Events Calendar

Join us for 10 music-filled days at 2nd Floor Gastown (at the Water Street Café.)

Showtimes

Brunch: doors 11am
Evening: doors 530pm / show 6pm

Cover (each set): Brunch $12 | Evening $18

Please contact 2nd Floor Gastown directly for any questions or reservations 604-689-2832

The Line-up

June 24, 2022

DAVE SIKULA TRIO 

With an emphasis on groove, melodic and rhythmic interplay, and chance-taking, this trio explores an ever-growing repertoire of jazz classics, tunes from the American Songbook and original compositions with a forward thinking view, yet always with a deep sense of swing, immediacy, warmth, connection, and reverence for the history of the music.

Featuring Joe Poole (drums), Jeff Gammon (bass), and Dave Sikula (guitar)

June 25, 2022 Brunch

AARON LOWEN DUO

Aaron Loewen is a hot jazz/swing manouche musician in the style of Django Reinhardt from Summerland, BC. Aaron’s music conjures up images of 1930s Paris and Roma caravans, and evokes the fun expressiveness of early jazz, Django-style! In Canada, Aaron has performed with renowned Roma/manouche style musicians such as Lache Cercel and Denis Chang, and is a mainstay in Vancouver’s jazz scene. He will be joined by Vancouver bassist Wynston Minckler, another prominent fixture in the Vancouver scene!

June 25, 2022 Evening

MILI HONG TRIO

Mili Hong is a Montreal-based Korean drummer who has been playing various styles of music for over a decade including jazz, pop, improvised music, rock, and folk. Her ability to adapt sensitively to music, with a wide range of dynamics, allows her to express a wide range of emotions and be connected more deeply with the bands she collaborates with.

Her standards trio, consisting of David Blake on guitar and Eli Davidovici on bass, focuses on an array of classic Jazz compositions and songs from the American songbook. Expect an evening of spontaneity and unexpected takes on the songs that Jazz fans and practitioners of the tradition will know well, with a nod to composers that have a special influence on the band, including Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, and Cole Porter.

June 26, 2022 Brunch

MADELINE ELKINS DUO 

Local jazz guitarist, Madeleine Elkins, leads a duo show accompanied by Chad Galpin on bass. Elkins and Galpin will play their arrangements of jazz standards while exploring their unique sound. Elkins is inspired by the greats in the Folk, Rock and Jazz genres while finding common ground through her love for the guitar. Currently, Madeleine contributes to many music projects in Vancouver and is seen playing with Spindle! and the Sister Jazz Orchestra in this year’s 2022 Jazz Festival.

June 26, 2022 Evening

WYNSTON MINCKLER TRIO 

Wynston Minckler is a stalwart member of the Vancouver jazz scene and can be found supporting many different artists around the city in a variety of styles and context, always bringing his unique rhythmic and dynamic style.  On this trio outing he will be leading a lesser heard band of guitar and violin featuring Josh Roberts and Clara Rose.  This trio performs a mix or originals and arrangements of standards and finds a through line between swinging jazz, chamber music, soap opera themes, and folk music. Josh Roberts on Guitar, Clara Rose on violin

June 27, 2022

THOMAS HOULDEN TRIO

Vancouver-based brass player and composer Thomas Houlden steps away from the conductor’s podium to lead an intimate and relaxed cool-jazz trio accompanied by Chris Fraser (guitar) and Marcus Abramzik (bass). The group will be playing a selection of charming standards and originals influenced by Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, and Chet Baker.

When not writing or performing, Thomas currently works as a band teacher and jazz/brass clinician in the Greater Vancouver area. He has begun remote-recording several of his original compositions for the Thomas Houlden 11tet, hiring a rotating cast of stellar young musicians from across Canada, which are available on YouTube. A four-track EP by the Thomas Houlden Sextet recorded in 2018, “The Price of Wisdom,” is also available for purchase and download on Bandcamp.

June 28, 2022

DEAN THIESSEN TRIO

Dean Thiessen’s STRANGER FRIENDS released their debut album in the spring of 2021 in the middle of the pandemic. Dean’s compositions are thoughtful and exciting as they pull from the many influences of his childhood scenes on the prairies and the literary works of John Steinbeck to name a few. Since the music was recorded and released it is just coming back to life as performances make their way back into our lives. This performance will feature some music from the album, new music from the yet to be released ‘Good Samaritan Suite’ and brand new music written just for this occasion. The core meaning of STRANGER FRIENDS is a celebration of friendships that have given me so much music and of music that has given me so many friendships.

June 29, 2022

SHRUTI RAMANI TRIO

Shruti Ramani is an innovative and emerging artist in the Canadian Jazz scene. She hails from Mumbai, India where she secured a degree in Hindustani music under the mentorship of Dr. Ritu Johri from the Agra Gharana. She moved to Canada and acquired a Bachelor in Jazz Studies (Performance) with a specialisation in voice from Capilano University. Her original music is an eclectic combination of the Indian and Jazz traditions. She composes and arranges music that fuse the two traditions to create dynamic pieces for both large and small ensembles. She leads a collaborative ensemble named ‘Raagaverse’ with respected musicians in the industry, namely, Jodi Proznick, Noah Franche-Nolan and Nicholas Bracewell. Shruti has also been featured on Shaw TV and the Music at the Cinemas series hosted by Vancouver Independent Music Society. She has performed in other music festivals locally and internationally such as the Cultural Communion at Seychelles. She was a member of the vocal group, ‘NAFS’ formed by the Grammy award winning music director, Dr. A.R Rahman. She has also worked with Max Clouth and Dan Bay under Wayu Records in a collaborative album in 2021. She is set to release her first album with Raagaverse in the upcoming year.

June 30, 2022

GEOFF CLARIDGE TRIO

Woodwinds specialist Geoff Claridge leads an approachable unorthodox trio through eclectic original compositions and the reimagined bluesy folk-jazz of the early Jimmy Giuffre 3. Inspired by Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, every instrument plays every musical role of this interchangeable ensemble, featuring Vancouver stalwarts Bonnie Northgraves voice, David Blake guitar, and Geoff Claridge bass clarinet.

July 1, 2022

JENNIFER SCOTT TRIO 

Jennifer Scott – piano/vocals
Rene Worst – bass
David Sikula – guitar

July 2, 2022 Brunch

ALVIN BRENDAN DUO

Alvin Brendan has been quickly crafting a strong identity for himself as a Jazz musician in Vancouver. Despite his youth, he has been fortunate enough to land many performance and recording opportunities with Vancouver’s best. Alvin attributes his cool and sophisticated sound to his learning from his local heroes Bill Coon and Ron Samworth, as well as having the opportunity to learn from internationally acclaimed legends Peter Bernstein and Lorne Lofsky. In combining his love for early Jazz/Swing music with his contemporary influences, Alvin always aims to create a statement that adheres to a rich musical tradition whilst being exciting and fresh. Alvin was the recipient of the 2020 ‘Rising Star Jazz Musician Award’ by the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival

July 2, 2022 Evening

BONNIE NORTHGRAVES TRIO

Bonnie is a trumpet player, vocalist, pianist, and composer based in Vancouver, CA. Her singing is smokey and rich, and her trumpet playing a call to the early jazz styles of New Orleans. This powerful combination has given wings to a music career that’s seen her tour North America, Europe, China, and India; delighting audience at home and abroad. Bonnie will be joined by Wynston Minckler on upright bass, and Dean Thiessen on Piano.

July 3, 2022 Brunch

JEREMY WONG DUO 

Jeremy Wong’s smooth baritone evokes a bygone era when crooners like Sinatra and Nat King Cole filled the airwaves. Seventy-odd years on, the classics of the American Songbook are alive and well in his hands. Jeremy is joined by longtime collaborator, Alvin Brendan, on guitar.

July 3, 2022 Evening

STEPHANIE WALL TRIO 

Glasses clink, feet shuffle on the floor. Warm light bathes people sitting at tables, while Steph Wall sings on stage. It’s where she belongs, where she wants to be, and where she connects with others. After over a decade of singing high and low, Wall has now released three albums – all with a unique sound that catalogue the time and place where she was during their creation. Her most recent release, Wall Plays Hall, brings the breadth of her experience full circle – the jazz album is cradled with country melodies; dotted with disco and pop influences. You won’t want to miss her renditions of those tunes, along with standards, on July 3rd at the Water St Cafe. Backed by legendary guitar player Stephen Nikliva (Sarah McLaughlan, Petunia and the Vipers etc) as well as talented bassist Joseph Lubinsky-Mast (Petunia and the Vipers, Wooden Horsemen).

Steph Wall- vocals
Stephen Nikliva- guitar
Joseph Lubinsky-Mast- upright bass