Some may think that jazz music, an art form that has been around for 200 years, is one of the more traditional musical genres. The World of Jazz Festival on September 9 might change that way of thinking.
The World of Jazz Festival, presented by the not-for-profit organization B-Jazzed, boasts a wide range of artists who showcase the diversity integral to jazz, as well as the diversity of Brampton itself.
Musician and educator Carmen Spada was born and raised in Brampton. One of his goals in planning the festival was to represent the many talented jazz musicians connected to Brampton.
Saint “O” performs a unique brand of Afro-Caribbean jazz, and drummer and band leader Jermaine St. Omer lives in Brampton. Larnell Lewis is another Brampton native; he is an acclaimed drummer currently working on an album that explores his love of jazz, fusion and his Afro-Caribbean roots.
The members of the Brickhouse Trio have been living and performing in Brampton for decades, while The Jazz Mechanics, an 18-piece big band, were founded in 1979 and have performed in countries as far off as Italy and Austria. Many of the members of The Hot Swing Caravan hail from Brampton, too.
While organizing the World of Jazz Festival, Spada also drew upon a talented pool of multicultural musicians who define jazz both in culture and musical practice.
Autorickshaw is one of the most intriguing acts in world music and jazz, combining pop, jazz, funk, and folk with the music of India.
The Cates Fomin Project comprises two people: Toronto’s sax player and composer Demo Cates (who originally hails from Detroit,) and Ukraine-born Stan Fomin, a classically trained pianist who moved to Canada and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Colombian-born Gregorio Uribe is a singer, songwriter and accordionist now residing in New York who created the Gregorio Uribe Big Band. The Big Band is a 16-piece orchestra that blends cumbia and other Colombian rhythms with powerful big band arranging.
World of Jazz Festival performances will be held throughout the day and evening on September 9 in various locations, including Garden Square, Beaux Arts, La Catrina, Cantina Fellini, and Vivian Lane, plus a late-night jam at Wendel Clark’s. Long & McQuade will even be sponsoring a “Musical Petting Zoo” with instruments available for people to try out.
For a full schedule of performers and event times, please visit the World of Jazz website.
Make sure to keep up with B-Jazzed’s future events by following the World of Jazz Festival on Facebook and Twitter.
