François Bourassa—now with ten albums of original music under his belt—has become an ambassador for Canada’s thriving jazz community at an international level. A paragon of consistency and evolution and inspired by a diversity of sources, his award-winning eponymous quartet has been a staple of Montreal’s artistic landscape for more than 25 years. Since its creation, the group has featured bassist Guy Boisvert, saxophonist André Leroux and more recently young drummer Guillaume Pilote.

Their latest album Number 9 won a 2019 Opus Prize for Best Jazz Album of the Year and was nominated in the same category at the ADISQ Gala 2018. The album was also nominated for Best Canadian Jazz Albums of 2017 by Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen and for 30 best jazz albums of 2017 by Felipe Freitas, Jazztrail (USA).

Itamar Erez’s music holds a depth and sensitivity that touches listeners deeply. It blends the delicateness of Middle Eastern music, the freedom found in jazz and the passion of flamenco, creating a unique sound all his own. Recipient of the 2014 ACUM Prize for Special Achievement in Jazz, and the prestigious 2014 Landau Prize, Itamar Erez is an internationally renowned composer and musician who has shared the stage with such musicians as Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Jean-Louis Matinier, Zohar Fresco, and others. His most recent CD “Mi Alegria” was released in June 2019 and has already received raving reviews, both nationally and internationally, including a recent nomination for the 2020 Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year Award, from the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Itamar just finished recording new CD, that will come out in 2022.

“Mi Alegria distils and channels Erez’s eclectic, seminal influences and musical interests into a rich and highly personal language, Salt Peanuts Magazine, 2019

“A showcase of stunning musicianship”, Vancouver Sun, 2019

A piano, a drum set, a thousand ideas. The happy and highly creative encounter of pianist and composer Marianne Trudel with world renowned drummer and composer John Hollenbeck. An electrifying, fascinating, enveloping duo!

Marianne Trudel & John Hollenbeck : Dédé Java Espiritu plunges the listener into an infinite panorama of colours and grooves. This concert wishes to invite beauty, intuition, dreams, mystery, transe and poetry. Marianne Trudel offers up a whole new cycle of compositions that are both pared down and refined, mysterious and enticing… Where catchy grooves, enchanting melodies, surprising sonorities, and joyous spontaneity go hand in hand. Fabulous!

Kim Zombik (voice) and Nicolas Caloia (doublebass) are seasoned musicians who remain wide open to fresh and new sonic possibilities. Their original and intimate songs relate bittersweet stories of cosmic encounters that undulate between swagger and sweetness. Imagine Sun Ra as Joni Mitchell’s pianist or if Laurie Anderson wrote songs for Billie Holiday, and you will have some idea of the amusing and amazing music created by this longstanding duo.

“…shows a musician with endless confidence and skill, with varying moods and tempi within a trio that is always in sync.” – Keith Black, Winnipeg Free Press

Exhilarating and exuberant, trombonist Audrey Ochoa exemplifies an artist who has dedicated herself to expertise while remaining relevant and light-hearted. A rising star in her own right and a fixture of the Canadian music scene, she is decidedly captivating and original, and her compositional skill and talent on her instrument is spectacular.

Ochoa’s latest record “Frankenhorn” (2020), found herself focussing on unique arrangements and undisputed inspirations. The album features electronic remixes alongside a harmonious combination of genres and ideals.

“Listening through Steph’s music can feel like scrolling through an extravagant special effects library, one uniquely attuned to the human condition as well the remarkable expanse of music that makes up avant garde and experimental Jazz. Working with everyone from Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, and John Zorn, to Yoko Ono, David Byrne and electro-pop star St. Vincent, Steph consistently finds ways to fit into music that often defies acceptable norms within a variety of traditional musical landscapes. Benefiting from a versatile technical toolset, fluid musical imagination, and ingenuity, Steph is delightfully indiscriminate when it comes to exploring the vast tonality of music she entertains.”

-Kevin Whitehead, NPR’s Fresh Air

Alto saxophonist and improviser François Carrier is definitely going his own way. Carrier singular vision has led him to maintain a wide recorded presence all over the world. His rich, deep playing that blends lyricism with boldness and a sense of surpassing one’s self has earned him a place in the Annual International Critic’s Poll of El Intruso of the 2015, 2017 and 2018 edition and in the DownBeat’s 2013 Best Alto Sax Players List.

“Free jazz at its highest level and telepathic unity are hallmarks of the long-standing partnership of Juno Award-winning Montreal alto saxophonist François Carrier and drummer Michel Lambert. Their live album Elements (FMR) in a trio with astonishing ambidextrous British bass phenomenon John Edwards has “a sonic flow almost unstoppable in its intensity and inspiration.” (MusicWorks)

Larnell Lewis is a GRAMMY Award winning musician, composer, producer, and educator. Larnell has established himself as one of the most diverse, skilled and sought-after drummers of this time. Along with his long-standing position in Snarky Puppy, Larnell has led several successful groups of his own including the Larnell Lewis Band. He has also toured internationally with some of the world’s most revered musicians. In June 2018, Larnell released his highly anticipated debut album “In the Moment” featuring ten original compositions in a variety of musical styles. His undeniable talent, fierce creativity and inspiring spirit reach fans and musicians across generations.

Malika Tirolien is a remarkable vocalist, musician, songwriter and producer from Guadeloupe, now living in Montreal. She is garnering international attention with her creative collaborations.

Her latest release Higher is the second in a tetralogy featuring earth, air, fire and water themes. It is a shining example of afro-futuristic styling, co-produced with Bokanté creator Michael League. The album showcases a new genre called “high soul”, mixing R&B, soul, hip hop and jazz to create the soundtrack of a psychedelic trip from anger to forgiveness. She has toured over 20 countries with Bokanté. Two brilliant albums from the band have already earned them worldwide acclaim and a Grammy nomination.

Malika Tirolian’s soaring voice immediately grabs your attention and her well-crafted compositions present effusive emotions with fresh takes on various genres, the whole infused with a deep knowledge of jazz.

Multi-award winning Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents, from Carnegie Hall to Leverkusener Jazztage, and supported international icon Sting. Her accolades include the 2019 JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, and the The Washington Post praises her ability to “masterfully mix jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs.” Laila is represented by Chronograph in Canada and by ACT Music and the European agency Just Jazz in Europe.

Barbra Lica is a JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter who has toured all over North America and Japan with her songs which seamlessly blend jazz, country and folk inGuences. She has been ranked one of Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers on the CBC and her most recent album, “You’re Fine”, has amassed over 4.1 million streams on Spotify. Barbra has also written cuts for such artists as jazz crooner Matt Dusk, rising J-Pop singer Harumi, and Taiwanese pop recording artist, Morrison Ma. Today, Barbra continues to write and produce from her home-studio in Toronto including work on her `rst ever self-produced project scheduled for release in 2022.

«The excellent musicianship of this quartet makes the four players sound full and complete without guitar or piano. CODE Quartet offers well-blended, tightly arranged and exploratory jazz with contemporary, wistful, modern jazz arrangements. » – Musical Memoirs by Dee Dee McNeil

Formed in 2017, CODE Quartet is a powerhouse collective of four of Canada’s leading jazz composers and improvisers. Based in Montreal, it includes Jim Doxas on drums, alto and soprano saxophonist Christine Jensen, Adrian Vedady on bass, and trumpeter Lex French.

The chord-less quartet features original compositions that draw from each member’s unique background, depicting many moods and creating an organic dialogue. Their soundscape is diverse and refined, resulting in an exciting and engaging listening experience.

From Montreal to New York City, French-Canadian trumpeter, composer and producer Rachel Therrien boasts an enviable resumé. She is considered one of the most promising jazz musicians, playing a wide variety of musical styles and rhythms.

Winner of the 2015 TD Grand Prize Jazz Award at the renowned Montreal International Jazz Festival, the 2016 Stingray Jazz Rising Star Award, nominated as Best Jazz Producer at the Independent Music Awards 2018, and in nomination for a JUNO Award 2021, she has shared stages with many world-class musicians in clubs, festivals and on television throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.

Rachel has published five records: VENA (2020), Why Don’t You Try (2017), Pensamiento: Colombia (2016), Home Inspiration (2014) and On Track (2011). For the last few years, she has toured as bandleader all over Canada, the US, Europe, Ukraine, Mexico and more, taking on the most prestigious jazz festivals and clubs.

A saxophonist, composer and arranger, Jean-Pierre Zanella is very much in demand on Quebec’s music scene. He got his Master’s degree in Jazz at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY in 1982. Zanella has developed strong ties and also recorded with Brazilian artists such as Marcos Valle, Altay Veloso, Boca Livre and pianist Marcos Ariel. He has received the honorific Ordem do Rio Branco bestowed by the Brazilian government, and recorded with several instrumentalists from Canada and the US.

He has eight solo albums to his credit: Caminho, nominated for a Félix (1994); Mystic Infancy, which received the Opus Award for best jazz album in 1998; Puzzle City, which also won the Opus Award for best jazz album in 1999 in addition to being a Juno nominee; Mother Tree (2002) was also nominated for a Juno and a Félix and won a Opus; 2006 release Villa-Lobos & Jobim was nominated twice as best jazz album, in the Interpretation and Best Arranger categories; and Infinito (2010) was nominated for a Félix in the jazz creation category. Zanella also won the SOCAN award for best jazz composition during the 1998 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

His CD Quattro Venti was nominated for a Félix in the jazz album category (2017). Zanella’s latest work, Rio Minas, was released in April 2020 and was nominated for a Félix and an Opus Prize in the jazz category. He is the recipient of the 2011 Oscar Peterson Prize awarded by the Festival International de Jazz for his contribution to the Canadian jazz scene.

Award-winning pianist and composer Gentiane MG founded the Gentiane MG Trio in 2014, alongside bassist Levi Dover and drummer Louis-Vincent Hamel. With this group, MG has toured extensively in Quebec, Canada and Mexico. The trio has released two albums of original music, Eternal Cycle (Arté Boréal, 2017) and Wonderland (Effendi, 2020). The three bandmates explore musical freedom and communication using MG’s pieces as a foundation to build upon, conceiving of instrumental music as a vehicle for profound expression. MG’s compositions are rooted in the jazz tradition of songwriting and improvisation while influenced by impressionistic and romantic classical music.

MG has received several awards for her work with her trio, including the François Marcaurelle de la GMMQ Award in 2017, the Radio-Canada Jazz Award in 2018 and the OPUS Award: Discovery of the Year in 2020.