Victoria Jazz Society

Few artists exemplify the timelessness of the blues like North Mississippi’s Grammy-winning guitarist/drummer/singer-songwriter Cedric Burnside. Burnside’s two Grammy-nominated albums —the 2015 Descendants of Hill Country and 2018’s Benton County Relic — were both capstone statements for a lifetime of musical labour channeling the blues spirit on drums, guitar, and vocals in the North Mississippi Hill Country tradition. Burnside was born in the blues as much as he was in funk, rock, soul, and hip-hop. He studied over a decade playing with his grandfather RL Burnside, the blues luminary who collaborated with contemporaries from David “Junior” Kimbrough to Jessie Mae Hemphill and Otha Turner, and helped cultivate the feeling of Black North Mississippi life. By age 13, Cedric Burnside was on the road with his grandfather, playing drums, and developing the next generation of the Hill Country calling. His latest contribution to the blues is I Be Trying, the 13-track 2022 Grammy winner for “Best Traditional Blues Album” that Burnside delivers over blistering guitar and deep pocket drums. Produced by second-generation Memphis soul trailblazer Boo Mitchell (“Uptown Funk”), I Be Trying takes what Burnside learned from his grandfather and reinterprets it into a modern, bold Black American sound that expands the sonic landscape while respecting and honouring its roots. Experience Cedric Burnside’s electrifying Victoria debut and legacy of Hill Country Blues as he rocks Wicket Hall in a duo format this May! Tickets: $30 advance/VJS members | $35 at the door Tickets Available Online: Royal & McPherson Box Office (250-386-6121 | rmts.bc.ca) (plus service charges) Physical Tickets Available: Victoria Jazz Society Office (250-388-4423 | 977 Alston St.)

A Montreal-based soul singer-songwriter with origins in Haiti, Juno award-winner and Polaris Music Prize finalist Dominique Fils-Aimé puts the history of African-American musical culture into the heart of her work. Her latest release, Our Roots Run Deep, came out September 2023 on Ensoul Records. A listen to her previous albums, Nameless (2018), Stay Tuned! (2019), and Three Little Words (2021) makes it clear that Fils-Aimé has both the powerful vocals and the imagination to meet her musical ambitions. Our Roots Run Deep is no exception, providing a vibrant, lush addition to her repertoire in which her voice transcends in a multitude of emotional and stylistic directions. This rising star has been on the same bill with artists such as Allison Russell, Melody Gardot, Diana Krall, Ibrahim Maalouf, and more. With a magnetic stage presence inspired by Nina Simone and Martin Luther King Jr., Fils-Aimé moves from vintage jazz to trip-hop to sultry soul jams, even touching on reggae and R&B with confident style. She last appeared in Victoria at TD Victoria International JazzFest 2019 in an unforgettable debut, and now returns to captivate audiences once more at Wicket Hall! Opening for this evening will be Victoria-based award-winning singer-songwriter Morien Jones, who performs a catchy blend of classic soul and folk, with elements of jazz and reggae. Tickets: $35 advance/VJS members | $40 at the door (taxes incl.) Available: Royal & McPherson Box Office (250-386-6121 | rmts.bc.ca) (plus service charges) Victoria Jazz Society Office (250-388-4423 | 977 Alston St.) No Service Charges at the VJS Office!

Ship Point – Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 Noon – 5pm FREE TO ATTEND https://jazzvictoria.ca/harbour-blues/ Come down to Victoria’s beautiful inner harbour and listen to local artists perform on the outdoor stage at Ship Point, in free-to-attend performances starting from noon until 5:00pm on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 as a part of the Harbour Blues n’ Roots Festival 2023! Featured artists include: Claire Coupland, Big Hank & The Kingpins, Garret T. Willie, and Bill Johnson & Shades of Blue on Saturday, August 27. On Sunday, August 28, featured bands include: The Smokestacks, Melissa Endean, Beautiful Maladies, and Brett Smith-Daniels. Food vendors and beverage garden on site! For more information, visit: jazzvictoria.ca

$28 (service charges may apply) https://jazzvictoria.ca/boy-golden/ Winnipeg-born singer-songwriter Boy Golden’s purpose is to enjoy each day and make good music. Since releasing his debut album, Church of Better Daze in 2021, he’s played major summer festivals and toured with The Sheepdogs. With hopeful, fresh, and upbeat songs, such as “KD & Lunch Meat” (featured on the Zone 91-3 and charted to #1 on Alternative Radio), the blues- and country-tinged harmonies of Boy Golden are most heavily inspired by the blues-inflected style of J.J. Cale — even down to his use of a drum machine as the rhythm section. However, Boy Golden’s general love of old country, blues, and rock 'n roll permeates everything from the jam band-style instrumentation to his vocal delivery. Opening for Samantha Fish ft. Jesse Dayton on Friday, August 25.

$28 (service charges may apply) https://jazzvictoria.ca/mazacote/ Juno-nominated Mazacote is a hard-hitting, six-piece world/Latin band with deep roots in the music of Nicaragua, Mozambique, and Colombia. Inspired by Afro-Caribbean percussion and tropical party sounds, they play brass-heavy Latin dance beats with a socially conscious message. Mazacote features powerful vocals combined with driving AfroCuban percussion and brassy mambos. They come out swinging hard, introducing their own take on some of salsa’s hardest grooves. Mazacote IS a Latin dance party!

$39 (service charges may apply) SAVE BIG! Buy all 3 nights AT SHIP POINT at checkout for $99! (SERVICE CHARGES MAY APPLY) https://jazzvictoria.ca/allison-russell/ Formerly from Montreal, four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell is a tour de force whose debut album, Outside Child, received three Grammy nominations for “Best Americana Album,” “Best American Roots Performance”, and “Best American Roots Song.” Some of her awards include “Album of the Year” at the 2022 Americana Music Association Awards, the Polaris Music Prize longlist, a Grammy nomination alongside Aoife O’Donovan, and two Juno Awards, being the first Black artist to ever win a “Contemporary Roots Album of the Year” in Juno history. Russell will release new music later this year, which you can witness at her debut in Victoria at the Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival! Opening for this evening will be The Blue And Gold, a musical collaboration between Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Ndidi O and folk/roots guitarist/banjo player Trish Klein.

$39 (service charges may apply) SAVE BIG! Buy all 3 nights AT SHIP POINT at checkout for $99! (SERVICE CHARGES MAY APPLY) https://jazzvictoria.ca/fantastic-negrito/ Hailing from Oakland, California, three-time Grammy award-winning blues/soul/rock singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito’s music transcends from foot stomping blues to a funk stampede. He won the Grammy award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for three albums, for The Last Days of Oakland (2016), Please Don’t Be Dead (2019), and Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (2020), and has now released his extraordinary 2022 album, White Jesus Black Problems. Despite a troubled childhood, a doomed major label deal that briefly put him off music, and a near-fatal car crash, Fantastic Negrito would go on to win the first ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest in 2015, tour with Sturgill Simpson, Chris Cornell, and most recently Bruce Springsteen, collaborate with Sting and E-40, launch his own Storefront Records label, and perform at Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Newport Folk, Byron Bay Blues, and other major festivals. Don’t miss out on Fantastic Negrito and his band’s return to Victoria! Opening for this evening will be blues singer-songwriter Ndidi O, a two-time Juno-nominated and WCMA “Blues Artist of the Year.”

Singer-songwriter/guitarist Samantha Fish, the world’s No. 7-ranked blues guitarist according to Guitar World, is a multi-award-winner from Missouri who unleashes a bold collision of blues, soul, punk, funk, and fantastically greasy rock ‘n roll. Her latest album, Death Wish Blues, ultimately opens the blues genre to entirely new audiences and is a collaboration with vocalist/guitarist Jesse Dayton, who has recorded with the likes of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, toured as a guitarist for seminal punk band X, worked with Rob Zombie on the soundtracks for his iconic horror films, and released many albums. Catch their electrifying brand of blues/rock-and-roll from their new album and more as Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton, and their band make their debut in Victoria at Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival! Opening for this evening will be Winnipeg-born rock/blues/country singer-songwriter Boy Golden.

Celebrate the end of summer on a high-note with Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival (formerly Vancouver Island Blues Bash), happening Friday, August 25 – Sunday, August 27, 2023. This festival will bring the “blues in all shades for your soul” and include more genres such as roots, country, world, and folk music. Performances on the main outdoor stage at Ship Point include Samantha Fish ft. Jesse Dayton, Fantastic Negrito, and Allison Russell at Shop Point, you’ll be rockin’ and groovin’ on the dance floor in Victoria’s inner harbour and at Hermann’s Upstairs! Since its beginning, Harbour Blues had grown into a key aspect of the local and national blues scene and is enjoyed by over 20,000 people each year. The three-day festival over the last weekend in August has free programming during the day, and ticketed performances on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Nights. More information at jazzvictoria.ca!

$35 (service charges may apply) “Whether it’s on this big stage or an intimate club, Tirolien’s powerful commanding voice has incredible range, a warm tone, and remarkable control...” – Noisey Vice Montreal-based Malika Tirolien is a remarkable vocalist, musician, songwriter and producer from Guadeloupe. She is garnering international attention with her creative collaborations, and 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, and showcases a new genre called "high soul,” mixing R&B, soul, hip hop and jazz. She has toured over 20 countries with her band, Bokanté, and two brilliant albums from the band have already earned them worldwide acclaim and a Grammy nomination. Tirolien’s electrifying performance on “I’m Not The One” (1.9M+ YouTube views) is a prime track on the Grammy-winning album by Snarky Puppy, inspiring countless covers worldwide. Tirolien’s love, passion, and respect for music can be felt in each song, as well as her sparkling authenticity. She returned to TD JazzFest 2023 with her band: Caulder Nash keyboards, Philippe L'Allier guitar, Jean-Michel Frédéric synthesizer/bass, and Harvey Bien-Aimée drums.

MONDAY - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 - 28 ~ 9PM HOTEL GRAND PACIFIC COVER CHARGE https://jazzvictoria.ca/katie-tupper/ “Saskatoon, Canada has given us the pigeon berries, female hockey players who won the gold in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and the ethereal neo-jazz voice of Katie Tupper… Listening, you ride the warm rhythm, transported at times to 90s hip hop, at other moments it feels like listening to an Allyn Ferguson or Charles Fox theme song.” – Beats Per Minute Saskatoon-based 24-year-old neo-soul musician Katie Tupper is a boundary-pushing, genre-defying writer/producer that aims to connect listeners across genres and generations. With captivating lyrics and blending indie and neo-soul, Tupper’s music appeals to a wide range of audiences, as heard on her latest 2022 EP, “Towards The End”, and singles “Woman No”, and “Comfort.” She unveiled her debut single, “Live Inside,” in 2021, and her second single, “How Can I Get Your Love?” rose to #7 in the CBC Music Top 20 chart. After starting to make music professionally in early 2018, Katie Tupper has only just begun, and with her recent critically-acclaimed EP and songs, this upcoming star continues to rise. Ben Millman keyboards, Alvin Agatep guitar

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JUNE 23 & 24 HOTEL GRAND PACIFIC COVER CHARGE https://jazzvictoria.ca/morien-jones/ As one of Victoria’s up and coming singer songwriters, Morien Jones is in high demand, and his duo brings the quality of his compositions to life. Steeped in the sounds of classic soul and folk, this duo also incorporates elements of jazz, world music and reggae that often pull audiences out of their seats. With the formidable Bryn Badel trumpet

“This supergroup should be a major player at Canadian jazz festivals this year.” – Will Chernoff, Rhythm Changes. The Ostara Project, spear-headed by award-winning musicians Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff, is a jazz super-group that showcases the strength and creativity of Canadian women in jazz. Ostara artists are all top-tier musicians, composers and bandleaders who reflect the geographical, cultural, and creative diversity of Canada’s musical landscape. The self-titled debut album, released November 2022, was nominated for a Juno award in the category of “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” In a genre and industry where women have been severely underrepresented, the Ostara Project is a beautiful example of perseverance, community, and a deep love for the music. Like the Germanic goddess of the spring the group is named for, the music of Ostara is creativity rising out of darkness. Laila Biali vocals/keyboards, Rachel Therrien trumpet, Allison Au saxophone, Valèrie Lacombe drums, Shruti Ramani vocals Thanks to Canada Council for the Arts

Twin Bill with STORRY https://jazzvictoria.ca/witch-prophet/ $35 (service charges may apply) Toronto-based East African singer-songwriter Witch Prophet creates a soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps, and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz, and soul-inspired beats produced by her wife and business partner, SUN SUN. Think Erykah Badu meets Lauryn Hill meets Portishead. She finds depth and connection in creating a music as a portal for self-growth, as she navigates and better understands her cultural and queer identity. Three years after the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted 2020 album DNA Activation, returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP Gateway Experience due May 2023. Witch Prophet has shared the stage with and opened for acts like Lido Pimienta, Sudan Archives, Tash Sultana, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more. She has since released a deluxe edition of DNA Activation featuring remix tracks with rappers Stas THEE Boss and LATASHÁ. The video for her song Tesfay directed by Leah Vlemmiks was nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize and was an official selection at the 2021 Rhode Island International Film Festival as well as the 2021 SXSW Music Video awards. Tesfay was also nominated in the UKMVA’s Best International RnB/Soul video category alongside Beyoncé, Cardi B, Normani, The Weeknd, and Bryson Tiller.

https://jazzvictoria.ca/witch-prophet/ $35 (service charges may apply) Toronto-based East African singer-songwriter Witch Prophet creates a soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps, and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz, and soul-inspired beats produced by her wife and business partner, SUN SUN. Think Erykah Badu meets Lauryn Hill meets Portishead. She finds depth and connection in creating a music as a portal for self-growth, as she navigates and better understands her cultural and queer identity. Three years after the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted 2020 album DNA Activation, returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP Gateway Experience due May 2023. Witch Prophet has shared the stage with and opened for acts like Lido Pimienta, Sudan Archives, Tash Sultana, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more. She has since released a deluxe edition of DNA Activation featuring remix tracks with rappers Stas THEE Boss and LATASHÁ. The video for her song Tesfay directed by Leah Vlemmiks was nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize and was an official selection at the 2021 Rhode Island International Film Festival as well as the 2021 SXSW Music Video awards. Tesfay was also nominated in the UKMVA’s Best International RnB/Soul video category alongside Beyoncé, Cardi B, Normani, The Weeknd, and Bryson Tiller.