Toronto their home ever since.
The year 1958 proved to be a pivotal one for Mr Melzer. Not only did he win two third prizes at the Kiwanis Music Festival but his performances caught the eye of Irene Hajdu, who was – herself – a pupil of the great Jenő Hubay, the celebrated Hungarian composer, violinist and pedagogue, among whose pupils were Eugene Ormandy, Eugene Lehner and several famous women violinists including Stefi Geyer and Ilona Fehér. Miss Hajdu was convinced that he had a prodigious gift for music and Mr Melzer switched teachers and began to come under her sway.
“I stayed with Irene until she retired in 1966,” Mr Melzer told me. “She was a fantastic teacher and inspired me to learn,” he continued. He knew he had made the right decision for his virtuosity grew along with the breadth of his knowledge. It began to pay off almost immediately and in 1959 he won the first prize at Kiwanis, as well as two third prizes in other parts of the competition. His prize winning ways continued and today his mantelpiece also retains the first prizes he won in 1965 and 1966, and four more second prizes and two third prizes from those years as well. Although he did try out for the National Youth Orchestra, sadly, he didn’t get in.
However, by the year 1966, Mr Melzer had already been writing songs for several years and honing his compositional skills with the guidance of Dr Samuel Dolin from the Royal Conservatory. His demos were also doing the rounds of labels and other venues. “What a year 1966 was,” Mr Melzer enthused. “I produced the [pianist] Norm Amadio Trio and [vocalist] Tommy Ambrose. I was still a student at the conservatory, entering the Kiwanis Festivals when I could, and taking in as much jazz as well,” He said. “Then I met Oscar Peterson and played him my recordings. He encouraged me to continue writing and producing. He also introduced me to his lawyer and this is how I came to incorporate my music publishing entities.
“But I was only 20, so my dad had to be the first president of the company until I reached 21 the next year,” Mr Melzer remembered. “The floodgates opened. I recorded Bobby Gimbys song, “Canada” with musicians from Yorkville. It made some noise in RPM, the country’s trade magazine at the time. Then Stitch in Tyme, the Yorkville group, which was founded in 1968, broke up. I went with two of the musicians to Nova Scotia a year after and we formed Soma, for whom I played electric violin and percussion. I was writing a lot – co-writing with a couple of the musicians. We were very successful in the Maritimes, but by the end of 1969 we broke up over artistic disputes and I returned to Toronto,” Mr Melzer remembered.
Between the years 1970 and 1976 Mr Melzer’s professional career made an incredible leap, both in terms of the amount of work he was doing – writing songs and producing records – as well as in the breadth of activity he was engaged in. “A friend who worked in film approached me and asked if I would like to audition with the director Don Shebib for a coming of age movie, Rip Off,” he recalled with laughter. “I got the part and they sent me to do a crash course in acting. You should know that when I was fourteen, I had already studied [acting] with Dora Mavor Moore and I had been on stage in 1966 and 1967. But Rip Off was an important step for me.
“I became friends with the film’s star, Don Scardino. I remember that he played and sang some of his songs for me on the set. One of the songs – “Hey, Hey What a Beautiful Day” – stuck out. I borrowed money to record Don and – lo and behold – we had a hit in 1971. I also got together with Pinky Dauvin [Stitch in Tyme and Lighthouse] and recorded another hit, “Tell Me Who”. Pinky and I would go on to record for several years. We made another hit, “Downtown Feeling”, and I Joey Iaci and I made “You’ve Got Me Going”. With Moira Connelly, I made “Live My Life”, Mr Melzer said proudly adding that the songs were still playing on some digital platforms even today,” Mr Melzer enthused.
Seduced by jazz and yearning to experience the music in the Mecca of Jazz, Mr Melzer had already been several times to New York City as a teenager. “When I was fifteen, I first saw and met Thelonious Monk at the Five Spot,” Mr Melzer recalled. “I watched him perform several times thereafter. Of course, like everyone who listened to him, I was mesmerised by his harmonic and rhythmic conception. I kept going back to listen to him every time I was in New York City – at the Five Spot and the Village Vanguard. I’d also been up and down from Toronto to New York between 1961 and 1975, I loved it there and decided to take the plunge and relocate there sort of semi-permanently in 1976.
“But I began to get a bit restless. So when friends from Los Angeles started calling me to come over, I gave in. It was there that I made important connections that helped me in my career over the next few decades [and ever since]. One of the most enduring friendships was with Scatman Crothers. We met when he was filming Silver Streak and he told me: ‘This is where you need to be.’ I took him at his word and, boy, am I glad I did! Within months I got to arrange and produce a dance album. By October of 1977 I was in the studio, Scatman and a dream cast of characters that included the legendary bassist Ray Brown, pianist Mike Melvoin, vocalist Dianne Brooks – more about her later – reeds player Tommy Newsom, trumpeters Snooky Young, Oscar Brashear, drummer Ralph Humphrey and the great multi-instrumentalist, Victor Feldman.
“That became the album Groovin’ with… Scatman which you just reviewed. This was perhaps my most productive period. When the Scatman album was recorded, I did one with Dianne Brooks. I was writing furiously and many of the songs we later recorded on an album called Norm Amadio and Friends [Panda Digital, 2010], for which Peter Cardinali did the arrangements. But going back a bit… during the 80s and 90s I was making a good living and taking care of my family. I suddenly found myself centre-stage in the LA scene. I was writing and making demos but unfortunately no masters or releases. It was a frustrating time – great creatively, but not so great commercially.
“Getting back to the Diane Brooks album – From the Heart & Soul… This is one of the highlights of my career. Apart from the fact that Dianne was a miraculous human being, I managed to get some real heavyweights on the music scene in those days – Don Grusin played keyboards on three tracks, the Brasilian drummer Claudio Slon played on one; bassist Paul Stallworth was on that session. And I had the great Doug Riley playing on three tracks which we recorded at George’s Spaghetti House with Tom Szczesniak on bass with Bob McLaren on drums.
“So in 1995 I started my own company and began to make CDs for artists, independent record labels and studios. Four years later I incorporated my production company Panda Digital and signed The Hot Club of San Francisco. We recorded the album Veronica at the famous Coast Recorders in San Francisco and it turned out to be quite successful. We released a second album two years later. The Christmas song “Happiest Time of the Year” and released four versions of the song. It was one of the best moments of my time in the studio. I managed to get Bobby Rodriguez, Alex Acuña, Abraham Laboriel among others were great players to play on it. We became friends too. Alan Paul of Manhattan Transfer did wonderful vocal arrangements and took a beautiful solo on one track as did Darlene Koldenhoven. Sadly, the project went nowhere, Mr Melzer said rather wistfully.
He cheered up once again when he talked about his move back to Canada, which he called “a hoot.” “By 2004, my wife and I were discussing selling the house and moving,” he said. “By the end of that year, we decided to move to Canada. Actually, [my wife] Karin was moving, I was returning. I flew up to look around GTA and the Niagara area. Then I flew to Prince Edward Island and found this dream home. It’s the home we’re still living in today. What an epic journey that move was. I hired a trucking company with a 53-foot truck, packed our entire house along with Karin’s VW Beetle and trucked the load all the way across the continent of North America [from LA] to PEI, with the truck returning empty from PEI to LA.
I guess it would have appeared that I was sort of semi-retiring, but that turned out not to be the case. In 2009, I got a FACTOR grant to produce Norm Amadio And Friends. This turned out to be a set of fantastic sessions. Peter Cardinali wrote fabulous charts and John “Beetle” Bailey did a superb job recording and mixing the album. I was blessed to have had singers Jackie Richardson, Marc Jordan and players: Norm Amadio, Rosemary Galloway, Terry Clarke, Guido Basso, Phil Dwyer, Reg Schwager, Mat Pataki. Some of those songs are still getting airplay today. And I’ve also released another recording I did with Norm and the trio: After Hours 1966.
Between 2015 and 2019, I got 5 American Songwriting Awards nominations for my songs from that album : These were ‘My Love Can’t Wait’, ‘Out Of The Cool’, ‘She Smiled’, ’Round The Bend’, ‘Lower Chakra Love’ and two more other songs ‘Scoot On Over To Scat’s’ [from the Groovin’ with Scatman album], and ‘Music For Madeleine’.”
“Life’s been good to me I have a wonderful extended family now. But… once a musician, always a musician…” Mr Melzer mused. “More than a decade ago, I started writing and composing Island Wedding: The Musical. I was able to get some grants to demo all the 28 songs in it. This is definitely at the top of my list of projects to take to fruition. I want to get it on stage and made into a as a three-part limited series for streaming. My second wish is to develop a sitcom. Then I’ll kick back and work at fulfilling my third wish…” “What’s that?” I asked him. “I am going to travel the world with my wife,” he said dreamily, as if the journey had already begun. So… Fare thee well Andrew Melzer… fare thee well, fair voyager…
How one composer spent four decades forging a distinctly Québécois path through the experimental music landscape
When Joane Hétu picks up her alto saxophone, she claims territory. At sixty-six, the Montréal composer, vocalist, and saxophonist has spent forty years carving out space for experimental music in Québec, building institutions and communities that define the province’s musique actuelle scene.
Her latest recording, Elle a son mot à dire, captures Hétu leading Ensemble SuperMusique through thirteen of her compositions from across two decades. The album opens with “Elle n’a pas de mot” (She has no words)—a brief ambient piece that stacks wordless singing atop a chorus of “whirly tubes,” ribbed hoses spun above players that pirouette through the harmonic series. An apt introduction to an artist who has spent her career finding new ways to give voice to the unspoken.
Finding Her Voice in the Underground
Hétu’s path began in the early 1980s with avant-pop groups like Wondeur Brass, Justine, and Les Poules. These bands merged the pluralist ethos of New York’s downtown scene with European progressive sensibilities while maintaining something distinctly Québécois. “I was very young, in my twenties, and this fusion happened quite instinctively, without real premeditation,” she recalls. Through connections to figures like Zeena Parkins, Ikue Mori, and Fred Frith, and the Recommended Records network, these groups found their place in an international experimental music community.
Even while performing with these bands, Hétu was thinking beyond individual artistic expression. In 1980, she co-founded SuperMusique with Danielle Palardy Roger and Diane Labrosse. Eight years later, they organized a Festival of Innovative Women Musicians, devoted entirely to women’s groups working in avant-garde music—a radical curatorial gesture that signaled Hétu’s growing interest in building infrastructure alongside making music.
“We were connected to the New York scene,” Hétu explains, “but we wanted to create something here, something that would support the community we were building in Montréal.”
From Performance to Institution
The instinct to support that community would shape Hétu’s career as much as her compositions. By 1998, she had taken on co-direction of Ensemble SuperMusique, transforming the organization into one that explicitly welcomes “emerging artists, mid-career artists, and major figures alike.” Where many experimental music scenes fragment along generational lines, Hétu has consistently worked to bridge those gaps.
“This intergenerational cohabitation is a great richness for us,” she explains. “It opens perspectives, stimulates listening, and provokes essential exchanges.”
On Elle a son mot à dire, this collaborative philosophy becomes musical practice. In “Mot elle a,” vocalist Sarah Albu’s written part interweaves with improvised percussion, creating what Hétu calls “flexible, malleable” pieces that depend on interpretation. “For now, I only have one recording, but I hope it will live through other recordings and interpretations,” she says. “This is one of the objectives of open scores: to encourage multiple and living interpretations.”
[click on image to enlarge]
The Economics of Experiment
Running an experimental music organization led Hétu deeper into the infrastructure questions that determine which music gets heard and preserved. As founder and longtime president of DAME Records (Distribution Ambiances Magnétiques Etcetera), she took on the less glamorous work of documenting and distributing Canadian experimental music—a role she maintained for three decades.
“I’ve always had a passion for sound recording,” she reflects. “From 1985, I got involved in Ambiances Magnétiques, then DAME took over.” The work came with unexpected costs. “After my daughter’s birth in 1990, I was looking for a certain stability, knowing that tours would be more difficult. Naively, I believed that having a record label would offer a form of security. It was quite the opposite. This enterprise cost me a lot in creative time. Looking back, it’s perhaps what I regret most: having carried it for so long, for thirty-three years.”
Despite the personal sacrifice, DAME has documented a vital chapter in Canadian music history, providing a platform for artists like Jean Derome, Pierre-Yves Martel, Tim Brady, and dozens of others who might otherwise have remained unrecorded. “DAME documents this precious musical heritage and ensures that these musics are represented, supported, available, and that this artistic history is accessible,” Hétu explains.
Claiming Creative Territory
The questions of space and belonging that drove Hétu’s institutional work find their most direct artistic expression in her concept of territory. The idea runs through much of her work, most explicitly in her piece La femme territoire ou 21 fragments d’humus. For Hétu, territory encompasses everything from the intimate to the political: “the Earth, my room, Quebec, my soul—a woman who becomes vastitude.”
“In it, I take a position, as a woman, on my territory—intimate and collective,” she explains. “I doubted while writing it; I had trouble trusting myself. Today, I’m happy with the path traveled and with this work.”
The territorial thinking extends to her approach to voice and instrumentation. Hétu never formally learned to sing, drawing from influences like Tenko, Phil Minton, Jaap Blonk, and Paul Dutton. “I have a deep love for the voice and its noise-making potential. It’s visceral and fundamental to me,” she says. In her work with La chorale bruitiste JOKER, founded in 2012, she explores what collective vocal improvisation can accomplish using techniques like soundpainting.
[click on image to enlarge]
Seasons of Composition
Hétu’s relationship to place extends to her famous engagement with Québec’s harsh winters. Where others see obstacles to cultural life, she found creative catalysts. Her trilogy Musique d’hiver emerged from the practical reality that “January, February and March are rather quiet in the record industry, which leaves time to compose.” But the relationship between season and creativity runs deeper than scheduling.
“I love winter, I love the sound, the cocoon effect it produces,” she explains. The final piece in the trilogy, Récits de neige, focused specifically on snow’s geometry: “I hoped to compose 30 short pieces that musicians could amalgamate as they want, like snowflakes, which each have a different geometry.”
Building for the Future
Today, as Hétu approaches her fifth decade in music, she remains committed to the experimental principles that have guided her career while grappling with new challenges facing the experimental music community. “I believe the public has the capacity to welcome innovation,” she argues. “But it needs tools, which are becoming scarce: radio broadcasting, interviews, production support, and venues dedicated to new music.”
Her work with Ensemble SuperMusique continues to demonstrate that experimental music can build lasting institutions and communities. Recent projects include ongoing workshops in graphic scores and conducting gestures, international collaborations, and regular concert series that have sustained the musique actuelle community for decades.
“I respond to the call, to the impulse of the moment. I am still, fundamentally, the same composer,” Hétu admits. Viewed across four decades, her work reveals a consistent thread: the understanding that experimental music concerns itself with creating the conditions for a community of artists to flourish.
In an era when funding for experimental music remains precarious and cultural institutions focus on measurable outcomes, Hétu’s approach offers a different model. Her career demonstrates that sometimes the most radical act is creating space for other voices to emerge, building the infrastructure for artistic communities to sustain themselves across generations. After four decades, Joane Hétu still has something to say. She’s still creating spaces for others to find their own voices within the experimental music territory she has helped map. In Québec’s cultural landscape, that may be her most enduring composition.
“One of the most unforgettable moments of the Festival was the electrifying performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue”
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal took place from June 26 to July 5, 2025, in the Quartier des Spectacles. The 45th edition of the world’s largest jazz festival was a resounding success, attracting jazz enthusiasts from around the globe.
The Heart of the Festival
Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, the Festival site becomes a meeting place for jazz lovers worldwide for ten days. The area is closed to all vehicular traffic and remains open until midnight, allowing visitors to enjoy close to 150 indoor concerts and more than 350 free, open-air shows presented on the specially redesigned Quartier des Spectacles.
A Personal Journey
As a jazz fan and festival enthusiast, I had always intended to attend the Montreal Jazz Festival. Despite missing several chances, I finally managed to go this year, although for a shorter time than I would have preferred, from June 30th to July 3rd.
Arrival and First Impressions
I enjoyed a pleasant 5-hour Via Rail train trip from Toronto to Montreal, arriving around 2 PM. After settling into my Airbnb, I found the jazz festival site and met up with Danilo Navas, the editor-in-chief of That Canadian Magazine. We eagerly waited for the first act to perform on the TD Stage, a free concert by UK tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia.
Garcia and her band delivered an energetic and incredibly enjoyable set that featured music from both of her recordings. This is an artist I will be watching more closely.
One of the most unforgettable moments of the festival was the electrifying performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. This mind-bending concert had everything thrown into the mix, creating an explosive fusion of world jazz, funk, and New Orleans soul.
The unbridled excitement and energy from the stage were infectious, drawing the audience in and making them an essential part of the show. The crowd danced, cheered, and grooved to the irresistible beats, unable to resist the magnetic pull of Trombone Shorty’s music.
After this exhilarating experience, the only thing left to do was find a chill spot to unwind and bask in the afterglow of this burst of New Orleans magic.
Canada Day Celebrations
On July 1st, Canada Day, I took a walk to Old Montreal to check out the celebrations. The area, reminiscent of Europe, was closed off to most traffic, allowing visitors to enjoy the numerous restaurants with patios and sidewalk cafes. I indulged in a coffee and biscotti at one inviting cafe before making my way back to the jazz festival area, with a brief stop in Chinatown for some delicious dumplings and soup.
Memorable Performances
This Canada Day was my most active in terms of concerts, with three free shows happening almost consecutively at outdoor venues.
The Sugar Darlings: Miche Love, a key figure in the Montreal blues scene, captivated the audience with her powerful and soulful voice, supported by the electrifying solos of Paul Lucyk on guitar and Kaven Jalbert on saxophone.
Julien Fillion Band: This lively quartet, led by the talented Julien Fillion on saxophone, guitar, and keyboards, delivered an energetic performance to a rain-soaked crowd. The show must go on despite the unpredictable weather challenges.
Endea Owens & the Cookout: Detroit-raised recording artist, bassist, and composer Endea Owens captivated the audience with her soulful singing and jazz and soul-infused playing.
My Last Full Day at the Festival
My last full day at the festival was spent exploring the grounds and soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of the Montreal Jazz Festival, discovering the many facets of this grand celebration.
Christine Jensen Quartet at Le Studio TD
One of the last jazz concerts I attended was at an indoor venue that offered a free performance by the Christine Jensen Quartet, which featured alto saxophonist Christine Jensen. This outstanding group of world-class musicians includes Jim Doxas on drums, Gary Versace on keys, and Adrian Vedady on contrabass. The quartet played tunes from Jensen’s latest recording, “Day Moon,” released in 2023, as well as selections from her other quartet albums.
A Memorable Experience
In summary, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an excellent event held at a captivating venue, offering a wonderful experience with many free concerts and more. I look forward to returning and delving even further into the modern music of our era.
Editor’s Note: We will publish our photo gallery from the 45th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in a separate post in the next few days.
Luminato at Harbourfront – June 15, 2025
Somd’agua: A Dance Migration Performance
A mesmerizing collaboration featuring Esie Mensah, Alex Oliver, Reimundo Sosa Reinoldes, and Adrianna Yanuziello, Somd’agua provided a profound exploration of Afro-Brazilian culture. The performance artfully depicted the sacred connection between the deities Oxum and Yemanjá through movement and rhythm.
The fusion of powerful singing, chanting, and dynamic Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion created an immersive backdrop for the dancers’ graceful movements.
As the river meets the sea, the performers wove their magic, creating a flowing exchange of energies that stirred deep emotions and evoked memories of distant lands.
The natural setting of Harbourfront Centre enhanced the experience, with the breeze from Lake Ontario and passing tall ships complementing the performance’s aquatic themes. The audience’s enthusiastic participation peaked during the climactic duet, where the dancers achieved perfect harmony.
Santé! By Cirque Kikasse
Quebec’s innovative circus troupe transformed a food truck into an extraordinary performance space.
Their show seamlessly blended fast-food preparation with spectacular acrobatics, showcasing remarkable athleticism and gravity-defying feats both on and above their unique mobile stage.
Musical Performances and Workshops
Afro-Indigenous roots of Colombia Cumbia workshop with Beny Esguerra
Beny Esguerra, the Juno-nominated multi-instrumentalist, delivered an engaging exploration of Afro-Colombian rhythms. Accompanied by his daughter, who acted as her father’s assistant. She helped distribute percussion instruments.
Esguerra created an interactive experience where the distributed percussion instruments became integral to the musical performance. It featured a fun and engaging demonstration that showcased the communicative power of drumming.
Kombilesa Mi
This vibrant Afro-Colombian ensemble brought the distinctive sounds of San Basilio de Palenque to life. Their dynamic performance merged traditional rhythms (Mapalé, Bullerengue, Son Palenquero) with contemporary hip-hop elements, performing in both Spanish and their native language, Palenque.
Formed in 2011, the group serves as a cultural bridge, connecting young people with their heritage while embracing modern musical expressions. The show was well-attended, and these fantastic entertainers had the crowd singing along, clapping in time, and seemingly having a joyful experience.
The festival experience concluded perfectly with an evening stroll along the Harbourfront paths. The day’s artistic celebrations settled into memory as night descended over Lake Ontario.
Photo Gallery: Adrianna Yunuziello Dance Migration performing Somd’agua
Photos by Paul J. Youngman [click on images to enlarge]
Meditation in Motion: Remembering the Healing Flow of Abdullah Ibrahim
This article captures a 2012 Guelph Jazz Festival performance by the late Abdullah Ibrahim at the River Run Centre, incorporating...
Sonny Sounding So Sweet: A Tribute
Sonny Rollins passed away on May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95. With his...
John Coltrane and the Paradox of Dance
The Room Upstairs is a sold-out, critically acclaimed production — and that tells you something. The Winchester Street Theatre was...
Audrey Ochoa: The Trombone as Storyteller in Contemporary Canadian Jazz
A Voice Beyond Boundaries In the evolving landscape of Canadian jazz, few artists embody creative freedom as vividly as Audrey...
Ariacne Trujillo at Jazz Café in Escazú, Costa Rica
Too Darn Hot! In eager anticipation of a live performance at the renowned Jazz Cafe in Costa Rica—quite close to...
A Defining Year for Canadian Music: 2026 JUNO Award Nominees Announced
The nominations for the 55th Annual JUNO Awards are officially in—and they paint a vivid portrait of a Canadian music...
Marta Elena – Por Amor
Set for release in April 2026 on Lulaworld Records, Por Amor finds Toronto-based Cuban-Canadian singer Marta Elena delivering her most...
A a | a B : B E N D
Ambrose Akinmusire and Aszure Barton = BEND | Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto — December 5, 2025 | The prospect of...
MJ the Musical at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. Oct 25, 2025
MJ the Musical debuted on Broadway on February 1, 2022. It was directed and created by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. The...
The Vaudevillian at the 2025 Markham Jazz Festival
Sunday, August 17, 2025—On a sunlit afternoon at the 2025 Markham Jazz Festival, amid the constant flow of festivalgoers along...
karin melzer
October 21, 2021 at 12:51 pm
Such an awesome interview sweetheart!!