A
ADHD
June 27 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 4:45pm • FREE
A performance by the four Vikings that comprise Iceland’s ADHD is an all-encompassing ritual, a magic potion made from incantation and dance. Drummer Magnús Trygvason Elíassen, guitarist Ómar Guðjónsson, saxophonist Óskar Guðjónsson, and keyboardist Tómas Jónsson’s innovative blend of jazz, improv, and contemporary music demonstrates how the island people in the very north of Europe have been able to survive long, icy winters through the centuries: they simply produce crackling energy out of themselves!
Continually expanding their artistic terrain, ADHD’s creative vibrations override genre and fascinate jazz heads as much as rock fans and ravers. Their tenth album will be released in October on the respected German label enja & yellowbird, so not only will the Vancouver International Jazz Festival audience get a sneak peek at the new material, ADHD’s set on the Georgia Stage will serve as the grand finale of the group’s first ever cross-Canada tour.
Thanks to Iceland Music Centre (Tónlistarmiðstöð).
Alex Marr and the Ragwater Dogs
June 29 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Led by vocalist Alex Marr, and backed by some of Vancouver’s finest musicians, The Ragwater Dogs pay tribute to the legendary Tom Waits, aiming to authentically channel the spirit and energy of the gravelly genius’ music while bringing their own creative voices to the stage.
With Daniel Deorksen guitar, Emilio Suarez bass, Morgan Sidky drums, Nicholas Leffler tenor saxophone, Tyson Naylor keys.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Alex Marr and the Ragwater Dogs.
Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Amina Claudine Myers “Solace of the Mind”
July 4 • Revue Stage @ 9pm • $40 plus fees
“This is a musical language distilled to its essence, with Myers conjuring whole worlds from just a few perfectly chosen notes.” – The Wire
Solace of the Mind is the latest release from pianist, organist, vocalist, and newly minted NEA Jazz Master Amina Claudine Myers. The extraordinary recording – a follow up to her acclaimed duo with Wadada Leo Smith, Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens, released via Red Hook Records in 2024 – stands as a testament to the uncompromising vision of a seasoned leader in creative music who’s traced a remarkable path from her beginnings in Arkansas church choirs to the forefront of avant-garde jazz. The album made Best of 2025 lists in the New York Times, All About Jazz, Bandcamp Daily, Slate, All Music, and more.
Throughout her six-decade musical journey, Myers has consistently defied conventional boundaries while drawing from her rich roots in Baptist and Methodist church music, gospel, and rhythm and blues. Featuring Myers on piano, Hammond B3 organ, and voice, Solace of the Mind is a deeply personal exploration of musical evolution, and an exceptionally expressive dialogue between tradition and modernity.
Ard ‘n Saul
July 1 • Ocean Artworks @ 2:25pm • FREE
Ard ‘n Saul pays hot-soloing homage to the classic two horns+rhythm section tradition. Led by the dynamic duo of alto saxophonist Saul Berson and tenor saxophonist Ardeshir, Ard ‘n Saul’s rich repertoire of standards and originals brings exhilarating, hard-swinging tradition and innovation to the stage. With Winston Matsushita piano, David Caballero bass, and Arvind Ramdas drums.
B
Ben Brown & Stefan Christoff
July 5 • Revue Stage @ 5pm • $PWYC
There’s a wild expansiveness to the sound of percussionist Ben Brown and pianist Stefan Christoff, an unbound and inspired collaboration that invokes light, sky, and the endless ocean. Glimpses of stillness peer through the chaotic world, and profound spontaneity takes magnificent shape. Sun 13 said of their 2025 debut In Duet, that “in much the same way Chris Abrahams, Jim White, or Mick Turner ply their trades, some artists just have a distinct playing style and sound, and Christoff is one of them. Alongside Brown, the duo conjures up something evocative here. Rich and emotive in all its twists and turns, there’s barely a moment to catch your breath.”
JUNO Award winner Ben Brown approaches percussion as an interdisciplinary art, including sculptures, extended techniques, and, above all, expressiveness in his compositions. His fellow Montréaler Stefan Christoff moves between free improv, classical, and noise, in large part because of his continuous collaborations with artists of no fixed genre, including Jarrett Martineau, Lori Goldston, and Sam Shalabi.
Ben Frost Quartet
July 2 • Bentall Centre Dunsmuir Patio @ 12pm • FREE
Trumpeter and composer Ben Frost is a quietly essential voice in Vancouver’s jazz community, known for his lyrical approach to the horn and deeply considered original writing. His music balances clarity and openness, drawing listeners into expansive, melodic worlds, a sound clearly captured on his 2022 album Pixies. Influenced by masters like Wayne Shorter and Kenny Wheeler, his Quartet featuring Miles Wong drums, David Caballero bass, Noah Franche-Nolan piano, and Ben Frost trumpet brings his compositions into sharp focus through a collaborative, improvisational lens.
Bonnie Northgraves and the Big Loud
June 27 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 3:15pm • FREE
Bonnie Northgraves and the Big Loud is a seven-piece joy machine serving up bold, brassy, foot-stomping hot jazz with irresistible charm. Fronted by Bonnie’s magnetic trumpet and vocals, the band turns heads and fills dance floors. Though rooted in the spirit of New Orleans, they love to take playful offramps to hot jazz takes on modern favourites. Whether you’re a seasoned swing dancer, a subtle swayer, or you just love to sit back and listen to hot jazz at its finest, the Big Loud is feel-good, celebratory music that invites everyone in. Come ready to clap, hoot, sway, and leave smiling!
With Kevin Jackson trombone, Wynston Minckler bass, Josh Roberts guitar/banjo, Dean Thiessen piano, Seth Kitamura drums, and Thomas Harris clarinet/sax.
Brad Turner Quartet
July 3 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm • $PWYC
Multiple JUNO and National Jazz Award-winning trumpeter/composer Brad Turner has been an enormously influential figure on the Vancouver jazz scene for over three decades, having co-founded Metalwood and worked with artists such as Joe Lovano, Kenny Wheeler, John Scofield, Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Seamus Blake, and Kenny Werner.
His Quartet with Bruno Hubert piano, André Lachance bass, and Dylan van der Schyff drums have built a telepathic rapport and a following of tapped-in jazz fans since their founding in the early 90s. Drawing from a repertoire of synapse-firing originals and masterful interpretations of standard tunes, this highly interactive group explores free improv, structured composition, and potent groove-based themes.
Thanks to Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation.
Brandon Woody’s Upendo
June 24 • Fox Cabaret @ 7pm & 9:30pm • $35 plus fees (per show)
Brandon Woody is a Baltimore-born, Bach-endorsed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader whose music flows from the rich lineage of Black music, including jazz, gospel, improvisation, and beyond, to explore themes of love, resilience, and community. Widely hailed as a rising force in contemporary jazz, Woody signed with the legendary Blue Note Records in November 2024 and released his debut album, For The Love Of It All, in May 2025. Featuring his longtime band Upendo—Troy Long keys, Quincy Phillips drums, and Michael Saunders bass—the album showcases Woody’s ability to craft music that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Rooted in Baltimore, Woody has built his career from his hometown, drawing on its vibrant creative culture and community spirit. His work has received praise across major publications, with DownBeat highlighting his “rich and expressive” tone, and the Financial Times noting the album’s emotional range “from gentle lyricism to swaggering virtuosity.” The Washington Post described Woody’s music as “staggeringly self-assured” and “radiating warmth, purpose, and a sense of place,” reflecting both the clarity of his artistic vision and his deep connection to his community.
Woody has collaborated with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Danilo Pérez, Casey Benjamin, Marcus Gilmore, the Robert Glasper Black Radio Orchestra, Paul Russell, Derrick Hodge, Marc Cary, and Solange Knowles. Dedicated to bridging generations through music, Woody has led masterclasses and workshops at institutions across the country. Through both his performances and community work, Brandon Woody uses music as a tool for healing, connection, and joy.
C
Caley Watts
June 30 • The China Cloud @ 8:30pm • $25 plus fees
Caley Watts is a Cree singer/songwriter who grew up along the river banks, mountain ranges, and rainforest of Nuxalk Territory, and her blend of folk and roots draws heavily on the pace and beauty of her home. In praising the “understated magic” of Caley’s music, CBC Music said “it’s easy to imagine oneself whisked far away from the insularity of daily life, to somewhere wilder and grander.” Caley’s debut album River’s Daughter is the result of more than three years of mentorship and co-writing sessions with an incredible community of artists, including William Prince, Serena Ryder, Kinnie Starr, and Katie Pruitt.
Joining Watts are Kenton Loewen drums, Scott Smith guitar, and James Meger bass.
Presented in association with Talking Stick Festival.
Chopping Spree!
July 3 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
A post-fusion band that thrives in the highest-energy pockets of Vancouver’s live music scene, Chopping Spree! makes every show a must-see see with their intensely fun stage presence and captivating instrumental interplay. Under a broad-minded jazz fusion ethos, they slice through genres ranging from 70s Japanese fusion, prog rock, metal, and psych, to funk, disco, post-rock/ambient, and even rap. Called ”the scene’s breakout band” by Rhythm Changes, Chopping Spree! are creating hypnotic and energetic “jazz that people are moshing to.”
Chopping Spree! is Eddie Naranjo drums, Hayden Cohen keys/vocals, Kyler Young saxophone/vocals, Junny Chen guitar, Colm McIntosh percussion, and Olivier Leclerc bass.
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
Chris Fraser Organ Trio with John Lee and Joe Poole
June 28 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Taking inspiration from the great organ trio masters like Jimmy Smith, Melvin Rhyne, and Larry Young, Vancouver jazz guitar phenom Chris Fraser takes the stage in greasy, hard-swinging fashion alongside Canadian jazz heavyweights John Lee on Hammond B3 organ and Joe Poole on drums.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Chris Fraser Organ Trio with John Lee and Joe Poole.
Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Clara Lin Trio
June 30 • Bentall Centre Dunsmuir Patio @ 12pm • FREE
Vancouver-based pianist and vocalist Clara Lin leads a trio that blends lyrical jazz, groove-forward interplay, and emotionally direct storytelling. Performing with bassist Emilio Saurez and drummer Diego Pérez, Lin draws on a wide range of cultural and musical influences to create a sound that is fluid, bold, and deeply felt. The trio thrives in the tension between structure and spontaneity, where melody and rhythm continuously reshape each other.
Company B Jazz Band
July 1 • Ocean Artworks @ Noon • FREE
Company B Jazz Band is one of Canada’s foremost vintage jazz ensembles, featuring a vocal trio inspired by renowned female harmony groups like the Andrews Sisters and the Boswell Sisters. With pitch-perfect melodies and an infectious sense of fun, they take on a vast repertoire that dates from the 1920s to today, all performed in classic Swing Era style. Since their 2007 inception, Company B has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and this May released their first live album, Live From the Hive.
With Shannon Scott vocals, Bonnie Northgraves vocals and trumpet, Juhli Weiss vocals, Josh Roberts guitar, Jens Christiansen sax, Noah Gotfrit bass.
The Connection Quartet
July 5 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
The Connection Quartet is a dynamic collaboration uniting drummer Arvind Ramdas with long-time musical collaborators. Rooted in deep respect for the jazz tradition, the ensemble is dedicated to performing the complete music from The Connection, the landmark 1960 film featuring an iconic score by pianist and composer Freddie Redd.
This project brings Redd’s hard bop compositions back to life with reverence and vitality, capturing the raw energy, lyrical depth, and cinematic atmosphere that defined the original recording. The quartet approaches this repertoire not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing body of work—infused with spontaneity, interplay, and modern sensibility. With pianist Julian Borkowski, bassist David Caballero, and alto saxophonist Tamas Balai, Ramdas honours Freddie Redd’s legacy while celebrating the enduring vitality of jazz.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by The Connection Quartet.
Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Cory Weeds Little Big Band ft. Jerry Weldon
July 3 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Take it from Downbeat Magazine: “renaissance man Cory Weeds has the Midas Touch!” An indefatigable force on the Vancouver scene, the tenor saxophonist and impresario keeps the flame of classic straight-ahead jazz burning bright. Inspired by tenor heroes Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Gene Ammons, Weeds calls on an all-star cast of Vancouver musicians to join him alongside special guest tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon. A renowned player on the New York City scene for more than 35 years, the veteran sax man’s résumé reads like a virtual “Who’s Who of Jazz.” To mark the 25th anniversary of Weed’s fantastic Cellar Live record label, the band will play music from Weeds and Weldon’s albums Explosion and Home Cookin’, as well as new material!
With Steve Kaldestad alto saxophone, James Danderfer tenor saxophone, Dave Say baritone saxophone, Jim Hopson and Brian Harding trombones, Brad Turner and Julian Borkowski trumpets, Chris Gestrin piano, John Lee bass, Graham Villette drums, and Jill Townsend conductor/musical director.
Cellar Live 25th Anniversary. Double bill with Noah Franche-Nolan Trio.
D
Dabin Ryu
June 29 • Tom Lee Music Hall @ 1pm • FREE
Dabin Ryu is an award-winning NYC-based jazz pianist and composer from Seoul, South Korea. She holds a BMus from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, an Artist Diploma from Juilliard, and has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Billy Harper, Randy Brecker, Johnathan Blake, Joe Martin, Anat Cohen, Jaleel Shaw, and many more. A versatile pianist, she leads her own band and has contributed to notable projects including Ralph Peterson’s Next Generation Big Band, David Virelles’ Nosotros Ensemble, and others. She won the 15th UNISA International Piano Competition and the 2025 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission. Currently, she serves as an associate professor at Berklee College of Music.
Don’t miss Dabin Ryu performing with David Blake NYC Quartet, July 1 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm
Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra featuring Darynn Dean
June 25 • BlueShore at CapU @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Vancouver trumpeter and composer Daniel Hersog leads an adventurous orchestra comprised of the cream of the Vancouver jazz community. This show features guest vocalist Darynn Dean, who studied with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter and brings a commanding, soulful presence. Together, Hersog, whose writing is “directly in the lineage of great jazz composers like Gil Evans,” per Jazz Times, and L.A.-based Dean deliver a thrilling big-band experience, blending sophisticated orchestral arrangements with expressive, powerful vocals. Hersog’s 17-member orchestra features Brad Turner, Steve Kaldestad, Bruno Hubert, James Danderfer and Bernie Arai.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
Dave Sikula Trio feat. Sean Cronin and Dan Gaucher
July 1 • Ocean Artworks @ 5:30pm • FREE
One of Vancouver’s most versatile guitarists, Dave Sikula has brought textured, highly-melodic playing to Inhabitants, Brian Charette, Brad Turner, Jennifer Scott, and many more. With an emphasis on groove, melodic interplay, and risk-taking, the Dave Sikula Trio draws from jazz classics by Monk, Ornette Coleman, and others, alongside original tunes from each member of the group. A former Vancouverite who now hails from Catskill, NY, bassist Sean Cronin has played with Very Good, Matt Munisteri, and The Lovestruck Balladeers. Drummer Dan Gaucher has played with October Trio, Fond of Tigers, and Tiny Pyramids. As a trio, these forward-thinking players share an intimate sense of swing and a reverence for the great jazz composers of the past.
David Blake NYC Quartet
July 1 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm • $PWYC
Vancouver-born guitarist/composer David Blake has been making a name for himself in New York’s vibrant contemporary jazz community in recent years. “With engaging melodies in the forefront, underscored by intricate harmonies and shifting time signatures” (All About Jazz), the Brooklyn-based Blake leads a quartet featuring some of NYCs finest, most dynamic players in pianist Dabin Ryu, bassist Warren Louie, and drummer Jonas Esser.
Thanks to Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation.
MORE: Dabin Ryu Workshop – June 29 • Tom Lee Music Hall @ 1pm • FREE
Devours
June 28 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Devours is the dark synth-pop project of Vancouver-based DIY musician Jeff Cancade.
Across five acclaimed underground albums, including 2023’s Polaris Prize-longlisted Homecoming Queen, Devours has written confessional and confrontational electronic music about masculinity, body image, gay politics, and inner-city queer existence. They’ve toured Canada and the US, received coverage from Vice, CBC, Exclaim!, and the Globe and Mail, and brought ecstatic introspection to festivals such as SXSW, Treefort Music Fest, Sled Island, JunoFest, and more. Exclaim! calls Devours’ subversive and club-bangingly inclusive underground queer pop “unpredictable, and relentlessly catchy.” Better still, it’s completely, irresistibly danceable.
Presented in association with Queer Arts Festival. Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
DJ GUACHIIIN
June 27 • Downtown Jazz DJ – 2:30pm–8:30pm (between sets) • FREE
DJ GUACHIIIN (Adrian Enrique Castro Avendaño) lays down an all-vinyl set of fiery deep cuts and glimmering modern classics. Get ready for an eclectic mix of cumbia, salsa, and Afro-Latine dance grooves, featuring freshly picked gems straight out of Bogotá and Mexico City!
E
Ensemble Constellation and Guests
June 20 • North Vancouver Civic Plaza @ 1pm • FREE
The music of Montreal-based Ensemble Constellation blends traditions from Africa, Iran and Baroque music. For this show, two of the group’s members, Deo Munyakazi, a Rwandan musician renowned for his mastery of the inanga, a traditional zither from Africa, and Reza Abaee, originally from Iran, who plays the fiddle ghaychak, will be featured. Joining them are West African guitar virtuoso and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo and Ensemble Absinthe. Comprising violinist Edgar Bridwell, violist Martina Smazal and Anne Duranceau on contrabass, Ensemble Absinthe’s unusual addition of the contrabass rather than a string trio’s typical cello adds unexpected contrast to the rich, fluid sounds of the violin and viola.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz and Festival d’ete.
Erika Chow’s General Assembly
July 2 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
Vancouver-based saxophonist Erika Chow’s General Assembly is a new ensemble dedicated to playing the music of the late, great, Wayne Shorter. The group made its debut in August, 2025 as a quartet, but has recently expanded to a quintet, adding trumpet to allow the band to explore more of Shorter’s extensive repertoire. From the early 60s Jazz Messengers, to Miles’ Second Great Quintet, to the pioneering jazz fusion of Weather Report and beyond, Wayne Shorter helped shape one of the most innovative and influential periods in jazz history. With RJ Abella trumpet, Jancis Bautista piano, Dan Howard bass, and Jordy McIntosh drums, Erika Chow’s General Assembly keeps that spirit alive and adventurous.
Erin Propp
June 28 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
“If you could bottle the purity of Erin’s voice, singers around the world would line up to drink it” – Tim Tamashiro, CBC Tonic
JUNO-nominated, WCMA-winning singer-songwriter and keyboardist Erin Propp’s 2026 debut album as a band leader is a melody-driven exploration of her jazz, folk, and gospel roots. Aptly named The Longing Years, it finds the Winnipeg-based artist empathically mining lyrical inspiration from the early years of motherhood with a voice that’s equal parts quiet in its acknowledgement of relational struggles, and passionately impatient in seeking resolve. Co-produced by Joey Landreth (of the Bros. Landreth), the record features a jazz trio, Grammy Award-winning chamber ensemble Attacca Quartet, and Landreth himself. Live, she’ll be joined by Julian Bradford bass, Fabio Ragnelli drums, and NYC-based guitarist Tristan Clark.
Thanks to Canada Council for the Arts.
Etran de L’Aïr
June 28 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 6:30pm • FREE
Etran de L’Aïr (or “stars of the Aïr region”) have been stars of the wedding circuit around Agadez, Niger, since forming in 1995, when current band leader Moussa “Abindi” Ibra was only nine years old. Beloved for their hypnotic solos, propulsive rhythms, and sun-glazed melodies, Etran celebrates the sounds of the “capital city of Saharan rock” with the dynamism and joy of a hometown wedding.
From the days of the Trans-Saharan caravan in the 14th century, to becoming a modern-day stopover for Europe-bound migrants, Agadez has been a crossroads city where people and ideas come together. Understandably, it’s here where one of the most ambitious Tuareg styles has taken hold, as exemplified by Etran’s frenetic electric guitar solos, driving drum-kit, and flamboyant dancing guitarists.
While other Tuareg guitarists look to Western rock, Etran de L’Aïr explores a pan-African style that cites a myriad of cultural influences, from Northern Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, to Congolese Soukous, while always being rooted in the celebratory exuberance of an Agadez wedding. This is music for dancing, after all!
Presented in association with Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver.
The Ex
June 26 • Hollywood Theatre @ 7pm • $45 plus fees
The Ex is a band resolutely focused on the future. After more than 45 years of existence and constant reinvention, it rejects all nostalgia, preferring to explore new alliances and continually take on musical challenges far from any comfort zone.
Emerging from the punk and squat movements of the late 1970s, The Ex has become an independent and unclassifiable force, performing in over 45 countries and paving the way for significant intercultural collaborations, notably with Ethiopian artists. Returning to the international stage with new compositions and a new album, If Your Mirror Breaks, the group continues to embody a living, collective and curious music — outward in all directions. “If Your Mirror Breaks is too honest to lie to you about the times, but so exhilarating that it makes you believe that the truth will make it through” (Magnet Magazine).
The Ex are Terrie Hessels guitar, Arnold de Boer vocals, guitar, Andy Moor guitar, and Katherina Bornefeld drums, vocals.
F
5 Nights in Paradise: Dane
June 26 • Ocean Artworks @ 10:30pm • $PWYC
Born and raised in Edmonton, Dane MacDonald discovered the dance floor at 15 and never looked back. A record shop veteran, label head (Common Edit), and longstanding promoter, Dane’s influence on Western Canadian house and disco is hard to overstate. His Vancouver party series Dane’s Dance Emporium became a fixture of the city’s underground scene, earning him a reputation as one of the region’s most trusted tastemakers.
Presented in association with Paradise Cultural Society.
5 Nights in Paradise: Special Surprise Guest TBA
June 27 • Ocean Artworks @ 10:30pm • $PWYC
Presented in association with Paradise Cultural Society.
5 Nights in Paradise: Pacific Rhythm
July 3 • Ocean Artworks @ 10:30pm • $PWYC
Pacific Rhythm is a Vancouver-based record label and events platform founded in 2013 by Derek Duncan (DJ D.Dee) and Russell Cunningham. What began as an online hub for underground dance music — giving Vancouver artists a North American outlet and avoiding the prohibitive cost of ordering records from overseas — grew into one of the most respected independent imprints on the continent. Known for the Rhythms Of The Pacific V/A series, the label has released music from D. Tiffany, Khotin, Ex-Terrestrial, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland, helping define a distinctly West Coast sound: introspective, uplifting, and globally admired. A community-first operation built on patience, flow, and trust in the ear. Stay Out Late It Feels Great.
Presented in association with Paradise Cultural Society.
5 Nights in Paradise: Prado Monroe & ZDBT
July 4 • Ocean Artworks @ 10:30pm • $PWYC
Prado Monroe does not just inhabit genres; she dismantles and reassembles them. An Afro-Métis artist from the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC), Prado is a self-taught polymath whose DIY ethos has propelled her from the Canadian underground to the global stage. As a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, she fuses Alt-Pop, Electronic, Rap, and Hyperpop into something entirely her own. She first caught the ear of Skrillex’s OWSLA crew under the moniker ‘AlienKanye,’ and broke through with her 2021 collaborative EP with ZDBT — featuring ‘Elastic,’ a femme anthem that has surpassed 1 million Spotify streams. After a deliberate hiatus to focus on her education and Indigenous community roots, Prado returns in 2026 with new music on HOTLORD, the label from German DJ/producer Lovefoxy. A larger-than-life performer with rapturous crowd control, Prado is unapologetic and fiercely independent.
ZDBT is the alias of Zachary David Boynton Treble — Vancouver producer, DJ, and live performer whose work spans a vast tonal range. A percussionist since age 10 and a serious producer since 2007, he has released on Ghostly, Specials Worldwide, ISLA, and Delicate Records, earning support from some of the world’s most in-demand selectors. On July 4th, Prado and ZDBT share the stage as Producer & Artist— vocals and electronics in conversation.
Presented in association with Paradise Cultural Society.
5 Nights in Paradise: Kozue
July 5 • Ocean Artworks @ 10:30pm • $PWYC
Born in Japan and now based in Vancouver, Kozue moved to the west coast in 2019 after years spent in Toronto, New York, Montreal, and Berlin absorbing the specificity of each city’s dance music culture. A vinyl DJ rooted in house, deep house, techno, and disco, she held a monthly residency at Bar Diamond and launched Resound — an audio-visual DJ showcase on Bside Radio — in 2023. Her sets are known for patience and precision: expansive journeys that feel both intimate and inevitable.
Presented in association with Paradise Cultural Society.
G
GeminiCrab – Malika Tirolien + Caulder Nash
June 28 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 8:30pm • FREE
An artist residency in the Laurentians led them to create with binaural technology; their obvious musical chemistry inspired them to create GeminiCrab!
GeminiCrab is an eclectic HighSoul collaboration between Grammy-nominated vocalist/producer Malika Tirolien (Bokanté) and award-winning keyboardist/producer Caulder Nash. Their new album Gen Y Lens explores R&B, soul, jazz, and hip-hop, enhanced by honest lyrics from a lens that’s distinctly Generation Y. Through Tirolien’s powerful yet nuanced vocal delivery and Nash’s creative performance and production skills, the Montréal-based artists have fun reflecting on several eras of music through catchy songs about love, adulting, and the multi-faceted realities of Millennials.
With Rémi-Jean LeBlanc bass and Ronny Désinor drums.
Thanks to Société de développement des entreprises culturelles and Canada Council for the Arts.
Grdina/Lillinger
June 26 • Hollywood Theatre @ 7pm • $45 plus fees
The phenomenal, genre-mashing juggernaut duo Grdina/Lillinger mixes electronica, drum and bass, metal, punk, and free jazz into their explosively self-expressive sound. A force of nature on guitar and oud, Gordon Grdina and virtuosic powerhouse drummer Christian Lillinger intersperse intense, complex, spacious, heavily grooving free improv with modular composition ideas. Equal parts rock, punk, and exploratory atonality, these next-level innovators take unexpected turns at every corner, while taking their wildfire chemistry to the next level in this duo setting.
Gordon Grdina is a Vancouver-based JUNO Award-winner who has collaborated with an array of field-leading artists, including Gary Peacock, Paul Motion, Marc Ribot, Mats Gustafsson, Matt Shipp, Colin Stetson, Joëlle Léandre, and Jim Black. Deutscher Jazzpreis Artist of the Year winner Christian Lillinger is a Berlin-based German drummer, composer and percussionist who has played with Wadada Leo Smith, William Parker, Evan Parker, Louis Sclavis, Joe Lovano, Peter Brötzmann and Tony Malaby.
Greasy G and the Poole Party featuring JAKITO!
June 27 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Driving Latin, swing, and Afrobeat grooves + greasy Hammond organ = good times!
The spontaneously combustible trio of Chris Gestrin keyboards, Joe Poole drums, and Jack Duncan congas and percussion delivers the funky goods. Recommended for anyone who loves some “Green Onions” while hanging out “On the Corner”!
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Greasy G and the Poole Party featuring JAKITO!
Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Great Aunt Ida
June 30 • The China Cloud @ 8:30pm • $25 plus fees
Pianist and songwriter Ida Nilsen’s Great Aunt Ida project has existed in various shapes and places since 2003, beginning in and returning to Vancouver, BC. Influenced by a variety of genres but rooted in popular song, Nilsen’s writing has been called “intimate and honest”, “warm and spare,” bordering on misanthropic, and “somehow unlike any other girl/piano combo.” Active in the Vancouver music scene in the late 90s and 2000s, Nilsen was a member of The Buttless Chaps, acclaimed post-rock group The Beans, and experimental improv group Cunt. Flash forward to 2026, and Great Aunt Ida’s absorbing new material reflects on grief, change, connection, and relationships with space and place.
H
Haleluya Hailu plays Ethiopia, directed by Feven Kidane
July 4 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Haleluya Hailu has quickly become a staple of the Vancouver scene. Shortly after releasing her debut EP, she was signed to 604 Records, who released her 2024 EP eternally, yours, and the 2025 single, Ginny. That same year, she opened for Macy Gray and won the Black Canadian Music Award.
One of Vancouver’s most esteemed multi-instrumentalists, Feven Kidane’s practice venn-diagrams self-knowing, immersion, and futurism, entrenched in Blackness. Feven has brought her original works and accompaniment skills to stages far and wide, including the 2025 JUNOs (Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Tia Wood), Ethiopia’s legendary African Jazz Village (Girma Beyene, Mulatu Astatke), and on tour with Digable Planets.
Drawing from their Ethiopian heritage, Hailu and Kidane team up for a night of shared cultural expression that highlights canonical works from the Ethiopian Golden Age of music, through to the popular music of the 1980s and ’90s. Inspired by groups like Dahlak Band and Walias Band, Hailu and Kidane’s septet featuring Shewit Kidane krar and vocals, Nebyu Yohannes trombone, John Nicholson woodwinds, Suin Park keyboard, and Miles Wong drums electrify these classics with a similar ferocity, while giving them a contemporary flair.
Honeybear, the Band
June 26 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Vancouver’s Honeybear, the Band kicks up a lotta dust on their old-school road trip through the back roads of American soul, blues, and roots. As the music blog B-Side Guys puts it, “it’s as if the Teskey Brothers decided to collaborate with the ghost of Muddy Waters.”
Fast becoming a cross-country festival favourite, Honeybear has been recently nominated for a Blues Music Award from the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, was Roots Music Canada’s “New Discovery of the Year”, and was one of the Vancouver Sun‘s “10 Artists to Watch in 2026”. They’re pretty great to listen to, too!
With Ian Beaty bass and vocals, Colin Brumelle guitar, Mike Kenney keyboards, Tyler Murray drums.
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
I
Immix w/Dream, Baby, Dream Screening
July 1 • Revue Stage @ 5pm • $PWYC
With a sound world that embraces the magnetism of bodies, the emotions of late-capitalist hearts, and the dreams of ghosts and angels, Immix’s songs dance between the vulnerability of the human voice and the potential of an emergent vocabulary hidden within the glitch and grain of synthesized voice.
The burgeoning solo project of Robyn Jacob–a composer, performer and educator who has worked with Grammy-winning ensembles Third Coast Percussion and Sō Percussion, Chor Leoni, and others–Immix sees Jacob exploring voice and harmonizer alongside Olive Shakur double bass, Nico Whitworth double bass, Haley Bird oboe, and Liam Hockley bass clarinet.
—
Immix’s performance will be preceded by a special screening of the short film Dream, Baby, Dream. Produced by JazzFest Berlin, 60 Berlin-based participants, including children, teenagers, adults, professional and non-professional artists from various disciplines, explore the inner and outer landscapes of music, movement, poetry, dreams and trauma through this 20-minute experimental film.
Dream, Baby, Dream features musicians from the transcultural ensemble Moabit Imaginarium, children from two Moabit day care centres, and young performers from the post-migrant TheaterX / Platform Migration Matters. Together, they address pressing issues of our time – from the search for home and belonging to the ever present interplay of dream, utopia, and the trauma experienced by many members of Berlin’s migrant communities.
Improv Karaoke
July 4 • Revue Stage @ 11:30pm • $PWYC
Improv Karaoke is a monthly artist-run community event where improvising musicians of all genres and experience levels drop in, sign up, and play in new ensembles created from a freshly-drawn pool of names. Coming from a shared love of improvised music-making, Andrea Wong and Spencer Schoening had wistful conversations and ideas of gatherings where musicians of all types played together with minimal curation or need for rehearsals, and in spaces that effortlessly fostered spontaneous and collaborative playing with full artistic freedom. With the enthusiasm of many musician-hosts, Improv Karaoke currently facilitates monthly musical gatherings at 8EAST in Vancouver’s Chinatown, and at the Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Burnaby, totaling 20 gathering opportunities every year for music lovers and explorers alike.
For this Vancouver International Jazz Festival event, Improv Karaoke comes to Granville Island, hosted by Andrea Wong piano, Matthew Ariaratnam guitar, Mike WT Allen saxophone, Mick Bryant guitar, Bahar Khazei piano/electronics, and Spencer Schoening drums, with Brooklyn-based guitarist and Coastal Jazz Artist in Residence Wendy Eisenberg joining as a featured guest.
Isaiah Collier “Collier Plays Coltrane”
July 1 • Vancouver Playhouse @ 7:30pm • $55-65 plus fees
“The next sax giant” – DownBeat Magazine
Saxophonist, composer, arranger, educator, and self-described “Sonic Scientist” Isaiah Collier is making some of modern music’s most ecstatic and transportive sonic statements. A maverick of creative and improvisational force, he’s collaborated with jazz luminaries Kahil El’Zabar, Ambrose Akinmusire, Nicole Mitchell, Marquis Hill, and Makaya McCraven, and NEA Jazz Masters Billy Hart, Marshall Allen, and Denardo Coleman. He’s also known for his ensemble, The Chosen Few, who blew the Vancouver International Jazz Fest roof off back in 2023.
Collier, a proud member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), was named Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz (2024), and Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. In 2025, he was named DownBeat Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist, Flautist, and Group of the Year, and was featured on the venerable publication’s cover.
An artist who continues to reshape the sonic landscape of modern jazz, Collier stands firmly within the lineage of Chicago’s rich tenor saxophone legacy. He’s a mystic of sound, a servant to his craft and culture, and an artist who channels both reverence and innovation in every note.
In a special celebration of John Coltrane’s centennial, Collier is joined by Tim Regis drums, Conway Campbell bass, and Davis Whitfield piano.
ISBN
July 3 • Bentall Centre Dunsmuir Patio @ 1pm • FREE
ISBN is the project of multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and educator Isabel Leong, extending her work beyond leading the acclaimed Ghibli Jazz Orchestra into a more intimate ensemble setting. In this project, she explores a wide-ranging palette of jazz languages through a flexible, collaborative approach that keeps the music in constant motion. Joined by vocalist Sofia Avelino, bassist Bella Fedrigo, and alto saxophonist Nicholas Wise, Leong moves between standards, modern jazz, Latin repertoire, original compositions, and jazz-inflected folk. The result is a set of music that reflects both her arranger’s imagination and her instinct for narrative-driven performance.
Ivan Hartle
June 21 • Lynn Valley Village @ 1pm • FREE
Chill grooves and timeless soulful vibes mark performances by Vancouver guitarist and singer-songwriter Ivan Hartle. Fusing a vintage acid-jazz sonic aesthetic with modern soul, R&B, and pop elements, Hartle draws inspiration from the classic soul sounds of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and newer artists like John Mayer and Leon Bridges. His smooth danceable grooves also recall 1990s band Jamiroquai. Hartle’s band includes guitarist and backing vocalist Matt Storm, drummer Trent Otter and bassist Yamil Chain-Haddad.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
J
James Vickers Band
June 27 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
Formed in 2023, the James Vickers Band has quickly become a standout on Canada’s West Coast blues and roots scene, known for their high-energy performances, sharp musicianship, and guitar-driven songs by their impressive 16-year-old frontman, James Vickers.
A fast-rising Indigenous vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist of Gitxaala, Heiltsuk, Haida, and British ancestry, James began performing at age 11. In 2024, he represented the Fraser Valley Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and became the youngest artist to host the Queen’s Sunday Blues Jam in Nanaimo. But with the 2025 release of their debut album, Last Goodbye, the band’s reach is extending well beyond the bounds of British Columbia. James is joined in modern blues-rooted rollicking by guitarist Carson Maertz, drummer Sara Varro, and Rick Becker, a veteran bassist whose five decades in the blues-rock pocket help drive the energetic grooves of his young bandmates.
Presented in association with Talking Stick Festival.
Jillian Lebeck’s Starlight
July 2 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm • $PWYC
Jillian Lebeck’s Starlight explores a dreamland that ranges from British jazz soundscapes, 1960s American pop, 21st-century classical, chamber jazz, and modern Canadian jazz. Vancouver-based pianist, composer, and vocalist Jillian Lebeck is one of the most exciting voices on the Canadian Jazz scene. An alumni of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Jillian has worked with Christine Jensen, Mike Allen, Dave Robbins, Seamus Blake, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Melody Diachun, and many more. Her sparkling Starlight ensemble features Jon Bentley saxophone, Conrad Good double bass, and Bernie Arai drums.
Thanks to Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation.
Jimi James Fraser Quintet
June 25 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Since 2018, pianist/composer Jimi James Fraser has called upon a shifting cast of Vancouver JazzHouse roommates and alumni to form sublime, energetic combos. Early on, the young cohort met John Gross, and the veteran saxophonist’s mentorship has helped guide them beyond their limits ever since. Playing jazz tunes ranging from all-time classics to lesser known gems, as well as music from Vancouver jazz legend Hugh Fraser, the Jimi James Fraser Quintet features bassist Brad Pearson, drummer Max Huberdeau, and a front line of Maafu Keteca baritone sax and John Gross on tenor.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Jimi James Fraser Quintet. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Julian Borkowski Quintet
June 28 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 4:45pm • FREE
The Julian Borkowski Quintet plays a mix of originals, jazz standards, and lesser-known gems by unsung heroes of jazz trumpet history. Trumpeter/composer Julian Borkowski is joined in spirited jazz, hard bop, and post-bop cooking by Steve Kaldestad saxophone, Tilden Webb piano, Conrad Good bass, and Graham Villette drums.
K
Keyon Harrold “Foreverland and Songs For Miles”
June 30 • Vancouver Playhouse @ 7:30pm • $55-65 plus fees
Keyon Harrold is a GrammyAward-winning trumpeter, vocalist, and producer hailed by Wynton Marsalis as “the future of the trumpet.” On Foreverland, a Grammy-nominated album that features crossover collaborations with Common, Robert Glasper, PJ Morton, and Laura Mvula, Keyon’s world-class band freestyles and solos across through the spectrum of African American music to create a brand of sonic expression that‘s been enthusiastically called “Bop Pop Hip-Hop Jazz!!!”.
Harrold first stepped into the international spotlight with his work as the trumpet voice in Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead, and his genre-defying career includes work with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards. Whether leading his powerhouse ensemble, performing with orchestras, or presenting special programs like Jazz and the Birth of Hip Hop, Harrold’s emotionally-charged compositions are in constant, thrilling variation, flowing from rock to hip-hop to classical piano and back again, glued together by Keyon’s bright, jazz-rooted melodic motifs.
Called “a scorching trumpeter” by the New York Times, Harrold’s current ensemble is making some of the strongest artistic statements of any musical group today.
Krystle Dos Santos – Songs in the Key of Life: A Celebration of Stevie Wonder
June 26 • BlueShore at CapU @ 7:30pm • $40 plus fees
Backed by an all-star 11-piece ensemble comprising Vancouver’s best musicians, including guest vocalists Janelle Reid, Josh Wyper, and recent Canada’s Got Talent contestant Carsim Birmingham, Krystle Dos Santos guarantees nothing but the best from Stevie Wonder’s five decades of hitmaking. From dance-floor burners to soul-soaked ballads, expect bold harmonies, impeccable musicianship, and that unmistakable Stevie spirit that turns a concert into a room-wide singalong. Stevie’s catalogue brought joy to the world. This night brings the joy right back. With Jon Holisko drums, Liam MacDonald percussion, Cole Tinney keys, Gavin Youngash guitar, Phil Bell bass, Kent Wallace trumpet, and Mike Allen saxophone.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
L
LACREMA: LEBECK
July 3 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
LACREMA: LEBECK is a collaborative project from distinguished Canadian pianist Jillian Lebeck and acclaimed jazz vocalist Laura Crema. Inspired by the influential duo recordings of Norma Winstone and John Taylor, they draw from art song, folk traditions, bossa nova, jazz and original compositions, while their ensemble interplay balances structure and improvisation with a focus on lyricism, dynamics, space, and rhythmic vitality. With bassist Conrad Good, saxophonist Jon Bentley, and drummer Bernie Arai, Lebeck and Crema create a sound that is at once intimate and expansive—an evocative musical conversation set within a richly nuanced sonic landscape.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by LACREMA: LEBECK. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Leenalchi
June 27 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 8:30pm • FREE
“Sometimes haunting, often hilarious, always highly expressive, Leenalchi’s radical arrangements, and the inspired deliveries of the band’s five sorriggun (traditional singers) amount to one of the most impressive episodes of collective vocal music-making this reviewer has heard in years. Most importantly, it’s incredibly fun.” – PANM360
A seven-piece from Seoul, South Korea that draws on the folk storytelling tradition of pansori, and will remind you of the Talking Heads, Leenalchi’s post-punk, new wave, krautrock, and space disco-informed sound is as singular as their line-up, which features two bassists, drums, keys, three singers, and not a guitar in sight. The band’s creator, bassist Young Gyu Jang, is also behind several beloved horror soundtracks and the now-disbanded art band SsingSsing, whose Tiny Desk Concert performance NPR’s Bob Boilen described as “one of my most memorable of all time.”
Lina Nyberg and Strings: “The Norrtull Gang” Live Score
June 28 • VIFF Centre @ 7:30pm • $35
Although it’s little known outside Sweden, The Norrtull Gang proves a fascinating and distinctive melodrama from the early 1920s, the tale of four young women sharing an apartment on Norrtull Street in Stockholm. “Modern women”, they’re nonetheless exploited and harassed in their “pink collar” jobs, and victims of society’s hypocritical attitudes towards sex. It’s sensitively directed by Per Lindberg, adapted by his brother-in-law, the playwright Hjalmar Bergman, from the classic novel by the groundbreaking feminist author and politician Elin Wägner. Unusually, the intertitle cards are written in the first person, giving the film the intimate feel of a journal.
The Norrtull Gang will be screened with newly composed music by Lina Nyberg – performed live in the auditorium by Nyberg (voice and live electronics) and a Canadian string quartet of Meredith Bates violin, Joshua Zubot violin, Parmela Attariwala viola, and Peggy Lee cello.
Lina Nyberg is one of Sweden’s most creative and innovative jazz singers and contemporary composers. As a solo artist she has released 24 albums. As a composer she has written works on commission from big bands, string quartets, other chamber settings and symphony orchestras.
Presented in association with VIFF. Score commissioned by Lidköping Folkets Hus with support from the Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet) and Swedish Arts Grant Committee (Konstnårsnåmnde).
Lovely Dae
June 28 • Downtown Jazz DJ – 2:30pm–8:30pm (between sets) • FREE
Lovely Dae delivers percussive, bass-forward sets rooted in rhythm, movement, and connection. Her sound creates space for release and renewal, using music as a pathway for healing, embodiment, and shared energy on the dancefloor. If you know Dae from her alter ego, emcee/keyboardist ebonEmpress, then you know you’re in for head-bobbing, infectious grooves throughout the day.
M
Madeleine Elkins Workshop
July 1 • Tom Lee Music Hall @ 1pm • FREE
Guitarist Madeleine Elkins writes intricate compositions at the crossroads of jazz, folk, and rock. Inspired by exploratory artists like Bill Frisell and Mary Halvorson, Elkins merges contemporary jazz with modern bluegrass and with post-punk guitar sounds. Named as one of the “10 Vancouver music acts to watch in 2026” by the Vancouver Sun, she has performed with Mali Obomsawin, Wayne Horvitz, Kaïa Kater, the Sister Jazz Orchestra, and many more diverse bands and artists. She released her first album, Brighton Train, on the Infidels Jazz label in October 2025.
Malleus Trio with Cuong Vu
July 3 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
Malleus Trio are Vancouver-based instrumentalists who fuse high-octane improvisation with dynamic, locked-in original compositions. Having forged their musical rapport for over a decade, there’s palpable chemistry between drummer Ben Brown, tenor saxophonist Dominic Conway, and bassist Geordie Hart, and their language speaks to both familiarity and risk.
For this Festival performance, that musical conversation will expand to include Grammy-winning trumpeter Cuong Vu. A master of combining contemporary jazz with elements of rock, All Music called Vu a “progressive futurist” and “one of the very best modern trumpet players on the improvised or jazz music scene.” The Seattle-based innovator has played with a wide range of artists, including Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson, Bill Frisell, David Bowie, and Jim Black.
MA:Q
July 2 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Formerly known as the Mary Ancheta Quartet, the newly renamed MA:Q (pronounced M-A-Q) pushes the boundaries of genre, drawing inspiration from Weather Report, Betty Davis, McCoy Tyner, and David Byrne to create a “crisp, fresh, funky fusion, landing somewhere between vintage Headhunters and swinging organist Jimmy Smith” (Vancouver Sun). A Vancouver-based Canadian Filipina, Ancheta’s forthcoming MA:Q album When the Light Comes to Play deals with themes of resilience, moments of clarity, and the transitional state between waking and sleeping. The LP incorporates more piano than her Level Up EP, as MA:Q moves toward modern jazz with dynamic elements of funk, hip-hop, and Afrobeat.
With Dominic Conway sax, Matt Reid bass, and Paul Clark drums, MA:Q come to play, and come correct, with their groove-driven, future-facing “supercharged jazz and funk” (Georgia Straight).
Double bill with Sharon Minemoto Quartet.
Midnight Boogaloo
July 5 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Founded by guitarist Alan Ruiz with the intention of bringing Latin descargas jams back to the streets, Midnight Boogaloo is a collective of musicians coming from all around the Milky Way (as well as from just around the corner). Influenced by the New York sound of jazz and Latin music from the 60’s and 70’s, and bursting from today’s rich and diverse Vancouver music scene, Midnight Boogaloo’s high-energy Latin American grooves are made to move you!
Ruiz is joined in Boogaloo by Trent Otter drums, Yamil Chain-Haddad bass, Winston Matsushita keyboard, and Sangito Bigelow congas and Latin percussion.
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
Mike WT Allen’s Space Elevator
June 28 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 1:30pm • FREE
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the 20-person jazz-metal powerhouse that is Space Elevator channels Mike WT Allen’s ideas of what big band music can sound like in the modern age…and it sounds pretty wild! Mike’s compositions travel between big band jazz, heavy metal, funk, experimental, and the avant-garde, while boasting a 14-piece horn section, guitars, synths, and not one but TWO drummers. Don’t forget your ear plugs, it’s gonna get loud!
With Evan Cribb, Jen Davidson, Adam Kyle, James Wilfred Martin, and David Brown saxophones; Robin Comeau, Christopher Berner, Heather Anderson, Thad Bailey-Mai, and Trevor Whitridge trumpets; Nicky Walsh, Casey Thomas-Burns, Janine King, and George McNally trombones; Terrence Trusdale keys; Thomas Hoeller and Seb Chamney guitars; Nikko Whitworth bass; Eliot Doyle and Max Ley drums.
Missy D
June 28 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 3:15pm • FREE
Missy D is a bilingual and electrifyingly charismatic female emcee who has been flowing seamlessly in both French and English since age 11. Born in Rwanda, with roots in Côte d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe, she embodies the rich cultural diversity of the motherland as she blends hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, and rock, inspired by icons like Missy Elliott, MC Solaar, Lauryn Hill, and J. Cole.
Now based in Vancouver, Missy D is a force of nature. A proud member of Laydy Jams, she was named Francophone Artist of the Year in 2024 by the Western Canadian Music Awards, and was nominated again in 2025. Her dizzyingly-diverse sense of genre is matched by her stellar band featuring Yato Noukoussi drums, Dave Taylor guitar, Feven Kidane bass, Nebyu Yohannes trombone, and Sejal Lal violin and vocals.
My Sister Maria
June 39 • Bentall Centre Dunsmuir Patio @ 12pm • FREE
Vocalist Maria Gabrielle is carving out a distinctive voice across BC and Toronto with original music that moves between folk and jazz, alongside a strikingly unique approach to jazz standards. Raised performing alongside her father, she absorbed a deep sense of stagecraft and play from an early age. That foundation continues to shape her live performances today, where spontaneity, storytelling, and a natural sense of connection define her presence on stage.
Featuring Maria Gabrielle on vocals/acoustic guitar/wurlitzer, Daniel Deorksen electric guitar, Jake Kostuchuk electric guitar, Bella Fedrigo upright bass, and Nicholas Bracewell drums.
N
Neelamjit Dhillon Ensemble
July 2 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
An exploratory ensemble at the crossroads of global free improvisation and modern jazz, this quartet crafts immersive soundscapes that blur borders and expectations. Driven by the intricate pulse of tabla, the harmonic depth of keys, the textural edge of guitar, and the grounding force of bass, their music unfolds in real time—spontaneous, conversational, and deeply intuitive. Drawing on traditions from across continents while remaining fiercely contemporary, they balance chaos and cohesion with striking sensitivity.
Neelamjit Dhillon tabla, Chris Gestrin keys, Alvaro Rojas guitar, Karlis Silins bass.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Neelamjit Dhillon Ensemble. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios. Thanks to Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.
New Improvisers Studio
July 4 • Western Front @ Noon • FREE
The New Improvisers Studio is a week-long educational initiative for 10 young musicians aged 17 to 24 that supports collective explorations in musical improvisation through the mentorship of a world-leading improviser and invited guests from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. This year, the Studio will be led by Coastal Jazz Artist in Residence Patrick Shiroishi. For the Los Angeles-based Japanese-American multi-instrumentalist, improvisation is the core of his work, whether solo or with the likes of Algiers, Xiu Xiu, Dirty Projectors, The Armed, and Che Chen. He’ll share ideas and facilitate improvisation and collaboration throughout the workshop, before the program culminates in this special performance by Shiroishi and the NIS participants.
Presented in association with Western Front. Thanks to the Deux Mille Foundation.
The New Marauders
July 4 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Vancouver six-string stalwarts and irrepressible music makers Daniel Deorksen and Jeff Younger lead The New Marauders, a dangerous, deeply grooving, and mischievous group of some of the city’s funkiest players.
Joining guitarists Deorksen and Younger in musical marauding are JP Carter trumpet, Mary Ancheta keyboards, André Lachance bass, and Trent Otter drums.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by The New Marauders. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Ndidi O
June 19 • West Vancouver Memorial Library @ 7:30pm • FREE
Ndidi O’s remarkable seventh studio album, It’s About Time, merges riveting alt-country, jazzy blues, and Irish traditional elements – it was recorded in Cork, Ireland, and features members of Irish folk star Mick Flannery’s band. For this show, Ndidi’s group comprises guitarist Mike Kenney, bassist Brad Ferguson and a special surprise drummer. JUNO-nominated Ndidi Onukwulu, also known as Ndidi O, has collaborated with Grammy-winning artists Allison Russell, Gregory Porter, and Rhiannon Giddens. In addition to her solo career, the singer-guitarist continues working on new music with The Blue and Gold, her collaboration with Trish Klein (Be Good Tanyas). Ndidi now divides her time between Vancouver and Ireland.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
Noah Franche-Nolan Trio
July 3 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Noah Franche-Nolan is a JUNO-nominated, Vancouver-based pianist, improviser, composer, and producer. Known for blending emotional sincerity with technical intricacy, he leads the Noah Franche-Nolan Trio, whose acclaimed releases on Cellar Live Music include Within the Stream (2023) and 2025’s Rose-Anna, an “elegant, intelligent, sometimes energetically wilful opus” wherein Franche-Nolan “paints a rich, idea-filled portrait of a personal universe that mixes propulsive contemporary jazz, cultural references to Acadia, and a beautiful exploration of belonging, spirituality and attachment” (PANM360).
Noah co-leads Raagaverse and is a sought-after, stylistically wide-ranging sideman who performs regularly with Francois Houle’s Quartet, Russell Wallace’s Saltchuck City Orchestra, John Korsrud’s Absolute Unit, and the Hard Rubber Orchestra. His Trio features James Meger bass and Nicholas Bracewell drums.
Cellar Live 25th Anniversary. Double bill with Cory Weeds Little Big Band ft. Jerry Weldon.
O
The Offering of Curtis Andrews
July 4 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm • $PWYC
A Canadian musician with global persuasions, Curtis Andrews specializes in South Indian percussion, West African drum/dance, drumset, and mbira. Born and raised in coastal Newfoundland but based in Vancouver since 2009, the percussionist/composer’s award-winning ensemble draws from a trove of world-jazz compositions that artfully point in the direction of South India and West Africa. Heavy on rhythm, groove, and wild forays into modal improvisation, The Offering of Curtis Andrews is “culturally rich, melodically rich, and–of course–rhythmically rich” (Something Else!).
With Shruti Ramani vocals, Paul Bray percussion, Jared Burrows guitar, Robin Layne vibraphone, David Soutar-Spidel bass, and Kristian Naso trumpet.
Thanks to Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation and Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation.
Open Jazz Jams
June 25 – July 5 • Tyrant Studios @ 11PM • $PWYC
A cozy hidden gem, and the hippest little room in Vancouver, Tyrant Studios is the go-to spot for nightly jazz jams throughout the festival. The historic venue, located above Vancouver’s legendary Penthouse Nightclub, was a frequent haunt for the greats of performing arts history, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Oscar Peterson, and it’s still hosting great music. Come early for 9:30PM sets by stellar bands, then stay into the night as the headliners become hosts, sharing the stage with visiting artists and local players alike starting at 11PM (jam signup at 10:45PM). We really can’t say much more, since these novel collaborations will take thrillingly unpredictable shapes. Come down and be part of Vancouver nightlife history in the making.
June 25 Jimi James Fraser Quintet
June 26 Tess Meckling Quartet
June 27 Greasy G and the Poole Party featuring JAKITO!
June 28 Chris Fraser Organ Trio with John Lee and Joe Poole
June 29 Alex Marr and the Ragwater Dogs
June 30 Tom Wherrett Trio
July 1 smurf
July 2 Neelamjit Dhillon Ensemble
July 3 LACREMA: LEBECK
July 4 The New Marauders
July 5 The Connection Quartet
Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
P
Patrick Shiroishi and Nick Yacyshyn with Lee Hutzulak (live visuals)
July 2 • Revue Stage @ 9pm • $30 plus fees
Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist Patrick Shiroishi’s discography is as dizzying as it is diverse, including solo work, collaborative releases, and guest appearances with Chelsea Wolfe, Dirty Projectors, Che Chen and claire rousay. Of the many configurations Patrick works in, sax+drums is his favourite, and for this VIJF show, he’s excited to be playing with his dear friend Nick Yacyshyn in a duo setting for the first time.
Vancouver-based drummer Nick Yacyshyn is best known as part of experimental metal group SUMAC, whose rare mixture of brutal heaviness and free jazz-inspired fluidity has included collaborations with Keiji Haino, Caspar Brötzmann, and Moor Mother. Although rooted in extreme music subgenres, Nick’s dynamic approach brings a common thread of deep musicality and curiosity to each of his chosen projects.
They’ll be joined by Lee Hutzulak, who utilizes live cameras, misfit lenses, a fishtank, spray bottle, lenticular plastic, broken bits of mirror, crystals, and an assortment of light sources to create compelling, shape-shifting projections. When not making experimental projections, Hutzulak is a noted musician who leads Dixie’s Death Pool, improvises in a variety of combinations, and provided the beautiful artwork for this year’s Festival.
Persian Party
July 4 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Vocalist and bandleader Saba Amrei brings Persian Party to life as a vibrant musical time capsule, reimagining the sound of Iran in the 1970s and 80s, and drawing from iconic artists like Hayedeh, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Ramesh, and Googoosh. With Conrad Good bass, Todd Stewart drums, Julian Jayme guitar, Jocelyn Waugh trumpet, and Ma’Afu Keteca saxophone, the Vancouver-based Saba Amrei’s Persian Party revives a golden era of Iranian music through the lens of jazz, improvisation, and modern collaboration, and imagines a world where jazz never stopped in Iran, and where Latin and Brazilian influences kept evolving within the deep grooves, storytelling, and spontaneous interplay of Iranian improv and dance music.
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
Q
Qalandar with guest Neelamjit Dhillon
July 5 • Revue Stage @ 9pm • $30 plus fees
A contemporary Persian ensemble rooted in classical tradition while embracing improvisation and new compositional approaches, Qalandar formed out of a weekly residency in the early 2010s and solidified as a quintet in 2016. The group draws on the distinct musical lineages of its members to weave Persian and Arabic modal traditions together with contemporary composition and free improv, and their detailed deep-listening approach has been called “mesmerizing” (Ink 19), “deeply penetrating” (All About Jazz), and “exquisite” (Musica Jazz). Built on years of shared history, trust, and what The WholeNote described as a “thrilling ability to make notes seem to hang in the air,” Gordon Grdina oud, Hamin Honari tombak, daf, Kenton Loewen drums, Ali Razmi tar, voice, and Fathieh Honari voice, are joined by special guest Neelamjit Dhillon tabla.
Thanks to Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.
Queer as Funk
June 28 • Waterfront Park, North Vancouver @ 7pm • FREE
Bringing fresh takes to beloved funk, soul, and Motown classics, Queer as Funk’s powerful vocals, tight horn arrangements, and irresistible rhythm section make each performance as groovy as it is fun. From Isaac Hayes’ “Soul Man” to Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk,” the ensemble’s arrangements are creative and their vibe is pure celebration. The group’s individual members are consummate musicians in their own right, having collectively performed with artists like Serena Ryder, Tegan and Sara, and Dan Mangan. Performers include Connie Buna, vocals, Alison Gorman trumpet, Cat Hiltz bass, Jocelyn MacDougall vocals, Allan ‘Soulman’ Ollivierre keys, Luis ‘Babyface’ Melgar trombone, Marc Van Rosi guitar, John Nicholson drums.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
R
Rhythm Changes Podcast Live feat. Wendy Eisenberg
June 30 • Tom Lee Music Hall @ 1pm • FREE
Rhythm Changes is a Vancouver-based, Canadian music-focussed website founded by Will Chernoff in 2020 as “a home for creative, improvising, local music people”. It’s best known for a curated local live music listing service called “the gig list” and for publishing weekly stories and artist interviews. The Rhythm Changes podcast is at over 125 episodes and counting! For this special live podcast recording, Chernoff will sit down with 2026 Coastal Jazz Artist in Residence Wendy Eisenberg for a conversation about their genre-defying work, before opening the floor to questions from audience members.
Rich Hope
July 2 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
“An exhilarating slice of primal blues-rock. It’s what rock and roll should be” – Blues Blast Magazine
You can almost feel the floorboards rattle as Rich Hope and his band blaze through their original repertoire of blues-boogie and Americana on Live At The ANZA Club, which was named one of the 10 best B.C. albums of 2025 by the Vancouver Sun. A live document seems only natural for vocalist/guitarist Rich Hope, considering he plays with some of Canada’s best musicians, including the City & Colour rhythm section of drummer Leon Power and bassist Erik Nielsen (who also oversaw the recording with the legendary Howard Redekopp), as well as Vancouver roots scene mainstays Scott Smith on electric and pedal steel guitars and Darryl Havers on keyboards. But it’s Hope who drives the mayhem right from the opening notes of “It Come Alive”—a garage-rock stomper that should give Little Steven chills—to the triumphant final notes that ring out amidst full-throated calls for another encore!
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
Robin Layne & the Rhythm Makers feat. Kia Kadiri and Yoro Noukoussi
July 1 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:15pm • FREE
“A remarkable journey into a world of rhythmic mastery” – Sound Cafe
Led by globetrotting marimbist and percussionist Robin Layne, this groove-heavy ensemble transcends traditions in a cultural fusion of sounds and rhythms. Riding the recent release of their sophomore album Pacifico, the Rhythm Makers have been bringing their vibrant sound to festivals and venues across the Pacific Northwest. For this show, Layne’s Rhythm Makers, featuring Daniel Ruiz drums, Liam MacDonald percussion, Wynston Minckler bass, and JP Carter trumpet, are joined by special guests Yoro Noukoussi and Kia Kadiri.
Percussionist/guitarist Yoro Noukoussi explores the rich cultural heritage of West Africa through powerful playing and storytelling that celebrates vibrant traditions and new journeys. Two decades ago, Exclaim! said that trying to pin down Kia Kadiri’s style was “like nailing the proverbial Jello to the wall.” Today, the eclectic West Coast MC/vocalist/educator’s R&B, jazz, dub poetry, hip-hop, funk, stylings are as irrepressible as ever.
Ron Di Lauro Sextet – Kind of Blue: Tribute to Miles Davis
June 22 • BlueShore at CapU @ 7:30pm • $32 plus fees
Montreal-based Ron Di Lauro Sextet is known for its sophisticated arrangements and emotive performances as well as for the incredibly astute homage it pays to Miles Davis’ iconic album Kind of Blue – widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. Ron Di Lauro Sextet’s masterful interpretation captures the spirit of the album while infusing it with a modern sensibility – its timeless qualities blend with the individual voices of the musicians. Di Lauro channels the essence of Davis, whose playing was characterized by lyrical beauty and understated yet relentless adventurism. With Jean-Pierre Zanella alto sax, André Leroux tenor sax, Taurey Butler piano, Ira Coleman bass, Martin Auguste drums.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
The Rumble feat. Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.
June 27 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 6:30pm • FREE
On Mardi Gras, your eyes might feast on the intricate and elaborate beadwork of the Indians as they dance down the street, but the first thing you’ll hear when they make their way toward you is the propulsive back line, known as “the rumble”. GRAMMY-nominated septet The Rumble is more than just a band, it’s an opportunity to be immersed in a wholly unique facet of New Orleans culture, and “a funky, feather rufflin’ extravaganza good for second line strutting no matter the season” (No Depression).
Featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Young Eagles on vocals and percussion, Aurélien Barnes trumpet/vocals, José Maize Jr. trombone/vocals, TJ Norris bass/vocals, Ari Teitel guitar/vocals, Andriu Yanovski keyboards/vocals, and Trenton O’Neal drums/vocals, The Rumble is a symphony of rich colour and propulsive sound that fuses iconic New Orleans funk à la The Meters and The Neville Brothers, with electrifying brass and the singular visual splendour of the Black Masking carnival tradition.
Ruthie Ha Big Band
June 27 • Downtown Jazz – Georgia Street Stage @ 1:30pm • FREE
Ruthie Ha is a saxophonist and composer based in Vancouver, and a recent graduate of Capilano University’s Jazz program. Their Big Band plays entirely original music by Ha, who draws inspiration from Joe Henderson, The Zombies, and Cats–musically speaking–but also from nature, colours, books, and the emotionally-resonant details found in daily life.
With Connor Lum alto sax, Ingrid Stitt alto sax, Adam Kyle tenor sax, Erika Chow tenor sax, Kayla Price bari sax, Cam Henderson, Casey Thomas-Burns, and Ricardo Galvez trombones, George Mcnally bass trombone, Ayden Landsman, Bonnie Northgraves, John Korsrud, and Jack Lee trumpets, Todd Stewart drums, Dean Thiessen piano, Chris Fraser guitar, Bella Fedrigo bass.
S
Sharon Minemoto Quartet
July 2 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
Following the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour, nearly 22,000 Japanese Canadians were stripped of their civil rights and forced to leave their homes. Sharon’s paternal grandmother took her children to Japan, and the family was stranded near Hiroshima when the US atomic bomb was dropped. With his family stuck in Japan, Minemoto’s grandfather died in an internment camp in Moose Jaw. After the war, Japanese Canadians were forbidden to return to the West Coast. Their choice: move east of the Rockies or “Repatriate” to Japan. Sharon’s maternal grandparents took their Canadian-born children to Japan, where they faced years of discrimination before returning to Canada.
With the support of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, pianist Sharon Minemoto composed nine works that reflect on her family’s experience during WWII. A fixture on the Vancouver contemporary jazz scene, Minemoto is known for her “tasteful and engaging work at the keyboard, which is never short of inventive” (All About Jazz) and her tight-knit quartet with Jon Bentley tenor saxophone, Bernie Arai drums, and Darren Radtke bass.
Double bill with MA:Q.
SHEBAD
June 27 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Called “one of the coolest neo-soul jazz bands to come out of Canada” by CBC Music’s Vibin’,
SHEBAD’s jazz-influenced melodies, danceable basslines, and transcendent, layered vocals synthesize influences like Stevie Wonder, Hiatus Kaiyote, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, and Erykah Badu. Steered in sonic indie-soul exploration by vocalist/guitarist Claire Voy and Ciccio Spagnolo on bass/keyboards/flute, Guelph’s SHEBAD makes compelling, ever-curious music with lyrics from the heart. With Emil White saxophone/keyboards/vocals/percussion, Bella Tian keyboards/vocals, and Emmitt Leacock drums, “SHEBAD has a certain kind of effortless synergy. They pour themselves into a jam-y, porous take on jazz-inflected soul music as a cathartic exercise” (Exclaim!).
Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
smurf
July 1 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
“GORDY 黎名卓 is a former jungler turned ex-ghost writer and cd Videographer who retired from the chess.com blitz solo q ladder to fulfill his lifelong Jazz Dream.
he calls on goated ascendants Rick Son piano Piyotr Kao bass Sadie Koshan drums with an almost funny sense of improvised collectivity that finds itself stripped of all performativity – it could be modern or it could be a return to tradition depending on who you ask…
With no costumes no routines no secret code no masters and no songs…Will all that’s left be summ primordial shi ? stay for the jam lets c.” – Gordy Li
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by smurf. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Sofia Avelino: Como Nossos Pais
July 4 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
Vocalist Sofia Avelino is a Brazilian-Canadian musician with a passion for fostering community through music. Featuring music that ranges from high-energy sambas to heart-wrenching ballads, Como Nossos Pais (“like our parents”) pays tribute to the giants of MPB–also known as Música popular brasileira–and celebrates a generation of Brazilian music that revisited tradition while challenging the artistic and social expectations of the era.
With Rory Hislop trumpet, Vicente Regis guitar, Julia Farry bass, Jordy McIntosh drums.
Sofia Avelino sings Elis Regina
June 27 • North Vancouver Civic Plaza @ 1pm • FREE
Singing the songs bossa nova icon Elis Regina made famous during her brief life, Vancouver-based, Brazilian-Canadian singer Sofia Avelino drew a sizable Brazilian crowd and sold-out her Granville Island show last year. Regina’s fiery personality may be legendary – her nickname was “Hurricane” – but her greatest qualities were her immense vocal power, technical precision, and emotional intensity. This is what inspires Avelino. With her ace band, including guitarist Vicente Regis, pianist Mauricio Zani, bassist Julia Farry, trumpeter Rory Hislop and drummer Jordy McIntosh, Avelino sings 1970s Brazilian classics in a style both sultry and powerful.
Presented in association with North Shore Jazz.
Song Form // Less: Caley Watts // Kevin Romain
July 1 • Zameen Art House @ 2:30pm • $PWYC
Caley Watts is a singer/songwriter who grew up along the riverbanks, mountain ranges, and ancient conifers that fill the Great Bear Rainforest, and her blend of folk and roots draws heavily on the pace and beauty of her home. Spotlighted by CBC Music as one of 5 Indigenous musicians to know in 2025, they praised the “understated magic” of Caley’s music, saying “it’s easy to imagine oneself whisked far away from the insularity of daily life, to somewhere wilder and grander.” Watts’ debut album, River’s Daughter, was just released this spring.
Employing unorthodox polyrhythmic vocabulary, drummer, improviser, composer and researcher Kevin Romain’s Autopoietic summons an illusory and paradoxical embodied sensation of movement through space on multiple simultaneous temporal planes. These improvisations are miniature explorations of the phenomenology of polyrhythm and the complex affective states to which it gives rise.
Solo sets will be followed by a short duo collaboration and artist talk about form in music, presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia. Thanks to Talking Stick Festival.
Song Form // Less: Wendy Eisenberg // Lisa Cay Miller
July 2 • Zameen Art House @ 2:30pm • $PWYC
Wendy Eisenberg has spent the past decade as a fixture of independent music and an artist of inspired multiplicity. As a singer-songwriter, improviser, and virtuoso guitarist, the coordinates of their artistry are ever-shifting, from art-rock to jazz to blistering free improv and eloquent folk.
The poetic, formally daring folk songs of her new album Wendy Eisenberg comprise their most certain vision yet, creating a quietly euphoric atmosphere while examining “happiness, love, and memory with a forensic curiosity (Pitchfork).
A master of extended technique and ardently cerebral composition, pianist Lisa Cay Miller is “making some of the most intricate and beautiful music that can be heard in Vancouver today” (The Georgia Straight). Her recent recording 682/681 documents her work in duos and trios with some of the Amsterdam improv scene’s greats, including Ig Henneman, Anne La Berge, John Dikeman, and Wilbert De Joode. The album perfectly encapsulates Miller’s artistry: intense, diverse improvisations, and an uncompromising focus on using timbre, texture, form, and function in the service of brilliant abstraction and passionate expression.
Solo sets will be followed by a short duo collaboration and artist talk about form in music, presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia.
Song Form // Less: Steve Gunn // Karen Ng
July 3 • Zameen Art House @ 2:30pm • $PWYC
Toronto-based improviser and saxophonist Karen Ng has established herself as a unique musical force both nationally and internationally, performing with some of Canada’s most prized artists such as The Weather Station, Andy Shauf, Do Make Say Think, and many more. One of Canada’s leading improvisers, “with a breathtakingly wide musical scope” (Musicworks), she also collaborates regularly with ad hoc ensembles in the wider improvising scene across Canada, in Europe, and in the US.
Steve Gunn is a New York-based guitarist and songwriter who’s been at the vanguard of guitar-oriented experimental, psych-folk and indie rock for over a decade. On 2025’s, Daylight Daylight, his first singer-songwriter release since 2021’s Other You, Gunn uses negative space as effectively as he uses loping melodies and quietly observational lyrics. “Listening to it can feel like staring into an expertly arranged terrarium; it’s remarkable how so much beauty can take up so little space” (Pitchfork).
Solo sets will be followed by a short duo collaboration and artist talk about form in music, presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia.
Song Form // Less: Sean Cronin // Patrick Shiroishi
July 4 • Zameen Art House @ 2:30pm • $PWYC
Sean Cronin is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who lives in Catskill, NY. His dad played with Ian Tyson and his mom worked for Parks Canada. He enjoys other singer/songwriters such as Harry Partch, John Prine, and Jelly Roll Morton. His current band, Gory Dove, is an anagram of his former band, Very Good. In each performance he integrates his loves of dada and small-town Canada with equal aplomb.
Forgetting is Violent, saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi’s latest solo album, is his most immediate release yet, expanding the scope not just of his music but of his extramusical considerations. Where his past releases on American Dreams reckoned with racism against Japanese Americans, Forgetting is Violent considers racism as a whole, historical and ongoing, with the urgency it deserves. The constant, as ever, is Shiroishi’s patient, probing musicality, marrying heaviness and lightness, acceptance and defiance, both packing a punch and welcoming new listeners into the fold.
Solo sets will be followed by a short duo collaboration and artist talk about form in music, presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia.
Song Form // Less: Amina Claudine Myers // Peggy Lee
July 5 • Zameen Art House @ 2:30pm • $PWYC
Throughout her six-decade musical journey, pianist, organist, vocalist, and newly minted NEA Jazz Master Amina Claudine Myers has consistently defied conventional boundaries while drawing from her rich roots in Baptist and Methodist church music, gospel, and rhythm and blues. Her album Solace of the Mind is a deeply personal exploration of musical evolution, and an exceptionally expressive dialogue between tradition and modernity: “this is a musical language distilled to its essence, with Myers conjuring whole worlds from just a few perfectly chosen notes” (The Wire).
Equally adept in far-out free improv, classical rigour, and the arcing melodic textures of her detailed, empathic compositions, cellist/composer Peggy Lee exudes mastery in both quietude and fire. A defining figure of the Vancouver creative music scene since the 1990s, and currently based in Melbourne, Peggy Lee builds sound worlds where “melodies slide in and out of abstraction; skewed marches butt up against folk songs; chamber music niceties crumble under the assault of funk and psychedelia” (Georgia Straight).
Solo sets will be followed by a short duo collaboration and artist talk about form in music, presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia.
Sounds Of Youth
June 27 & 28 • Downtown Jazz – Sounds of Youth Stage @ 1pm-6:45pm
Come hear BC’s burgeoning young talent! Music education is an essential part of the jazz ecosystem, and this initiative showcases ten of the best high school jazz combos and big bands from Metro Vancouver and around the province. With great young players and dedicated educators stepping up to the Festival stage, it’s always a highlight of the Downtown Jazz weekend.
Saturday June 27 & Sunday June 28, Robson Square, Ice Rink Level.
Saturday June 27
1pm Burnett Senior Jazz Ensemble
2:15pm Sarah McLachlan School of Music Jazz Combo
3:30pm VSO School of Music Jazz Combo
4:45pm Wellington Multi School Jazz Combo
6pm Capilano University Jazz Combo
Sunday June 28
1pm Holy Cross Senior Jazz Ensemble
2:15pm Gladstone Senior Jazz Ensemble
3:30pm Magee Senior Jazz Ensemble
4:45pm McNair Senior Jazz Ensemble
6pm Semiahmoo Jazz Mailers
Spirits Rejoice: The Music of Louis Moholo-Moholo
July 4 • Revue Stage @ 5pm • $PWYC
Returning to Vancouver after several years in Berlin, pianist Tyson Naylor leads a ritualistic, high voltage tribute to Louis Moholo-Moholo, the legendary drummer, composer, and pillar of South African Jazz. Though primarily associated with the creative music scenes of Vancouver and Toronto, the group’s members have strong ties to European free jazz and improv, and approach Moholo-Moholo’s music as living repertoire: porous, political, and joyous. With the acclaimed Toronto-based alto saxophonist Karen Ng, JP Carter trumpet, Dan Gaucher drums, and bassist James Meger, Naylor traces lines between South African liberation music, European free jazz, and Canada’s creative music scenes, while favouring collective risk, ensemble sound, and urgent, celebratory energy.
Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Steve Gunn “Music for Writers”
July 2 • Revue Stage @ 5pm • $PWYC
“Peaceful, empathic, atmospheric. Gunn paints aural pictures to wander through.” – The Big Takeover
Steve Gunn is a New York-based guitarist and songwriter who has been at the vanguard of American experimental and guitar-oriented rock music for over a decade, and close listening reveals the influence of blues, folk, ecstatic free jazz, and psych in his continually unfolding output. In 2025, Gunn released Music for Writers, his first official solo instrumental album, on Three Lobed Recordings. The release highlights his ongoing exploration of tone, atmosphere, and composition, and as Pitchfork said, it “aims to inspire creativity and reflection, to ignite synapses, to spur you along in whatever writerly endeavor you might be undertaking. It’s meant to exist somewhere between atmospheric and meditative.”
Stranger Friends Orchestra feat. Fredrik Ljungkvist
July 5 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
A can’t-miss collab between bright lights of the Vancouver scene and a giant of Scandinavian jazz!
Carrying the torch for the next generation of Canadian large ensembles, Stranger Friends Orchestra plays the warm, spontaneous, and dynamic compositions of bandleader Dean Thiessen. Inspired by musical friendships, literary works, colour theory, and the unique voices of each ensemble member, Thiessen’s 2024 album LIVE at The Fox Cabaret captures what makes the 15-piece jazz orchestra great: soaring melodies, spontaneous improvisation, and collective humanity.
They’re joined by Swedish saxophonist/clarinettist Fredrik Ljungkvist. Part of the game-changing ensemble Atomic, whose aesthetic “draws as much on brash US avant-jazz as it does on contemplative European chamber improv” (Jazzwise), Ljungkvist has worked with Wadada Leo Smith, the Fire! Orchestra, and Lina Nyberg, and won the “Jazz Kannan” as musician of the year from the Swedish Jazz Society.
The SFO features Brent Mah, John Nicholson, Sofia Avelino saxophones; Rory Hislop, Feven Kidane, Thad Bailey-Mai trumpets; Gregory Dent, Nebyu Yohannes, George McNally trombones, Chris Fraser guitar, Suin Park keyboard, Wynston Minckler bass, Liam MacDonald percussion, Todd Stewart drums.
Thanks to Swedish Arts Grant Committee (Konstnårsnåmnde).
T
Talking Pictures with Fredrik Ljungkvist
July 1 • Revue Stage @ 9pm • $30 plus fees
“Treading the blurry line between new music and jazz, Talking Pictures excels in juxtaposing sonic textures.” – Ottawa Citizen
Formed in 1993 by guitarist/composer Ron Samworth (NOW Orchestra, DarkBlueWorld), the wide-ranging sonic palette and ecstatic, empathic interplay of Talking Pictures has had a massive influence on Vancouver’s creative music community. They’ve also played a vital role as West Coast cultural ambassadors through their extensive touring and collaborations with the likes of Robin Holcomb, Achim Kaufmann and Wayne Horvitz.
Featuring Peggy Lee cello, Bill Clark trumpet/EWI, and Dylan van der Schyff drums/percussion alongside Samworth, Talking Pictures will be joined for the first time by Fredrik Ljungkvist, the innovative Swedish saxophonist/clarinettist whose “playing can be fiery and expressive, but also fragile and poetic” (All About Jazz). A member of LSB Trio and Atomic, Ljungkvist has worked with international heavyweights like Ken Vandermark, Kris Davis, Mats Gustafsson, and many others.
Thanks to the Swedish Arts Grant Committee (Konstnårsnåmnde).
Tess Meckling Quartet
June 26 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
A graduate of Capilano University’s jazz and classical programs, vocalist/composer/pianist Tess Meckling’s music stems from her classical roots and branches out to jazz, contemporary pop, folk, and electronic music. With dynamic vocals and keen instrumental improv, she takes inspiration from the beloved standards of the Black American Music tradition, with original work that’s influenced by vocalists such as Julie London, Norma Winstone, and Sienna Dahlen. Alongside her main project, she also releases music under her solo alias, Leizel.
Meckling’s quartet features Benjamin Millman keys, Bella Fedrigo bass, and Jamison Ko drums.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Tess Meckling Quartet. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
TIME FLIES
July 3 • Revue Stage @ 11:30pm • PWYC
Coastal Jazz co-founder Ken Pickering started the TIME FLIES series back in 1988. In 2001, German bassist Torsten Müller had moved to Vancouver and began co-curating TIME FLIES as “company-style” improvising ensembles of local and visiting artists playing in various configurations through the evening—duos, trios, and whatever combinations sparked interest. While Derek Bailey’s renowned company approach was about instigating intriguing conflicts, Torsten’s focus is on assembling complementary players and cultivating connection. A “summit meeting” of improvisers, TIME FLIES calls on acclaimed adventurers from around town and around the globe, mixing emerging artists with veterans of the jazz, avant-garde, and creative improvisation communities.
The 2026 edition will feature Müller as well as Coastal Jazz Artist in Residence Patrick Shiroishi saxophone; Toronto-based saxophonist Karen Ng; Lina Nyberg, one of Sweden’s most creative and innovative jazz vocalists; vanguard Brooklyn-based guitarist Steve Gunn; Australian accordionist Anthony Schulz, who has performed with Barre Phillips, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and more; Aysha Dulong, who works with acoustic and electronic instruments in a hybridized model to explore how sound can embody lived experiences; and JUNO Award-winning West Coast violinist Meredith Bates (Gentle Party).
Todd Stewart Trio
June 25 • The Birdhouse @ 8pm • $38 plus fees
Drummer Todd Stewart has been making quite a name for himself on the Vancouver creative music scene, whether alongside contemporaries like Feven Kidane and Dean Thiessen, or with veterans like Chris Davis, Brad Turner, and Chris Gestrin. In a trio with Cole Woodland bass and Ruthie Ha tenor/soprano saxophones, Stewart brings passion and melodic sensitivity to detailed post-bop arrangements and expressive original tunes informed by the likes of John Coltrane, Brad Mehldau, and Immanuel Wilkins.
Opening for Tomoki Sanders.
Tomoki Sanders Quartet
June 25 • The Birdhouse @ 8pm • $38 plus fees
Tomoki Sanders is a free electron who greedily explores Great Black Music, urban music, electronic, and the avant-garde. Child of the legendary Pharoah Sanders, Tomoki has been making their mark for the past five years with Kassa Overall‘s supergroup, and as an active member of the new generation of New York musicians that they present during Tomo Tuesdays, a vector of openness and diversity reflective of Tomoki’s dual Afro-American and Japanese culture and non-binarity.
Born in New York City in 1994, Tomoki (they/them) started playing percussion at age 4, and clarinet at 6. At 10, their father gave them a saxophone. They had their first gig at 13, and began performing in schools, venues, and clubs around Japan’s Kanto Region, before studying performance and music production at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. On their first album, to be released in 2026, they recreate the link with the rich hours of the Impulse! label and, with all their fantastic personality, rush through the door re-opened by Kamasi Washington and Shabaka Hutchings.
Sanders has performed with their late father, as well as with the Jack DeJohnette Trio. They currently live in New York, performing alongside artists such as Moses Sumney, Ravi Coltrane, Tatsuya Nakamura, Taylor McFerrin, Mark de Clive-Lowe, KYOTO JAZZ SEXTET, George Garzone, Hajime Yoshizawa, ROOT SOUL, Fumio Itabashi, TOKU, Trap Music Orchestra, and more.
Presented in association with Queer Arts Festival.
Tom Wherrett Trio with Cuong Vu
June 30 • Tyrant Studios @ 9:30pm • $20
Three veterans of the Vancouver creative jazz scene—guitarist Tom Wherrett, drummer Dan Gaucher, and bassist Karlis Silins—come together to explore the intersection of jazz, rock, and improvised music with one of the most dynamic masters of genre-shunning innovation, trumpeter Cuong Vu.
Crossing “idiosyncratic sonic territory and blurred stylistic borders” in service of “riveting instrumental fire” (Earshot Jazz), the Seattle-based innovator won two Grammy Awards as part of the Pat Metheny Group, and has played with the likes of Jamie Saft, Chris Speed, and Myra Melford.
Open Jazz Jam to follow, hosted by Tom Wherrett Trio. Presented in association with Tyrant Studios.
Tony Wilson: Flowers for Albert
July 3 • Revue Stage @ 5pm • $PWYC
“Trane was the father, Pharoah was the son, and I am the Holy Ghost.” – Albert Ayer
Albert Ayler was one of the most influential and polarizing innovators of 1960s free jazz. Although he died in 1970, at just 34 years old, his unbridled playing style, “ungovernable sounds”, and emotional searching inspired subsequent waves of jazz improvisers, while “his boundless approach to creativity and the parameters of sound would also resonate with those in noise, hardcore punk, and other experimental circles” (All Music).
Guitarist Tony Wilson has been inventing and reinventing on the West Coast creative music scene since the 1980s, and his playing has spiritual kinship with Ayler’s transcendent melodicism and ecstatic eruption. Wilson started Flowers for Albert back in 1992, and over the years the project has featured a Who’s Who of great Canadian and international players. The 2026 Vancouver International Jazz Festival sees Wilson debuting a brand-new configuration featuring James Meger bass, Kenton Loewen drums, Feven Kidane trumpet, and Ruthie Ha saxophones.
V
Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra
July 5 • Performance Works @ 1:30pm • $PWYC
Come experience the results of a remarkable jazz intensive! The VYJO program is a unique music residency for Metro Vancouver high school students, co-presented by Coastal Jazz, the Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, and Vancouver Community College. Through five weeks of rehearsals, the teens cultivate their talents through mentorship from members of the VJO, including Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra bandleader (and trumpet mentor) Bill Clark, VJO artistic director James Danderfer, trombone mentor Casey Thomas-Burns, sax mentor Brent Mah, and rhythm section mentor Sharon Minemoto.
Thanks to Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation.
Voodoo: The Music of D’Angelo
July 1 • Performance Works @ 7:30pm • $35 plus fees
A musical celebration of neo-soul icon and musical visionary Michael Eugene Archer—aka D’Angelo! Alongside legendary music collective The Soulquarians (which included Questlove, J Dilla, Erykah Badu, and more), D’Angelo created music integral to the sound of modern R&B, soul, pop and jazz. Fusing elements of hip-hop production and gospel soulfulness, the lush vocal harmonies and hypnotic grooves heard on acclaimed albums Brown Sugar, Voodoo, and Black Messiah have influenced artists like H.E.R., Badbadnotgood, Hiatus Coyote, Frank Ocean, and countless more. Now, an ensemble of all-stars from Vancouver’s intersecting funk, soul, and jazz scenes honour a man who forever changed the sound of music. With Timothy Fuller vocals, Karina Morin vocals, Dawn Pemberton vocals, Jay Esplana vocals/keyboards, Feven Kidane trumpet, Jocelyn Waugh trumpet, Darren Parris bass, Mike Ardagh drums, Kai Basanta percussion, and Gavin Youngash guitar.
W
Wallgrin
June 28 • Ocean Artworks @ 8:30pm • $15 at door
Wallgrin is the experimental art-pop project of Toronto-based composer, vocalist and violinist Tegan Wahlgren. Drawing from a background in Celtic fiddle and choral singing, Wallgrin moves between lush string-based orchestration, beat-driven pop, and ornate vocal arrangements. From their 2018 debut Bird/Alien to their most recent album, Yet Again The Wheel Turns, Wallgrin’s world-building has always revolved around fantastical and mythological imagery. Called “an innovative artist who is just starting to flex their myriad skills and talents” (CBC Music), and a songwriter who “measures up to standards set by art-pop visionaries like Björk and Kate Bush” (Northern Transmissions), their spirited and raw live performances have led them to international festivals like Iceland Airwaves, The Great Escape, and Tallinn Music Week.
With Jen Yakamovich drums, Elisa Thorn harp, Nikko Whitworth bass, Amanda Sum keys/synth.
Presented in association with Queer Arts Festival. Thanks to the Graham and Gayle Cooke Foundation.
Wendy Eisenberg Viewfinder
July 3 • Revue Stage @ 9pm • $30 plus fees
Brooklyn-based guitarist, vocalist, composer, and 2026 Coastal Jazz Artist in Residence Wendy Eisenberg’s Viewfinder is a sprawling and sublime creative response to her laser eye surgery procedure and new visual life. An elusive song cycle that encompasses free jazz, post-rock, beauty, fallibility, questioning, seeing anew, and the unseen, “what’s most striking about Viewfinder is Eisenberg’s ability to crystallize their complex, nuanced thoughts about the limits of perception without creating new dogma in the process” (Pitchfork).
Recorded at Brooklyn’s Figure 8 with a lineup that featured rising NYC artists Tyrone Allen II,
Zekereyya el-Magharbel, Andrew Links, Carmen Q. Rothwell, Booker Stardrum, and Chris Williams, for this special VIJF performance Eisenberg will be joined by West Coast creative lights Dan Gaucher drums and electronics, JP Carter trumpet and electronics, and Nebyu Yohannes trombone, as well as former Vancouverites Sean Cronin bass and Cat Toren piano.
“What’s notable is that Eisenberg, who has in the past proven to be more than capable of shredding, doesn’t necessarily step out in front of the band; their intricate, textural guitar playing acts more as a canvas for the group to fully colour in.” – The Quietus
William Chernoff’s Western Red Cedar
June 26 • Bentall Centre Dunsmuir Patio @ Noon • FREE
William Chernoff’s Western Red Cedar brings Celtic-based music, including Irish, Scottish, Franco-Canadian, and more traditions, into a creative instrumental ensemble. Playing both electric bass and acoustic guitar, Will is joined by multi-reedist John Nicholson, guitarist Madeleine Elkins, keyboardist Suin Park, and drummer Jamison Ko. Weaving traditional tunes together through improvisation, combined with never-before-played original Chernoff compositions, Western Red Cedar represents the genre-bending west coast in a new wave of “avant-folk” that has emerged from Glasgow to Québec.
Woodland Critter Quartet
July 5 • Ocean Artworks @ 4pm • $PWYC
Led by bassist and composer Cole Woodland, the Woodland Critter Quartet draws influence from post-bop, souljazz, fusion, and the avant-garde, as well as artists like Jeff Parker, Petter Eldh, and Wayne Shorter, to create dynamic performances that range from the sincere to the absurd. Cole calls on some of the city’s most innovative and deeply-invested collaborators together for a quartet that features Kevin Romain drums and cymbals, John Nicholson saxophone, and Rick Son keys.
