Due to health regulations, Edmonton Jazz festival was held virtually and streamed across Canada this year.
With over 40 years of rich jazz history and traditions in the city, The Edmonton Jazz Festival society still wanted to showcase its talent and continue its legacy.
They joined forces with all provinces across the country and together they formed the Canadian Online Jazz Festival, which was streamed November 8 to 15.
This stream showcased many Canadian talents and kept traditions alive while still being able to spread the joy of jazz with people across the country.
The Edmonton portion of the festival featured many local talents performed on the Winspear stage. The performances were facilitated by the Edmonton Jazz Collective, an organization that brings together Edmonton’s up and coming artists.
Photo via edmontonjazz.com
This year’s performers included Chris Andrew the musical director and pianist, Kate Blechinger the vocalist, Rubim De Toledo the bassist, Sandro Dominelli on Drums, Jim Head the guitarist, Audrey Ochoa on trombone, PJ Perry on saxophone and Bob Tildesley on trumpet.
The replay of the Edmonton portion of the concert can be watched on Edmonton Jazz Festival’s website.
Together, they are performing original pieces that were written by each of them. Each artist had the chance to explain their pieces before performing. This allowed listeners an opportunity to get into the mind of the artist and understand the lyrics behind the music. Through this, viewers were able to develop a deeper connection to the music.
PJ Perry’s song Agoraphobia is based on his experiences with COVID-19.
Hearing just a little bit of the story behind the music and how it relates to each song is something that isn’t often heard while flipping through the radio. It really gets the listener into the mindset of the artist when they wrote it and gives them a deeper feeling towards the music.
Although musicians and guests could not be there in person, Edmonton Jazz Festival adapted to changes to make the event available to all Canadians and showcase talent from Edmonton.
