Swing Shift Big Band
March 7 @ 2:00 PM

Led by Jim Johns

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Jim John's Swing Shift Big Band. From the band’s beginning in 1996 it became apparent that this was a band intent on preserving the sounds and quality of the big band era - a band that has since been recognized as one of the top big bands in the country. With 17 talented musicians, male and female vocalists and optional dancers and female vocal trio, this band can entertain audiences of all ages. From dances, corporate galas, and jazz festivals to weddings, theatre shows and everything in-between, Swing Shift has the variety to suit any occasion. We can also provide smaller groups, ranging from solo piano, trio, quartet and right up to our very popular 11 piece group - a versatile band that specializes in music for all ages. 

Bandleader Jim John has over twenty years of leadership experience - he knows how to make your event a big success!!

Lauren Falls Quintet
March 4, 5, 6, 7 @ 8:00 PM

David French - Tenor Saxophone
Todd Pentney - Piano
Trevor Giancola - Guitar
Trevor Falls - Drums
Lauren Falls - Bass

Lauren Falls is a sought-after bassist, composer, and bandleader who over the last decade has  been making her mark both on the Toronto and New York jazz scenes. Ms. Falls has an  undeniably strong command of the bass and is in demand both as a sidewoman and  bandleader. As a composer and arranger, she creates music that is melodically enticing and  harmonically entrancing. Her compositions stem from the jazz tradition with modern elements  of rock, pop, and folk woven throughout. Her recent record release, “A Little Louder Now,” was  nominated for a Juno Award. 

Lauren has toured North America and Europe with performances at the Kennedy Center and at  jazz festivals including The Mary Lous Williams Jazz Festival in Washington DC, Ottawa  International Jazz Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival to name a few. You will find her in Toronto  at venues such as The Rex, The Jazz Bistro, Lula Lounge, and in New York at venues such as  Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Smalls, and 55 Bar. Recently Lauren performed as part of Jake  Epstein’s Mirvish production “Boy Falls From The Sky,” which was nominated for Six Dora  Awards.  

In 2020, Ms. Falls was a finalist for the Toronto Arts Council Emerging Artist Award and has  been the recipient of multiple Canada Council Grants. She has been an artist-in-residence at  The Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program and The Ravinia Steans Institute. She holds a Master's  Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor's Degree from Humber College.  Lauren is currently on faculty at Humber College.

Josh Cohen Trio
March 7 @ 11:00 PM

Josh Cohen - Bass
Lucian Gray - Guitar
Mateo Mancuso - Drums

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

The Josh Cohen Trio blends classic straight-ahead jazz with a modern edge, driven in part by Cohen’s distinctive voice on 6-string electric bass. Joined by guitarist Lucian Gray and drummer Mateo Mancuso, the trio explores bebop, hard bop, and American Songbook repertoire with deep swing, tight interplay, and adventurous improvisation. Cohen’s extended-range bass adds a contemporary twist to the classic trio format, allowing the group to move fluidly between traditional textures and fresh, modern colors.

Los Variants
March 8 @ 2:00 pm

Vince Maccarone - Drums
Suba Sankaran / Dylan Bell - Keys
Michael Occhipinti - Guitar
Onathan Amador - Bass
Luisito Orbegoso - Percussion

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Los Variants is the brainchild of Vince Maccarone. Vince’s vision is based on celebrating diversity by bending some of the rules of staying in one genre. This 6-piece super band uses versatile musicians that deliver a spectacular performance and explore the connections between their collective musical and cultural backgrounds to create a seamless mosaic of international groove.

Los Variants’ core personnel is made up of some of Canada’s top musicians featuring vocal powerhouses Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell (also on keys) Michael Occhipinti on guitars, Jonathan Amador on bass, Luisito Orbegoso on percussion and Vince Maccarone on drums and percussion. Tour guests may include: Luis Simao on accordion, Kevin Turcotte or Andrew McAnsh on trumpet, Fethi Nadjem on violin and Maryem Hassan Tollar on vocals.

The band takes the audience on a musical journey around the world highlighting the band members’ origins and cultures while maintaining a common thread in jazz and roots music. Flamenco, Middle Eastern groove, Caribbean rhythms are all found in a Los Variants performance.

The 2023 Touring Series will be a Global Musical Experience. Drawing from the release of the 1st Los Variants CD, – “jass/blues” and from the latest CD “O Passeio”. This CD features Afrofunk, reggae, jazz, blues and a raucous New Orleans jazz funk number.

Collectively the members of Vince Maccarone’s Los Variants have won and been nominated for many JUNOS, DORAs and other awards and will be bringing all of their rich musical history to Festivals in 2022.

Be prepared to move and groove at a Los Variants show!

Andrew Boniwell
March 8 & 9 @ 8:00 PM

Andrew Boniwell -Piano
Band - TBA

Andrew has been a professional piano player on the Toronto jazz scene since 1980. A frequent participant in the Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival he has also appeared at the Distillery Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, Guelph Jazz Festival and the Barrie Jazz Festival. Andrew has performed with the Juno award-winning contemporary jazz orchestra NOJO, and plays with many of Toronto's finest jazz musicians including Richard Underhill (JUNO winner 2003), Mike Murley (multiple JUNO winner), Kevin Turcotte, Michael Occhipinti (NOJO), Barry Romberg and Quinsin Nachoff (now based in NYC).

Andrew newest project is his quintet, Andrew Boniwell and The Uncertainty Principle. His first CD with this unit, Boomerang was released in 2011. It features finely crafted and groovy compositions with a varied rhythmic palette and a front line of Richard Underhill (alto sax) and Kevin Turcotte (trumpet).

Andrew’s previous CD, StopStart also on Soundcolour Records (1999), features The Andrew Boniwell Quartet playing his compositions. Reviewers found the quartet’s exploration of texture, dynamics and harmony "innovative" (Ottawa Citizen) and "adventurous" (Toronto Star) while the quartet's playing was described as "letting the music flow out of their veins" (Coda Magazine).

Andrew Boniwell
March 8 & 9 @ 8:00 PM

Andrew Boniwell -Piano
Band - TBA

Andrew has been a professional piano player on the Toronto jazz scene since 1980. A frequent participant in the Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival he has also appeared at the Distillery Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, Guelph Jazz Festival and the Barrie Jazz Festival. Andrew has performed with the Juno award-winning contemporary jazz orchestra NOJO, and plays with many of Toronto's finest jazz musicians including Richard Underhill (JUNO winner 2003), Mike Murley (multiple JUNO winner), Kevin Turcotte, Michael Occhipinti (NOJO), Barry Romberg and Quinsin Nachoff (now based in NYC).

Andrew newest project is his quintet, Andrew Boniwell and The Uncertainty Principle. His first CD with this unit, Boomerang was released in 2011. It features finely crafted and groovy compositions with a varied rhythmic palette and a front line of Richard Underhill (alto sax) and Kevin Turcotte (trumpet).

Andrew’s previous CD, StopStart also on Soundcolour Records (1999), features The Andrew Boniwell Quartet playing his compositions. Reviewers found the quartet’s exploration of texture, dynamics and harmony "innovative" (Ottawa Citizen) and "adventurous" (Toronto Star) while the quartet's playing was described as "letting the music flow out of their veins" (Coda Magazine).

Classic REx jam
hosted by chris Gale
march 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @8:00pm

NO RESERVATIONS

$10 Cover Charge

Jam with us! Enjoy our house band (a collection of beloved all-stars) spontaneously creating musical goodness just for you!

Hosted by the legendary Chris Banks.

Mark Eisenman
March 11, 12, 13, 14 @ 8:00 PM

Mark Eisenman - Piano
Band - TBA

Mark Eisenman is one among a handful of the top ‘in-demand’ jazz pianists in Toronto. Born in New York City but based in Toronto since 1972, Mark started studying the piano with his father. By the age of eighteen he had resolved that he would be pursuing the piano as a career interest. He entered into the music program at York University and after a short time discovered jazz music. With his introduction to this idiom his musical interest peaked.

Under the tutelage of John Gittins and others Mark ultimately took a degree in Fine Arts, and as testimony to his continuing dedication to the learning process, currently conducts jazz workshops at York as a part-time faculty member. His teaching has expanded to include “The Jazz Camp”, classes at Mohawk College in Hamilton plus private teaching in his home studio.

Mark has performed and toured with numerous eminent jazz artists including the following: Blue Mitchell, Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Sam Noto and Pat LaBarbera. He is heard frequently on the radio, including regular appearances on CBC’s Sunday Edition with Michael Enright, and is well represented on recordings. His most recent CD “Sweet and Lovely” features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Pat Collins.

In addition to being a pianist of great clarity and discipline, Mark has been developing his compositional skills. His tunes appear on recordings by a variety of groups.

"His professional status is based largely on his skill and versatility as an ensemble player, but what marks him most is an ability to produce, no matter what the musical company, distinctive well-structured solos" (Toronto Star).

In Mark's own words, what is most rewarding to him as a performer is the sense that "...everyone is having a good time because that means the music is good". With an outlook such as this, it should come as no surprise that he frequently works Toronto's major jazz spots. He is a skillful soloist, a versatile ensemble player and a thoughtful and sensitive accompanist. In 1999 Mark received The Jazz Report Award for “Acoustic Pianist of the Year”.

Mark Eisenman
March 11, 12, 13, 14 @ 8:00 PM

Mark Eisenman - Piano
Band - TBA

Mark Eisenman is one among a handful of the top ‘in-demand’ jazz pianists in Toronto. Born in New York City but based in Toronto since 1972, Mark started studying the piano with his father. By the age of eighteen he had resolved that he would be pursuing the piano as a career interest. He entered into the music program at York University and after a short time discovered jazz music. With his introduction to this idiom his musical interest peaked.

Under the tutelage of John Gittins and others Mark ultimately took a degree in Fine Arts, and as testimony to his continuing dedication to the learning process, currently conducts jazz workshops at York as a part-time faculty member. His teaching has expanded to include “The Jazz Camp”, classes at Mohawk College in Hamilton plus private teaching in his home studio.

Mark has performed and toured with numerous eminent jazz artists including the following: Blue Mitchell, Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Sam Noto and Pat LaBarbera. He is heard frequently on the radio, including regular appearances on CBC’s Sunday Edition with Michael Enright, and is well represented on recordings. His most recent CD “Sweet and Lovely” features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Pat Collins.

In addition to being a pianist of great clarity and discipline, Mark has been developing his compositional skills. His tunes appear on recordings by a variety of groups.

"His professional status is based largely on his skill and versatility as an ensemble player, but what marks him most is an ability to produce, no matter what the musical company, distinctive well-structured solos" (Toronto Star).

In Mark's own words, what is most rewarding to him as a performer is the sense that "...everyone is having a good time because that means the music is good". With an outlook such as this, it should come as no surprise that he frequently works Toronto's major jazz spots. He is a skillful soloist, a versatile ensemble player and a thoughtful and sensitive accompanist. In 1999 Mark received The Jazz Report Award for “Acoustic Pianist of the Year”.

Mark Eisenman
March 11, 12, 13, 14 @ 8:00 PM

Mark Eisenman - Piano
Band - TBA

Mark Eisenman is one among a handful of the top ‘in-demand’ jazz pianists in Toronto. Born in New York City but based in Toronto since 1972, Mark started studying the piano with his father. By the age of eighteen he had resolved that he would be pursuing the piano as a career interest. He entered into the music program at York University and after a short time discovered jazz music. With his introduction to this idiom his musical interest peaked.

Under the tutelage of John Gittins and others Mark ultimately took a degree in Fine Arts, and as testimony to his continuing dedication to the learning process, currently conducts jazz workshops at York as a part-time faculty member. His teaching has expanded to include “The Jazz Camp”, classes at Mohawk College in Hamilton plus private teaching in his home studio.

Mark has performed and toured with numerous eminent jazz artists including the following: Blue Mitchell, Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Sam Noto and Pat LaBarbera. He is heard frequently on the radio, including regular appearances on CBC’s Sunday Edition with Michael Enright, and is well represented on recordings. His most recent CD “Sweet and Lovely” features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Pat Collins.

In addition to being a pianist of great clarity and discipline, Mark has been developing his compositional skills. His tunes appear on recordings by a variety of groups.

"His professional status is based largely on his skill and versatility as an ensemble player, but what marks him most is an ability to produce, no matter what the musical company, distinctive well-structured solos" (Toronto Star).

In Mark's own words, what is most rewarding to him as a performer is the sense that "...everyone is having a good time because that means the music is good". With an outlook such as this, it should come as no surprise that he frequently works Toronto's major jazz spots. He is a skillful soloist, a versatile ensemble player and a thoughtful and sensitive accompanist. In 1999 Mark received The Jazz Report Award for “Acoustic Pianist of the Year”.

Andy Scott
March 13 @ 11:00 pm

Andy Scott - Guitar
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

As a musician, writer, journalist, and arts educator, Andrew Scott’s work has impacted many aspects of the educational, and creative arts and culture space in Canada and beyond for nearly three decades. 

A jazz guitarist, Andrew has worked as an in-demand side person, led his own bands with a focus on classic jazz repertoire, and performed and recorded with such musicians as Bernie Senensky, Dan Block, Harry Allen, Grant Stewart, Jim Clayton (The Clayton/Scott Group), Ben Paterson, Randy Sandke, and Jon-Erik Kellso for such labels as Cellar Live, Marshmallow, Boomtang, and Sackville Records. 

Andrew has performed for members of the House of Lords, international dignitaries, and two former Canadian Prime Ministers. 

His latest album, Horizon Song with Kelsley Grant, Amanda Tosoff, Neil Swainson, and Order of Canada winner Terry Clarke was released on Cellar Live records in 2024. 

Andrew’s guitar playing and compositions are featured on saxophonist’s Alex Dean’s 2025 album Put it There by Bari-ed Alive (Sony/Cornerstone Records). 

Andrew has committed himself to learning from the elders of this music and has enjoyed meaningful musical relationships with the late drummer Archie Alleyne—for whom he worked as side musician, music director of Alleyne’s Evolution of Jazz Ensemble, and co-composer of “Syncopation: Life in the Key of Black”—and the nonagenarian pianist Gene DiNovi, with whom Andrew has recorded three albums. 

Andrew’s music has been heard internationally in film and television (“Pretend We’re Kissing,” “Once a Thief,” CBC’s “The Border” and “Kim’s Convenience”), and his writing about music has appeared in Downbeat Magazine, Wax Poetics, CODA (where he was the final Managing Editor), Jazz Research Journal, the Havurah Journal, We Jazz, the Humber Literary Review, the Journal of Popular Music Studies, and in more than one hundred sets of jazz liner notes. 

In 2024, Andrew was the principal researcher, essayist, and Associate Producer of an archival release of a 1972 recording from the famed American jazz organist Jack McDuff.

Andrew has also worked as an independent juror and consultant for the Toronto Arts Foundation and as a public educator was an invited lecturer for the Hot Docs “Curious Minds” speaker series, where he presented a six-part series entitled “Nights to Remember: The Great Concerts,” and Anthems: Six Songs That Shaped the World We Live In) for The Speakers Annex in 2025.

Andrew is frequently called upon to speak to such media outlets as the Globe & Mail, Now Toronto, CTV, the Canadian Press and others on topical issues and various events in the world of music, arts, and culture. 

His comedic writing regularly appears on such humour platforms as The Haven, The Daily Drunk, MuddyUm, and The Toronto Harold where it garners between multiple hundreds and more than 11K online views, and his poetry has been anthologized by Alien Buddha Press (Alien Buddha Zine #58, Alien Buddha Zine #66, the chapbook Resist the Zeitgeist and in the compilation publication Best of 2024).  

Having earned his PhD from York University, Andrew has lectured at universities and conferences across North America (NYU, Kent State, McGill, York University, Western University, the University of Guelph) and has enjoyed a long professional relationship with Humber College, where he is a Professor and the Program Co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Music Program. In this capacity Andrew has taught, administered, advised, and mentored thousands of students.  

Andrew was the former Associate Dean and Acting Dean of Humber’s School of Creative and Performing Arts, where he oversaw and administratively stewarded multiple music programs, as well as creative writing, arts administration, theatre, and comedy faculties. 

At Humber, Andrew has been recognized for his professional efforts, earning the “Administrative Distinguished Service” Award for valued administrative leadership in 2021, and being named a “Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” for contributing to an environmental scan with the Humber EDI Taskforce in 2022. 

As of 2025, Andrew has been involved with numerous research projects that have received nearly $1,000,000 of federal funding through SSHRC and other research granting bodies. Currently, Andrew is a part of a SSHRC Partnership Development project with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University entitled: “The show must go on: Supporting Canadian professional musicians” that examines employment issues surrounding professional musicians in Canada.

Andrew is the recipient of The Toronto Musician’s Association (Local 149) “Music Educator of the Year” (2024).

Saturday March 14 @ 2:00pm

TBD

Mark Eisenman
March 11, 12, 13, 14 @ 8:00 PM

Mark Eisenman - Piano
Band - TBA

Mark Eisenman is one among a handful of the top ‘in-demand’ jazz pianists in Toronto. Born in New York City but based in Toronto since 1972, Mark started studying the piano with his father. By the age of eighteen he had resolved that he would be pursuing the piano as a career interest. He entered into the music program at York University and after a short time discovered jazz music. With his introduction to this idiom his musical interest peaked.

Under the tutelage of John Gittins and others Mark ultimately took a degree in Fine Arts, and as testimony to his continuing dedication to the learning process, currently conducts jazz workshops at York as a part-time faculty member. His teaching has expanded to include “The Jazz Camp”, classes at Mohawk College in Hamilton plus private teaching in his home studio.

Mark has performed and toured with numerous eminent jazz artists including the following: Blue Mitchell, Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Sam Noto and Pat LaBarbera. He is heard frequently on the radio, including regular appearances on CBC’s Sunday Edition with Michael Enright, and is well represented on recordings. His most recent CD “Sweet and Lovely” features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Pat Collins.

In addition to being a pianist of great clarity and discipline, Mark has been developing his compositional skills. His tunes appear on recordings by a variety of groups.

"His professional status is based largely on his skill and versatility as an ensemble player, but what marks him most is an ability to produce, no matter what the musical company, distinctive well-structured solos" (Toronto Star).

In Mark's own words, what is most rewarding to him as a performer is the sense that "...everyone is having a good time because that means the music is good". With an outlook such as this, it should come as no surprise that he frequently works Toronto's major jazz spots. He is a skillful soloist, a versatile ensemble player and a thoughtful and sensitive accompanist. In 1999 Mark received The Jazz Report Award for “Acoustic Pianist of the Year”.

We3
March 14 @ 11:00 PM

John Smiley - Piano
Bennett Young - Bass
Ilios Steryannis - Drums

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Coming together under unusual circumstances, the members of piano trio We 3 found a  common thread in their mutual appreciation for pianist Phineas Newborn. They quickly decided  to add Newborn’s entire 1958 album We Three to their repertoire, a classic piano trio record  that features Roy Haynes and Paul Chambers. Since then, Josh Smiley on piano, Bennett Young  on bass and Ilios Steryannis on drums have added other composers to their playlist, including  Oscar Pettiford, Benny Golson, and Thelonious Monk.

The Robert Lee Group
March 15 @ 2:00 pm

Robert Lee - Upright Bass
Jacqueline Teh - Vocals
Dennis Kwok - Saxophone
Roa Lee - Gayageum
Jen Lo - Piano
Jay Yoo - Guitar
Andrew McCarthy - Drums
Guest: Sangah Lee

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Robert Lee is an emerging upright bassist, composer, and bandleader in the Toronto jazz scene. His musical interest started with the violin before switching to the bass. He is a graduate from the University of Guelph and Humber College music programs. He obtained his Masters in Contemporary Performance from Berklee Valencia in 2021. Lee has had the opportunity to study with Neil Swainson, Ted Quinlan, Mike Downes, Geoff Young, Lorne Lofsky, Kieran Overs, Pat LaBarbera, Kirk MacDonald, Andrew Scott, Kevin Turcotte, Amanda Tosoff, Andrew McAnsh, Nick Mancini (Los Angeles), Perico Sambeat, Matt Baker, Magda Giannikou, and others.

He has performed at various venues and festivals across Ontario, including the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival, the Guelph Jazz Festival, the Newmarket Music Festival, the Kensington Market Jazz Festival, Toronto Fringe Festival, MusicFest Canada, and the TD Toronto Jazz Festival.

In October 2023, Lee performed alongside the Seocho Philharmonia (Seoul, Korea) and the Glen Gould School Orchestra as part of the Korean War Memorial Concert at Koerner Hall (Toronto, CA), conducted by Jong Hoon Bae . He performed with world-renowned artists Sumi Jo (soprano), Jens Lindermann (trumpet), and Matt Catingub (piano).

He has been recognized for his compositional and arranging work, earning the Humber College Duke Ellington Society Scholarship in 2017 and 2018 as well as the James Appel School Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship in 2018. In 2018 he had the opportunity to work with the Artist-in-Residence at Humber College Pat Metheny, arranging the composition "Then and Now" for the Humber Studio Band and performing with the Ted Quinlan Pat Metheny Tribute Ensemble for the Artist-in-Residence Showcase concert. He has also been commissioned by the York Region Chamber Music Society to compose an original piece for the Hogtown Brass Quintet, entitled “Castle in the Sky” which premiered at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts in 2019.

Robert in 2017 participated in the Spectrum Music New Voices Composers Residency. He attended the Keep an Eye Summer Jazz Workshop at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands in 2018, studying under the likes of John Riley, Jay Anderson, Jesse Van Ruller, Frans van der Hoeven, and Dick Oats. He has also been featured on Jazzology with Heather Bambrick on JazzFm91 in 2018, as well as on Big City Small World and Saturday Night Jazz on CBC.

• JazzFM91 Feature: https://jazz.fm/robert-lee-emerging-jazz-artist-finding-creative-voice/

Robert performed on the Juno Nominated album “ Little Bit a’ Love” by vocalist Denielle Bassels. He was named a Toronto Arts Foundation Finalist for “Breakthrough Jazz Artist” in 2025

The Robert Lee Group is a unique project consisting of original compositions inspired by Korean traditional music, instrumentation, and folk stories spanning various fantasy and romantic narratives. The project aims to develop an artistic identity founded in the emotional provocation of jazz and improvised music while exploring and implementing Korean traditional elements into one cohesive creative theatre. Robert has delved deeper into exploring his identity as a Korean Canadian, questioning what it means to simultaneously straddle two contrasting cultural identities. Featuring Jacqueline Teh (vocals), Sangah Lee (guest vocals), Jen Lo (piano), Roa Lee (gayageum), Allison Au (on saxophone), Jay Yoo (guitar) and Andrew McCarthy (drums) the project blends jazz improvisation, R&B/soul, folk, and film music with Korean traditional elements into a seamless amalgamation of colourful textures and unique arrangements.

Laura hubert Band
march 1, 15, 29 @ 5:00 PM

Laura Hubert - Vocals
Peter Hill - Piano

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Canadian vocal treasure, born and raised in Toronto, Laura Hubert has remained a steady force on the city’s music scene over the past 25 years. Although she retired from rock and roll back per se when JUNO-winning indie-rock group Leslie Spit Treeo split up late last millennium, for several decades now she has been singing her soulful interpretations of vintage blues, jazz and Western swing all over the Greater Toronto Area. “I want to participate in the joy of the world, try to keep it light,” says Hubert.  “Just trying to have some fun. Sing some songs. Make some music. Give some joy.”

Over the years she recorded 3 solo albums with her band, led by pianist Peter Hill and featuring some of Toronto’s finest including Chris Whiteley, Brandi Disterheft, Victor Bateman, William Sperandei: “Girlish Days” (2000), “Live at the Rex” (2001) and “Half Bridled” (2004).

In the years since these recordings, Hubert and her fans enjoyed residencies at venerable venues such as Grossman’s Tavern, The Cameron House and The Rex Hotel. Singing many of the same old classic songs over the years, like the finest of wine Hubert’s art has aged in the best way, her bluesy growl deeper and more powerful than ever.

“One Night in Kensington” is an initiative spearheaded by Order of Canada member, singer-songwriter and long-time friend of Hubert, is the new recording fans have long been waiting for. “Hubert’s unique and soulful vocal delivery can make any old song sound brand new,” says Molly Johnson.

Produced by Johnson and her Kensington Market Jazz Festival team, the new album live at Poetry Jazz Café find Hubert in the happy company of four very fine players: Eric St-Laurent on guitar, Davide DiRenzo on drums, Steve Wallace on bass and long-time musical partner Peter Hill on piano.  

Matt Newton
March 17 @ 5:00 PM

Matt Newton - Piano
Band -TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Matt Newton is a Toronto based pianist, composer and educator. Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Newton has been performing and composing professionally since the late 90s. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto and has attended the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music where he studied with world renowned trumpeter/ composer Dave Douglas and pianist Deron Johnson (Miles Davis). In the fall of 2010 Newton performed a cross Canada tour promoting the release of his debut album Push. The critically acclaimed album features Petr Cancura, Mark McIntyre, and Ethan Ardelli, and was included in Paul J. Youngman’s list of Favourite Jazz CD’s of 2009. In 2012 Newton received an Ontario Arts Council grant to record his second album Within Reach, featuring his trio with Dan Fortin and Ethan Ardelli.

In his review of the record, Dan Bilawsky of All About Jazz wrote that “Newton doesn’t simply play piano. He expertly shapes phrases, lets notes pool together, creates rich and luxuriant arcs of sound, and balances the yin and yang that exists within these songs. His playing exudes warmth and comfort, yet it remains unpredictable.”

A longtime member of the Harley Card Quintet, Newton is featured on four of Card’s full length recordings. He has also performed alongside such respected artists as Rob Frayne, Melissa Lauren, Pat Collins, Kevin Turcotte, Ashley St. Pierre, Michael Herring, Ernesto Cervini, Jim Vivian, Felicity Williams, Alex Samaras, Chris Gale, Nick Fraser, Robin Dann, Rebecca Hennessy, Allison Au, and Tim Shia, among many others. 

Classic REx jam
hosted by chris banks
march 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @8:00pm

NO RESERVATIONS

$10 Cover Charge

Jam with us! Enjoy our house band (a collection of beloved all-stars) spontaneously creating musical goodness just for you!

Hosted by the legendary Chris Banks.

Ale Nuñez with Eric Liang
march 18 @ 5:00 PM

Ale Nuñez - Vocals
Eric Liang - Piano
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Ale Avery Nuñez is a Jazz Vocalist, Songwriter, and bandleader based in Toronto, Canada. Rooted in jazz and soul, she brings a musical sophistication to every performance, with a tone that is uniquely her own and a true dedication to her artistry. Her influences range from Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Nat King Cole, and Etta Jones to Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones and Feist. Although a recent honours graduate of the Bachelor of Music degree at Humber College in Toronto, Ale has gone on to establish herself as an in-demand vocalist and musician, making her mark in music scenes near and far.

Andrew Rathbun Quartet
March 18, 19, 20, 21 @ 8:00pm

Andrew Rathbun - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Toronto native Andrew Rathbun is widely esteemed as one of the most creative and accomplished saxophonists, composers and bandleaders of his generation. On tenor and soprano saxophones he has achieved a rare depth of lyricism, authoritative swing and compositional intelligence. Voted as a “Rising Star” in the 2018 and 2022 Downbeat Critics Polls  and recording steadily as a leader since the late 1990s, he has documented his stirring original music with an array of extraordinary lineups, featuring the talents of such greats as Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Phil Markowitz and Bill Stewart. “Rathbun’s lines dance and glide,” writes David Whiteis of JazzTimes, “reflecting both childlike wonder and well-honed artistry.”

Rooted in the fiery improvisatory legacy of post-bop jazz, Rathbun’s music is also deeply informed by classical composition. His works include song cycles, suites, and chamber and orchestral pieces for a wide range of ensembles. His 2005 duo release with pianist George Colligan, Renderings, features adaptations of Maurice Ravel and Federico Mompou, as well as an original seven-movement “Suite for Soprano Saxophone and Piano” inspired by the great Wayne Shorter. On 2019’s Impressions of Debussy he partners with pianists Jeremy Siskind and Lori Sims to record interpretations of Debussy’s famed piano preludes. His 2010 release The Idea of North, inspired by the radio documentaries of Glenn Gould, includes a sextet arrangement of Christoph Glück’s “Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits.” Rathbun has also written for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and the Metropole Orkest and other ensembles, in addition to working as a commercial music composer.

Another of Rathbun’s inspirations is poetry: his 1998 recording Jade set to music the verse of Cathy Song, while his 2000 follow-up True Stories focused on the work of fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood. On both these recordings, acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza captured the imagery and deep emotion of the poems while meeting every technical challenge posed by Rathbun’s involved orchestrations. Trumpeter Taylor Haskins played a major role on these early releases, not to mention Rathbun’s debut, Scatter Some Stones; he would later appear on Affairs of State, The Idea of North and two tracks from Numbers & Letters, Rathbun’s exploratory 2014 quartet session.

Rathbun’s 2002 release Sculptures (co-produced by Haskins) found him leading a quintet with trumpet legend and Toronto native Kenny Wheeler. JazzTimes declared of Sculptures: “[The music] cloaks subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air.” After the album release, Rathbun collaborated with Wheeler in a live large-ensemble setting at Birdland in New York, performing classic Wheeler compositions as well as new Rathbun works including the “Power Politics Suite.” After Wheeler’s death in 2014 at age 84, Rathbun led his own large ensemble at the Jazz Gallery for a performance in the trumpeter’s honor.

The “Power Politics Suite” is but one example of Rathbun’s interest in social and political change, a theme running throughout his 2007 quintet session Affairs of State, released as the Bush years were coming to a close. Where We Are Now (2009), Rathbun’s quintet session with Billy Hart on drums, had a more implied political thrust, as Taylor Haskins wrote in his liner notes (the release date came just weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama), Shadow Forms, from 2006, was more open-ended in its meanings, sparser in instrumentation — Rathbun played tenor, soprano, clarinet and even keyboard in a bracingly open trio setting, with mentor George Garzone adding raw and brilliant tenor sax on five of the 12 tracks. Kenny Wheeler’s “Onmo” closed the album in rousing form.

Fellow saxophonist and Torontonian Pat LaBarbera produced Days Before and After (2004), Rathbun’s co-led session with drummer and Edmonton native Owen Howard. The “outstanding set” (allaboutjazz.com) featured original music driven by the unorthodox two-guitar team of Ben Monder and Geoff Young.

His double-CD opus Atwood Suites, is  a collection of poems by famed author Margaret Atwood set for vocalist and jazz orchestra on Origin Records. Jazziz Magazine has this to say about the release; “On the basis of this CD alone, Rathbun deserves to be ranked among today’s top arranger – composers.”


 2021’s Semantics is a two-tenor date with Rich Perry, alongside Gary Versace, John Hébert and Billy Drummond, and has over 600,000 streams on Spotify. His latest release is The Speed of Time with Versace and Hebert and drum Tom Rainey.

Rathbun earned a Masters in Performance from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell. After moving to Brooklyn in 1997 he became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, helping to shape the sound of the music in the new millennium as he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He has secured recognition and support from the Ontario Council for the Arts, the Canada Council and the American Music Center. He has also served as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and an artist at both the MacDowell Colony and the Banff Center for the Arts.

Following teaching stints at the University of Maine, Kingsborough College and the Amadeus Conservatory in northern Westchester County, New York, Rathbun took a position in 2012 as Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he now lives with his family. He continues to perform in New York and internationally.

Neon Eagle
march 19 @ 5:00 PM

Led by: Mike Eckert - Pedal Steel

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Bringing entrancing instrumental fusion music featuring the pedal steel.

Come in, sit back, and feel the hypnotic vibes of this incredible group!

Andrew Rathbun Quartet
March 18, 19, 20, 21 @ 8:00pm

Andrew Rathbun - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Toronto native Andrew Rathbun is widely esteemed as one of the most creative and accomplished saxophonists, composers and bandleaders of his generation. On tenor and soprano saxophones he has achieved a rare depth of lyricism, authoritative swing and compositional intelligence. Voted as a “Rising Star” in the 2018 and 2022 Downbeat Critics Polls  and recording steadily as a leader since the late 1990s, he has documented his stirring original music with an array of extraordinary lineups, featuring the talents of such greats as Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Phil Markowitz and Bill Stewart. “Rathbun’s lines dance and glide,” writes David Whiteis of JazzTimes, “reflecting both childlike wonder and well-honed artistry.”

Rooted in the fiery improvisatory legacy of post-bop jazz, Rathbun’s music is also deeply informed by classical composition. His works include song cycles, suites, and chamber and orchestral pieces for a wide range of ensembles. His 2005 duo release with pianist George Colligan, Renderings, features adaptations of Maurice Ravel and Federico Mompou, as well as an original seven-movement “Suite for Soprano Saxophone and Piano” inspired by the great Wayne Shorter. On 2019’s Impressions of Debussy he partners with pianists Jeremy Siskind and Lori Sims to record interpretations of Debussy’s famed piano preludes. His 2010 release The Idea of North, inspired by the radio documentaries of Glenn Gould, includes a sextet arrangement of Christoph Glück’s “Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits.” Rathbun has also written for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and the Metropole Orkest and other ensembles, in addition to working as a commercial music composer.

Another of Rathbun’s inspirations is poetry: his 1998 recording Jade set to music the verse of Cathy Song, while his 2000 follow-up True Stories focused on the work of fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood. On both these recordings, acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza captured the imagery and deep emotion of the poems while meeting every technical challenge posed by Rathbun’s involved orchestrations. Trumpeter Taylor Haskins played a major role on these early releases, not to mention Rathbun’s debut, Scatter Some Stones; he would later appear on Affairs of State, The Idea of North and two tracks from Numbers & Letters, Rathbun’s exploratory 2014 quartet session.

Rathbun’s 2002 release Sculptures (co-produced by Haskins) found him leading a quintet with trumpet legend and Toronto native Kenny Wheeler. JazzTimes declared of Sculptures: “[The music] cloaks subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air.” After the album release, Rathbun collaborated with Wheeler in a live large-ensemble setting at Birdland in New York, performing classic Wheeler compositions as well as new Rathbun works including the “Power Politics Suite.” After Wheeler’s death in 2014 at age 84, Rathbun led his own large ensemble at the Jazz Gallery for a performance in the trumpeter’s honor.

The “Power Politics Suite” is but one example of Rathbun’s interest in social and political change, a theme running throughout his 2007 quintet session Affairs of State, released as the Bush years were coming to a close. Where We Are Now (2009), Rathbun’s quintet session with Billy Hart on drums, had a more implied political thrust, as Taylor Haskins wrote in his liner notes (the release date came just weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama), Shadow Forms, from 2006, was more open-ended in its meanings, sparser in instrumentation — Rathbun played tenor, soprano, clarinet and even keyboard in a bracingly open trio setting, with mentor George Garzone adding raw and brilliant tenor sax on five of the 12 tracks. Kenny Wheeler’s “Onmo” closed the album in rousing form.

Fellow saxophonist and Torontonian Pat LaBarbera produced Days Before and After (2004), Rathbun’s co-led session with drummer and Edmonton native Owen Howard. The “outstanding set” (allaboutjazz.com) featured original music driven by the unorthodox two-guitar team of Ben Monder and Geoff Young.

His double-CD opus Atwood Suites, is  a collection of poems by famed author Margaret Atwood set for vocalist and jazz orchestra on Origin Records. Jazziz Magazine has this to say about the release; “On the basis of this CD alone, Rathbun deserves to be ranked among today’s top arranger – composers.”


 2021’s Semantics is a two-tenor date with Rich Perry, alongside Gary Versace, John Hébert and Billy Drummond, and has over 600,000 streams on Spotify. His latest release is The Speed of Time with Versace and Hebert and drum Tom Rainey.

Rathbun earned a Masters in Performance from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell. After moving to Brooklyn in 1997 he became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, helping to shape the sound of the music in the new millennium as he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He has secured recognition and support from the Ontario Council for the Arts, the Canada Council and the American Music Center. He has also served as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and an artist at both the MacDowell Colony and the Banff Center for the Arts.

Following teaching stints at the University of Maine, Kingsborough College and the Amadeus Conservatory in northern Westchester County, New York, Rathbun took a position in 2012 as Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he now lives with his family. He continues to perform in New York and internationally.

Allison Au trio
march 20 @ 5:00 PM

Allison Au - Alto Saxophone
Rob Chapman - Guitar
Devin Patten - Bass

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Allison Au (pronounced "ow") is JUNO award winning saxophonist, composer and arranger. Highly regarded for her distinctive and imaginative voice, Allison has been lauded as “a new jazz ambassador” for Canada.

Born to a Chinese father and Jewish mother, and raised in the multicultural metropolis of Toronto, Allison fell in love with music as a young child. Her father’s eclectic collection of vinyls and CDs exposed her to a wide array of musical styles. Struggling to find a sense of belonging in her biracial identity, the unhinged freedom of improvisation captivated Allison and quickly became her lab for self-expression and exploration. 

Au’s passion for composition led to the 2009 formation of the Allison Au Quartet featuring Todd Pentney (piano), Jon Maharaj (bass) and Fabio Ragnellli (drums). The ensemble has received continued critical acclaim. Au earned her first JUNO nomination for her debut album, The Sky Was Pale Blue, then Grey in 2013, and in 2016 seized the JUNO for "Best Jazz Album of The Year: Group" for Forest Grove. In 2019, she garnered another JUNO nomination for "Best Jazz Album of the Year: Group" for Wander Wonder.

Au was the 2017 winner of TD Grand Prix de Jazz (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal), the 2017 winner of Sting Ray Rising Star Award (Halifax Jazz Festival), and 2017 finalist for Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Jazz Artist Award. In 2018 she was featured on SFJAZZ’s 2018 list of "10 Rising Instrumentalists You Should Know.” She has toured Canada and the US extensively.

Based in her hometown of Toronto, Au maintains an active role as a performer. In 2022, she joined the Jazz Studies faculty at the University of Toronto as a private instructor.

Andrew Rathbun Quartet
March 18, 19, 20, 21 @ 8:00pm

Andrew Rathbun - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Toronto native Andrew Rathbun is widely esteemed as one of the most creative and accomplished saxophonists, composers and bandleaders of his generation. On tenor and soprano saxophones he has achieved a rare depth of lyricism, authoritative swing and compositional intelligence. Voted as a “Rising Star” in the 2018 and 2022 Downbeat Critics Polls  and recording steadily as a leader since the late 1990s, he has documented his stirring original music with an array of extraordinary lineups, featuring the talents of such greats as Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Phil Markowitz and Bill Stewart. “Rathbun’s lines dance and glide,” writes David Whiteis of JazzTimes, “reflecting both childlike wonder and well-honed artistry.”

Rooted in the fiery improvisatory legacy of post-bop jazz, Rathbun’s music is also deeply informed by classical composition. His works include song cycles, suites, and chamber and orchestral pieces for a wide range of ensembles. His 2005 duo release with pianist George Colligan, Renderings, features adaptations of Maurice Ravel and Federico Mompou, as well as an original seven-movement “Suite for Soprano Saxophone and Piano” inspired by the great Wayne Shorter. On 2019’s Impressions of Debussy he partners with pianists Jeremy Siskind and Lori Sims to record interpretations of Debussy’s famed piano preludes. His 2010 release The Idea of North, inspired by the radio documentaries of Glenn Gould, includes a sextet arrangement of Christoph Glück’s “Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits.” Rathbun has also written for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and the Metropole Orkest and other ensembles, in addition to working as a commercial music composer.

Another of Rathbun’s inspirations is poetry: his 1998 recording Jade set to music the verse of Cathy Song, while his 2000 follow-up True Stories focused on the work of fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood. On both these recordings, acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza captured the imagery and deep emotion of the poems while meeting every technical challenge posed by Rathbun’s involved orchestrations. Trumpeter Taylor Haskins played a major role on these early releases, not to mention Rathbun’s debut, Scatter Some Stones; he would later appear on Affairs of State, The Idea of North and two tracks from Numbers & Letters, Rathbun’s exploratory 2014 quartet session.

Rathbun’s 2002 release Sculptures (co-produced by Haskins) found him leading a quintet with trumpet legend and Toronto native Kenny Wheeler. JazzTimes declared of Sculptures: “[The music] cloaks subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air.” After the album release, Rathbun collaborated with Wheeler in a live large-ensemble setting at Birdland in New York, performing classic Wheeler compositions as well as new Rathbun works including the “Power Politics Suite.” After Wheeler’s death in 2014 at age 84, Rathbun led his own large ensemble at the Jazz Gallery for a performance in the trumpeter’s honor.

The “Power Politics Suite” is but one example of Rathbun’s interest in social and political change, a theme running throughout his 2007 quintet session Affairs of State, released as the Bush years were coming to a close. Where We Are Now (2009), Rathbun’s quintet session with Billy Hart on drums, had a more implied political thrust, as Taylor Haskins wrote in his liner notes (the release date came just weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama), Shadow Forms, from 2006, was more open-ended in its meanings, sparser in instrumentation — Rathbun played tenor, soprano, clarinet and even keyboard in a bracingly open trio setting, with mentor George Garzone adding raw and brilliant tenor sax on five of the 12 tracks. Kenny Wheeler’s “Onmo” closed the album in rousing form.

Fellow saxophonist and Torontonian Pat LaBarbera produced Days Before and After (2004), Rathbun’s co-led session with drummer and Edmonton native Owen Howard. The “outstanding set” (allaboutjazz.com) featured original music driven by the unorthodox two-guitar team of Ben Monder and Geoff Young.

His double-CD opus Atwood Suites, is  a collection of poems by famed author Margaret Atwood set for vocalist and jazz orchestra on Origin Records. Jazziz Magazine has this to say about the release; “On the basis of this CD alone, Rathbun deserves to be ranked among today’s top arranger – composers.”


 2021’s Semantics is a two-tenor date with Rich Perry, alongside Gary Versace, John Hébert and Billy Drummond, and has over 600,000 streams on Spotify. His latest release is The Speed of Time with Versace and Hebert and drum Tom Rainey.

Rathbun earned a Masters in Performance from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell. After moving to Brooklyn in 1997 he became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, helping to shape the sound of the music in the new millennium as he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He has secured recognition and support from the Ontario Council for the Arts, the Canada Council and the American Music Center. He has also served as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and an artist at both the MacDowell Colony and the Banff Center for the Arts.

Following teaching stints at the University of Maine, Kingsborough College and the Amadeus Conservatory in northern Westchester County, New York, Rathbun took a position in 2012 as Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he now lives with his family. He continues to perform in New York and internationally.

Nichol Robertson
March 20 @ 11:00 PM

Nichol Robertson - Guitar
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Equally at home melting faces in front of packed houses with his high octane guitar onslaught as he is providing Muzak-like background ambience at the local bar, Nichol Robertson is a sonic painter with an ear for Bob Rossesque aural landscapes. 
 

Nichol Robertson is a Canadian roots music guitarist, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.  Equally at home melting faces in front of packed houses with his high octane guitar onslaught as he is providing Muzak-like background ambience at the local bar, Nichol Robertson is a sonic painter with an ear for Bob Rossesque aural landscapes. From twangy melodies echoing The Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet to B-bender shredding reminicent of the late Clarence White, his abilities on the guitar are very apparent. 

Robertson's first solo album, the critically acclaimed “Stranger Things” (well BEFORE that show, let's be clear) came out in 2011. His new release “Mimico Moonlight” is due out May 17, 2024. While 13 years between releases might seem a bit long, Robertson has spent that time working on countless projects (The Layrite Boys, The Hulagoons, Thelonious Hank, Nic & the Narcs, Robertson & Kerr, Snowbird, to name a few of his own bands). 

The 501 East
March 21 @ 2:00 PM

Carlos Lopes - Acoustic Guitar
Aidan Mason - Acoustic Guitar / Violin
Russ Boswell - Electric Bass
Gary Craig - Drums

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

The 501 East is a group made up of 4 of Canada's finest musicians; Aidan Mason on guitar, violin, and vocals, Carlos Lopes on guitar, Russ Boswell on bass, and Gary Craig on drums.

Each of these performers is a major player in the Canadian and Global music scenes. They have been performing in this configuration since 2014 but have been friends and musical compatriots since the 80s.

Their sound is an instrumental blend of bluesy, jazz lines over rootsy, Americana grooves. The original and cover songs are a reflection of their extensive and diverse musical backgrounds. Aidan's South African upbringing, Carlos' Latin/jazz, and film scoring background, Gary's deep folk and blues roots and Russ' rock, pop and jazz experience.

The first group album "Short Turn" was selected as one of Jazz FM's picks for albums of the year: 2024.

Metro Big Band
March 21 @ 5:00 PM

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

The Metro Big Band is a 21 piece big band playing the most famous swing, ballads & jazz standards from the 30’s,40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Our music will have you dancing & listening all night long! We can compliment our performance with professional DJ and event management services.

Andrew Rathbun Quartet
March 18, 19, 20, 21 @ 8:00pm

Andrew Rathbun - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Toronto native Andrew Rathbun is widely esteemed as one of the most creative and accomplished saxophonists, composers and bandleaders of his generation. On tenor and soprano saxophones he has achieved a rare depth of lyricism, authoritative swing and compositional intelligence. Voted as a “Rising Star” in the 2018 and 2022 Downbeat Critics Polls  and recording steadily as a leader since the late 1990s, he has documented his stirring original music with an array of extraordinary lineups, featuring the talents of such greats as Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Phil Markowitz and Bill Stewart. “Rathbun’s lines dance and glide,” writes David Whiteis of JazzTimes, “reflecting both childlike wonder and well-honed artistry.”

Rooted in the fiery improvisatory legacy of post-bop jazz, Rathbun’s music is also deeply informed by classical composition. His works include song cycles, suites, and chamber and orchestral pieces for a wide range of ensembles. His 2005 duo release with pianist George Colligan, Renderings, features adaptations of Maurice Ravel and Federico Mompou, as well as an original seven-movement “Suite for Soprano Saxophone and Piano” inspired by the great Wayne Shorter. On 2019’s Impressions of Debussy he partners with pianists Jeremy Siskind and Lori Sims to record interpretations of Debussy’s famed piano preludes. His 2010 release The Idea of North, inspired by the radio documentaries of Glenn Gould, includes a sextet arrangement of Christoph Glück’s “Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits.” Rathbun has also written for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and the Metropole Orkest and other ensembles, in addition to working as a commercial music composer.

Another of Rathbun’s inspirations is poetry: his 1998 recording Jade set to music the verse of Cathy Song, while his 2000 follow-up True Stories focused on the work of fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood. On both these recordings, acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza captured the imagery and deep emotion of the poems while meeting every technical challenge posed by Rathbun’s involved orchestrations. Trumpeter Taylor Haskins played a major role on these early releases, not to mention Rathbun’s debut, Scatter Some Stones; he would later appear on Affairs of State, The Idea of North and two tracks from Numbers & Letters, Rathbun’s exploratory 2014 quartet session.

Rathbun’s 2002 release Sculptures (co-produced by Haskins) found him leading a quintet with trumpet legend and Toronto native Kenny Wheeler. JazzTimes declared of Sculptures: “[The music] cloaks subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air.” After the album release, Rathbun collaborated with Wheeler in a live large-ensemble setting at Birdland in New York, performing classic Wheeler compositions as well as new Rathbun works including the “Power Politics Suite.” After Wheeler’s death in 2014 at age 84, Rathbun led his own large ensemble at the Jazz Gallery for a performance in the trumpeter’s honor.

The “Power Politics Suite” is but one example of Rathbun’s interest in social and political change, a theme running throughout his 2007 quintet session Affairs of State, released as the Bush years were coming to a close. Where We Are Now (2009), Rathbun’s quintet session with Billy Hart on drums, had a more implied political thrust, as Taylor Haskins wrote in his liner notes (the release date came just weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama), Shadow Forms, from 2006, was more open-ended in its meanings, sparser in instrumentation — Rathbun played tenor, soprano, clarinet and even keyboard in a bracingly open trio setting, with mentor George Garzone adding raw and brilliant tenor sax on five of the 12 tracks. Kenny Wheeler’s “Onmo” closed the album in rousing form.

Fellow saxophonist and Torontonian Pat LaBarbera produced Days Before and After (2004), Rathbun’s co-led session with drummer and Edmonton native Owen Howard. The “outstanding set” (allaboutjazz.com) featured original music driven by the unorthodox two-guitar team of Ben Monder and Geoff Young.

His double-CD opus Atwood Suites, is  a collection of poems by famed author Margaret Atwood set for vocalist and jazz orchestra on Origin Records. Jazziz Magazine has this to say about the release; “On the basis of this CD alone, Rathbun deserves to be ranked among today’s top arranger – composers.”


 2021’s Semantics is a two-tenor date with Rich Perry, alongside Gary Versace, John Hébert and Billy Drummond, and has over 600,000 streams on Spotify. His latest release is The Speed of Time with Versace and Hebert and drum Tom Rainey.

Rathbun earned a Masters in Performance from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell. After moving to Brooklyn in 1997 he became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, helping to shape the sound of the music in the new millennium as he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He has secured recognition and support from the Ontario Council for the Arts, the Canada Council and the American Music Center. He has also served as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and an artist at both the MacDowell Colony and the Banff Center for the Arts.

Following teaching stints at the University of Maine, Kingsborough College and the Amadeus Conservatory in northern Westchester County, New York, Rathbun took a position in 2012 as Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he now lives with his family. He continues to perform in New York and internationally.

Artie Roth York University ensemble
March 22 @ 11:30 AM

Isabella Sofia - Vocals
Derrick Bartley - Guitar
Matthew Spina - Drums
Jesse Galon - Guitar
Rob Carruthers - Saxophone/woodwinds
Julia Bakos - Piano
Artie Roth- Bass/ensemble teacher

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Toronto-born jazz bassist Artie Roth is a composer, bandleader, performer and  educator who has been active nationally and internationally for over 30 years and  is on over 60 full length recordings. As a bandleader, bassist and composer, Artie  has four recordings “Parallels”(2005), “Currently Experiencing” (2013) , “Discern” (2015) and “Resonants” (2023). As well as leading his own group, Artie is also a  co-leader of Tunetown releasing “There From Here” (2018) and “Entering Utopia”  (2020). 

"Resonants" on TPR Records, is the third release by the Toronto based Artie Roth  Quartet, with Mike Filice (Sax), Anthony Michelli (Drums) and Sam Dickinson  (Guitar). Featuring 11 new compositions by Bassist/Composer Artie Roth and  produced with Brooklyn based producer Roman Klun, the music seamlessly  crosses genres between jazz, rock, funk, folk and ambient soundscapes. Bristling  with the recorded sounds of sympathetic resonances of close and remote objects  in the studio, this is a trailblazing, conceptual jazz album. "Resonants” weaves  palpable vibrations into a tapestry of new Jazz music with lyrical melodies, catchy  bass lines, driving rhythms and soaring guitars.

The Abyssina Band
March 22 @ 2:00 PM

Andy - Guitar
Girma WoldeMichael -Saxophone
Habte - Piano
Natty - Drums
Tofiq - Bass
Melat Mengesha - Vocals

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

With the flight of its Marxist dictator in 1991, Ethiopia experienced the first heady flush of freedom, and with it the surge of foreign cultural products that had been forbidden for so many years. The Abyssinia Band has been one of the most excited and exciting consumers of these new western musical ideas, attempting to blend them with the traditional arrangements of the nation to produce a more modern, textured sound. ~ Leon Jackson, Rovi

The Fraser Melvin Band
March 22 @ 5:00 pm

Fraser Melvin - Guitar / Vocals
Andrew Pacheco - Bass
Jenie Thai - Piano / Keys / Vocals
TBD - Drums

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Fraser Melvin is a talented multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and  leader of The Fraser Melvin Band. Since 2006, Fraser has been  performing with his band in Toronto and across Canada as well as with  numerous other celebrated bands including Bad Luck Woman & Her  Misfortunes, Sam Polley and The Old Tomorrows, and The Jenie Thai  Band. With more than 20 years of experience in the music industry,  Fraser has performed at the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz  Festival, and the Tremblant International Blues Festival, as well as  performing as an opener for Johnny Winter, Jim Cuddy, and Chilliwack. The Fraser Melvin Band plays high energy Blues, Roots, and R&B that  will get you moving and shaking. From their countryfied covers of Jimi  Hendrix, to their funk interpretations of Bob Dylan, to their own soulful  originals, the FMB draws on a wide variety of influences throughout  their set. 

Johnny Griffith
March 22 & 23 @ 8:00 PM

Johnny Griffith - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Johnny Griffith is a multi-Juno Award nominated saxophonist, composer and producer who has played and recorded with numerous artists including Don Thompson, Hawksley Workman, Jeremy Pelt, Ernesto Cervini’s Tune Town, Charlie Hunter, The Wailers, Alex Dean, Laila Biali, Al Henderson Quintet, Brandi Disterheft and Terra Hazelton to name a few, and is a member of the popular Canadian funk/hip hop group, the Pocket Dwellers. He has toured extensively across Canada, the United States, and Europe performing at all the major Canadian music festivals as well as several international venues including the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

The Johnny Griffith Quintet is the artist’s first solo venture and launched with “Dance with the Lady” in 2015. Featuring NYC’s Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, the album was the featured release on WBGO Jazz radio New Jersey. Johnny continues with the soon to be released “The Lion, Camel and Child”, again with Pelt, previewing at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival 2018

Johnny Griffith
March 22 & 23 @ 8:00 PM

Johnny Griffith - Saxophone
Band - TBA

Johnny Griffith is a multi-Juno Award nominated saxophonist, composer and producer who has played and recorded with numerous artists including Don Thompson, Hawksley Workman, Jeremy Pelt, Ernesto Cervini’s Tune Town, Charlie Hunter, The Wailers, Alex Dean, Laila Biali, Al Henderson Quintet, Brandi Disterheft and Terra Hazelton to name a few, and is a member of the popular Canadian funk/hip hop group, the Pocket Dwellers. He has toured extensively across Canada, the United States, and Europe performing at all the major Canadian music festivals as well as several international venues including the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

The Johnny Griffith Quintet is the artist’s first solo venture and launched with “Dance with the Lady” in 2015. Featuring NYC’s Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, the album was the featured release on WBGO Jazz radio New Jersey. Johnny continues with the soon to be released “The Lion, Camel and Child”, again with Pelt, previewing at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival 2018

Shalom Murray & Alexander Kohlsmith
March 24 @ 5:00 PM

Shalom Murray - Vocals
Ben Payne - Bass
Miles Cakebread-Kraus - Guitar
Alexander Kohlsmith- Piano
Theo Dykstra - Drums
Ben McWebb - Lapstell

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

The Shalom Murray & Alexander Kohlsmith Ensemble creates a distinctive musical experience, merging the harmonic richness and improvisational essence of jazz with the lyrical depth and instrumental timbres of folk. Picture soulful vocals intertwining with the textures of lap steel and guitar, all anchored by a rhythm section of bass and drums. 

Folk jazz is a genre where the harmonic sophistication and improvisation of jazz meet the narrative depth and acoustic instrumentation of folk. It's a fusion that invites listeners on a journey through both familiar and uncharted musical territories.

Classic REx jam
hosted by chris banks
march 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @8:00pm

NO RESERVATIONS

$10 Cover Charge

Jam with us! Enjoy our house band (a collection of beloved all-stars) spontaneously creating musical goodness just for you!

Hosted by the legendary Chris Banks.

Margaret Donovan Quintet
March 25 @ 5:00 PM

Margaret Donovan - Trombone
Jakob Durst - Tenor Saxophone
Eric Liang - Piano
Hiro Tanaka - Bass
Petros Anagnostakos - Drums

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Eliana Cuevas Quintet
March 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 8:00pm

Eliana Cuevas - Vocals
Band - TBA

Through years of touring around the world, across Canada, and collaborating with Juno and Grammy Award-winning performers, Eliana Cuevas has grown into an accomplished singer-songwriter and bandleader with unlimited colors in her compositional and lyrical palette.

Among her honors are the Canadian National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year, two Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best World Music Artist, an Independent Music Award for Best Latin Album, and a World Solo Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Eliana has released 6 albums of original music to this date: Cohesión (2001), Ventura (2004) Vidas (2007), Espejo (2013), Golpes y Flores (2017), and most recently El Curruchá (2021).

On her most recent album, El Curruchá, featuring the legendary, late Aquiles Báez, Venezuelan-Canadian singer/songwriter Eliana Cuevas returned to her Latin American roots, offering up a nostalgic homage to the music she grew up listening to in her homeland of Venezuela. The result is a beautifully intimate performance, by turns playful and deeply emotional, featuring virtuosic guitar and vocal work.

Kyle Pogline
March 26 2 5:00 PM

Kyle Pogline - Trumpet
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Kyle Pogline is a jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist based in Toronto, known for his warm sound and melodic approach to improvisation. A 2021 honors graduate of Humber College, he has become a fixture in Toronto's jazz scene, leading his own trio and performing with some of the city's top ensembles including the Alex Dean Jazz Orchestra and the Mike Malone Jazz Orchestra. His work as a sideman with vocalist Caity Gyorgy has earned him two JUNO Awards, Canada's highest music honor, for contributions to her albums Now Pronouncing and Featuring. In 2024, he placed second in the Jazz Division Finals of the International Trumpet Guild's Ryan Anthony Memorial Competition. Pogline is also active as an educator, producing instructional videos on trumpet technique and transcription.

Eliana Cuevas Quintet
March 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 8:00pm

Eliana Cuevas - Vocals
Band - TBA

Through years of touring around the world, across Canada, and collaborating with Juno and Grammy Award-winning performers, Eliana Cuevas has grown into an accomplished singer-songwriter and bandleader with unlimited colors in her compositional and lyrical palette.

Among her honors are the Canadian National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year, two Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best World Music Artist, an Independent Music Award for Best Latin Album, and a World Solo Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Eliana has released 6 albums of original music to this date: Cohesión (2001), Ventura (2004) Vidas (2007), Espejo (2013), Golpes y Flores (2017), and most recently El Curruchá (2021).

On her most recent album, El Curruchá, featuring the legendary, late Aquiles Báez, Venezuelan-Canadian singer/songwriter Eliana Cuevas returned to her Latin American roots, offering up a nostalgic homage to the music she grew up listening to in her homeland of Venezuela. The result is a beautifully intimate performance, by turns playful and deeply emotional, featuring virtuosic guitar and vocal work.

The SHH! Trio
March 27 @ 5:00 PM

Rebecca Hennessy - Trumpet / Keys / Vocals
Michael Herring - Bass / Vocals
Tim Shia - Drums / Percussion

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

The “SHH!” Trio is Tim Shia, Rebecca Hennessy and Michael Herring. When they’re not  working individually with everyone from Holly Cole to Adele; or together in larger groups with  the Worst Pop Band Ever, Way North, Makeshift Island, Peripheral Vision or Friendly Rich’s  Lollipop People, they like to perform their eclectic mix of original music and covers as a trio.  They even sometimes do so disguised as “Jazz for Juniors” and secretly entertain students  while educating them through school music workshops. 

Eliana Cuevas Quintet
March 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 8:00pm

Eliana Cuevas - Vocals
Band - TBA

Through years of touring around the world, across Canada, and collaborating with Juno and Grammy Award-winning performers, Eliana Cuevas has grown into an accomplished singer-songwriter and bandleader with unlimited colors in her compositional and lyrical palette.

Among her honors are the Canadian National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year, two Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best World Music Artist, an Independent Music Award for Best Latin Album, and a World Solo Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Eliana has released 6 albums of original music to this date: Cohesión (2001), Ventura (2004) Vidas (2007), Espejo (2013), Golpes y Flores (2017), and most recently El Curruchá (2021).

On her most recent album, El Curruchá, featuring the legendary, late Aquiles Báez, Venezuelan-Canadian singer/songwriter Eliana Cuevas returned to her Latin American roots, offering up a nostalgic homage to the music she grew up listening to in her homeland of Venezuela. The result is a beautifully intimate performance, by turns playful and deeply emotional, featuring virtuosic guitar and vocal work.

Steve Koven Trio
March 27 @ 11:00 PM

Steve Koven - piano
Zachary Dawood - drums
Sergio Ponde Dhelomme -bass

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Steve Koven is a composer, performer, producer,  educator and film maker. In 1993 he established the  Steve Koven Trio.   Touring the world for more than  two decades, they have been coined as ‘Canadian  Cultural Ambassadors’. Aside from performing  world wide with his trio, Steve also performs solo  piano concerts throughout North America, Europe  and the Caribbean. Dozens of Koven’s  

compositions have been licensed for national and  international film and television productions. As an educator, Steve has been teaching in the  Faculty of Music at Toronto’ s York University since  2003, teaching Contemporary Improvisation and  Jazz Piano Studies. In addition, Steve teaches in  the Music Department at Centennial College in  Toronto, He holds a Masters in Music Composition  and has presented master classes and clinics  throughout Canada, China, Japan, Colombia,  Barbados, Bahamas, USA and Mexico. Steve is  also the Education Co-ordinator of the Eleuthera  International Jazz Festival on Eleuthera, Bahamas,  and has presented a TEDx TALK at Queens  University, Kingston, Ontario.

Koven is also an award winning film maker,  receiving first price for his documentary, 20, in the  2015 Toronto Independent Film Festival and for his  documentary, Improvisation in the 2018 Toronto  Short Film Festival

The Denise Leslie Jazz Quartet
March 28 @ 2:00 PM

Sean Nimmons-Paterson - Piano
Clark Johnston - Bass
Joel Haynes - Drums
Denise Leslie - Vocals

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Energy, creative freedom and joy are words that describe the artistry of Jazz vocalist Denise Leslie. A gifted entertainer and storyteller, Denise transports audiences with her sumptuous vocals, and spirited live performances. This artist defines herself with her fresh arrangements and unique musical interpretations.  With the release of her debut recording, One Fine Morning, Denise has become one of Canada’s emerging vocalists to watch. 

Denise sings at the intersection of Jazz, R&B and Rock. Her debut recording, One Fine Morning pays tribute to music she cherished during her formative years, primarily, the 1970s.  Produced by award-winning producer/guitarist Bob McAlpine, the album features celebrated bassist Pat Collins, drummer Paul DeLong, pianist Don Baird, and horn players from Brass Transit and Lighthouse.The successful release of ONE FINE MORNING is a major step in Denise’s musical career - almost 3 years in the making.

Denise enjoyed playing piano and singing in several choirs throughout her youth while her father - a devoted jazz fan, fostered a love of jazz music.  She put her music aside for a number of years, but while enjoying success later in life as a sought-after Interior Designer, the mother of three felt a deep inner calling to rekindle her passion for singing - primarily, singing jazz music. This led to lessons, vocal workshops and more and more live performance opportunities.  

Citing Jazz legends including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Al Jarreau, Billie Holiday and George Benson as her greatest influences, Denise has a playful approach to Jazz believing the genre can sometimes take itself a little too seriously. “My focus is on melody, strong hooks and the fun that can be had with swinging and improvising the tune.”

Denise is now an in-demand featured vocalist in the Greater Toronto Area. She has graced stages across Ontario for the past 16 years while enjoying a five year residency as the lead vocalist with the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble. Denise has performed for audiences of thousands on mainstages including the Jack Singer Concert Hall (Calgary, AB), Mississauga’s Celebration Square and at the prestigious Living Arts Centre. Her unique vocal sound has drawn comparisons to iconic vocalists including Diana Krall, Annie Lennox, Linda Ronstadt and Julie London. 

Denise’s creative spirit inspires audiences with its message of creative expression, freedom, confidence and fun!  

Bogdan Gumenyuk
March 28 @ 5:00 PM

Bogdan Gumenyuk - Saxophone
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Bogdan Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian musician, producer,  composer, educator, and founder of the independent music label  LabelWhoAble. He is a Fulbright Scholarship recipient and  has won several international music competitions.  

Throughout his career, Bogdan has collaborated with many  renowned jazz musicians from Western Europe and North  America, including Curtis Fuller, Benito Gonzalez, Café, Joel  Holmes, Pierre Boussaguet, Sam Harris, Ameen Saleem, Xavier  Davis, and Kevin Mahogany, among others.  

Bogdan has recorded two albums of his own compositions: The  Way I Hear, featuring John Swana, Louis Perdomo, Sandy  Eldred and Mark Whitfield Jr and Love Letters to the Other  Side, featuring Jim Doxas, Adrian Vedady, Lex French and Josh  Rager.  

He has performed and taught internationally in countries such  as Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Turkey, Canada, Greece,  Serbia, and the United States.  

Currently based in Montreal, Bogdan remains active in the  music scene as a lead instrumentalist, sideman, and producer. 

Eliana Cuevas Quintet
March 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 8:00pm

Eliana Cuevas - Vocals
Band - TBA

Through years of touring around the world, across Canada, and collaborating with Juno and Grammy Award-winning performers, Eliana Cuevas has grown into an accomplished singer-songwriter and bandleader with unlimited colors in her compositional and lyrical palette.

Among her honors are the Canadian National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year, two Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best World Music Artist, an Independent Music Award for Best Latin Album, and a World Solo Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Eliana has released 6 albums of original music to this date: Cohesión (2001), Ventura (2004) Vidas (2007), Espejo (2013), Golpes y Flores (2017), and most recently El Curruchá (2021).

On her most recent album, El Curruchá, featuring the legendary, late Aquiles Báez, Venezuelan-Canadian singer/songwriter Eliana Cuevas returned to her Latin American roots, offering up a nostalgic homage to the music she grew up listening to in her homeland of Venezuela. The result is a beautifully intimate performance, by turns playful and deeply emotional, featuring virtuosic guitar and vocal work.

Maurice Gordon
March 29 @ 2:00 PM

Maurice Gordon - Guitar
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Maurice Gordon is an accomplished musician with a versatile resume. The composer, educator, and guitarist earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University, graduating with honors, and has since dedicated his time to sharing his knowledge with students and performing both nationally and internationally.

Gordon began playing in his teens on his father’s guitar and now plays bass and the keyboards as well. He is musically inspired by guitar greats like George Benson, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and Miles Davis. His Caribbean influences can be heard in his jazz renditions, offering a unique blend of sounds. He has performed at festivals internationally and with Canadian legends like Joe Sealy, Salome Bey, Liberty Silver, Shakura S’Aida, Brooke Blackburn, Fergus Hambleton, and more. He also contributed to Lazo’s Juno Award winning album, Heart and Soul.

With decades of experience in the music industry, Gordon heads many music workshops and programs. Some of his teaching credentials include instructing at the Toronto Board of Education’s Inner-City After-School Program at Bickford Collegiate and Essex Public School, teaching at Dixon Hall/Regent Park Community Centre, and instructing for over two decades as Head of the Guitar Department and as Senior Lecturer at the Jamaica School of Music.

Laura hubert Band
march 1, 15, 29 @ 5:00 PM

Laura Hubert - Vocals
Peter Hill - Piano

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

Canadian vocal treasure, born and raised in Toronto, Laura Hubert has remained a steady force on the city’s music scene over the past 25 years. Although she retired from rock and roll back per se when JUNO-winning indie-rock group Leslie Spit Treeo split up late last millennium, for several decades now she has been singing her soulful interpretations of vintage blues, jazz and Western swing all over the Greater Toronto Area. “I want to participate in the joy of the world, try to keep it light,” says Hubert.  “Just trying to have some fun. Sing some songs. Make some music. Give some joy.”

Over the years she recorded 3 solo albums with her band, led by pianist Peter Hill and featuring some of Toronto’s finest including Chris Whiteley, Brandi Disterheft, Victor Bateman, William Sperandei: “Girlish Days” (2000), “Live at the Rex” (2001) and “Half Bridled” (2004).

In the years since these recordings, Hubert and her fans enjoyed residencies at venerable venues such as Grossman’s Tavern, The Cameron House and The Rex Hotel. Singing many of the same old classic songs over the years, like the finest of wine Hubert’s art has aged in the best way, her bluesy growl deeper and more powerful than ever.

“One Night in Kensington” is an initiative spearheaded by Order of Canada member, singer-songwriter and long-time friend of Hubert, is the new recording fans have long been waiting for. “Hubert’s unique and soulful vocal delivery can make any old song sound brand new,” says Molly Johnson.

Produced by Johnson and her Kensington Market Jazz Festival team, the new album live at Poetry Jazz Café find Hubert in the happy company of four very fine players: Eric St-Laurent on guitar, Davide DiRenzo on drums, Steve Wallace on bass and long-time musical partner Peter Hill on piano.  

Ilana Waldston and The Jazz 'N' Laughs Band
March 29 @ 8:00 PM

Ilana Waldston - Vocals
Rob Thaller - Piano
Pat Collins - Bass

Ilana Waldston is not merely a singer but also a consummate storyteller,  bringing her extensive theatre training into the world of jazz music. Whether  she’s breaking your heart with a beautiful ballad, moving you out of your seat  with a swinging standard, or tickling your funny bone with the unusual comedic  songs for which she’s best known, an evening with Ilana and the Jazz ‘n’ Laughs  Band is a guaranteed good time.  

Joining her at the Rex will be Rob Thaller on piano, and Pat Collins on bass…  there may be some surprise guests as well! 

“Ilana Waldston combines a smooth, rich voice with the lightness that comes  from her natural wit, and then mixes it all in with some of the most fantastic  unearthed gems of the Great American Songbook to create a highly entertaining  experience. So much fun!”  

- Heather Bambrick, Juno-nominated Jazz Vocalist and broadcaster 

"Often humorous songs may be humorous, but don’t sound like real songs.  These are the whole package! They’re now in the Radio Deluxe library, ready to  be called upon. I also enjoyed your standards. It’s an all-around excellent album.”  – Don McCulloch, Radio Deluxe 

Trombone Charlotte
March 31 @ 5:00 PM

Trombone Charlotte - Trombone / Vocals
Band - TBA

No Reservations
Pay What You Can

A force in the city’s jazz scene since 2016, Charlotte has spent nearly a decade crafting her sound as both a sideman and star. Since stepping into the spotlight in 2021, she’s led high-energy ensembles across Canada’s top stages — Toronto Jazz Festival, Kensington Market Jazz Festival, Port Hope, Mont Tremblant, and a knockout appearance at Massey Hall’s Women’s Blues Revue where she belted out originals that brought the house down.

Classic REx jam
hosted by chris banks
march 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 @8:00pm

NO RESERVATIONS

$10 Cover Charge

Jam with us! Enjoy our house band (a collection of beloved all-stars) spontaneously creating musical goodness just for you!

Hosted by the legendary Chris Banks.