Ori Dagan Releases LIVE IN THE MARKET, Fifth Album and First Live Recording

One listen to Ella Fitzgerald's 'Mack the Knife' and Ori Dagan was hooked for life. Now the award-winning Toronto jazz singer has made the kind of record that first inspired him. 'Live in the Market,' his fifth album and first live recording, arrives October 23 on G-THREE Records, and he celebrates the next night with a release concert at Toronto's Heliconian Hall on October 24.

Recorded in front of an audience at Kensington Sound, in the heart of Toronto's Kensington Market, the album captures Dagan's rich bass baritone, inventive phrasing and joyful improvisational spirit. An all-star trio backs him: Stu Harrison on piano, Brandi Disterheft on bass and Ben Wittman on drums. Together they reimagine eight jazz standards with warmth, wit and effortless swing, inspired by classic live recordings from Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington.

'Releasing this album feels like a milestone for me. Of all the recordings I've made, I think this one comes closest to capturing who I am as a musician,' says Dagan. 'Ever since the fateful day I got hooked on Ella Fitzgerald's 'Mack the Knife' and 'How High the Moon,' I've believed that jazz - a music built on spontaneity, risk and discovery - is at its best when there's an audience sharing in the moment.'

That's the magic of the room. 'There's something magical about a live recording. It captures an experience that can never happen the same way again but somehow allows that moment to live on forever. Most of the songs on this album I have sung hundreds of times, but I have never performed them exactly this way. To me, that makes this album the most honest and authentic representation of who I am as a jazz artist.'

The album is also a love letter to his heroes, famous and hidden alike. 'This album is in many ways a tribute to the voices who inspired me to sing in the first place. In addition to household names Fitzgerald and Holiday, I wanted to give a nod to some hidden gems. The vocalese lyrics of 'All of Me' were written by King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks) who penned them to a 1951 saxophone solo by Illinois Jacquet. 'Autumn Leaves' is equally inspired by Sarah Vaughan and Mark Murphy, both astounding improvisers who constantly tested the boundaries of their instruments.'

One track honours a personal hero. ''It Don't Mean a Thing,' recorded in duo with Brandi Disterheft is directly inspired by the originator of the bass & voice duo, the late bebop legend Sheila Jordan, with whom I was fortunate to record a duet in 2017. Sheila, who dedicated her life to this music as a musician, educator and ambassador, is one of the greatest inspirations in my life.'

Dagan also calls it his gayest album to date, and he means it with pride. 'I fell in love with jazz in my late teens, around the same time I was coming to understand that I was gay. Back then, I dreamed that one day I would be able to stand onstage and sing songs like 'Fine and Mellow,' but it took me years to feel truly comfortable doing so. In many ways, jazz has given me the courage to embrace my story, to sing it in my own voice, and to share it with others.'

Vezi Tayyeb recorded and mixed the album, Mariana Hutten mastered it, and Leonardo Dell'Anno produced it, with Greg Gooding as executive producer.

Dagan is a Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and placed in the 2023 DownBeat Critics Poll as a Rising Male Vocalist. He has performed across Canada and in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Macedonia, Israel and Germany. His catalogue includes 'S'Cat Got My Tongue' (2009), 'Less Than Three <3' (2012), 'Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole' (2017) and 'Click Right Here' (2022), his first all-original album. Offstage, he's a producer, curator and passionate champion of Toronto's live music scene through his work with JazzInToronto.

At Heliconian Hall, Dagan will be joined by Harrison on piano, Michael Herring on bass and Norbert Botos on drums. Vinyl and CDs will be available, autographed after the show. Seating is limited, and advance tickets are $30 plus fees.

Years after Ella first lit the spark, Ori Dagan has captured his own once in a lifetime moment, and on October 24 he's inviting Toronto to share the next one.

Live in the Market Track Listing

Why Don't You Do Right?

All of Me

Fine and Mellow

Take the 'A' Train

It Don't Mean a Thing

Autumn Leaves

Yardbird Suite

Wave

Tour Dates

October 24 Toronto, ON @ Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue (Album Release Concert, 8 p.m.)