Edmonton's Jazz Festival Returns Online From Around The World

The TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival presents the 2020 Festival from the comfort of your home. Join us online starting opening weekend June 19-21 and every weekend until July 31 to enjoy free performances and interviews from musicians locally and around the world.

"We wanted to ensure we presented a high-quality online experience," says Festival Artistic Director & Producer Kent Sangster. "We are delighted to be working with artists who are enthusiastic about bringing their music to our audiences within this different and exciting format."

Some presentations will feature an exclusive interview with the artist and Kent Sangster. "We are not only showcasing the music of some of the best artists in jazz today we are also providing our audiences a unique opportunity to hear them talk about their music and themselves."

The TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival is grateful for the ongoing support of our presenting sponsor TD Bank Group, and their continued commitment to supporting music and culture in our community.

"Music has the power to unite us. It brings us together and connects us. The last few months have been challenging for everyone, and I know many have listened to artists that provide comfort, reassurance, and positivity," said Robert Ghazal, Senior Vice President, Retail Banking, Prairie Region. "TD is very proud to be a part of the Edmonton International Jazz Festival and the creative digital experience this year. While we may not be able to gather in person, we can all be together through our shared love of music and community."

Unless otherwise stated, artists have pre-recorded their performances and edited for sound quality, in some cases live from empty venues. All the Festival artists are paid to participate. On Sunday June 21, Edmonton's Funkford Family will be streaming live from the Starlite Room.

Opening weekend starts June 19 at 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time and runs until Sunday June 21, with 30-minute presentations each night.

Opening Weekend

Bria Skonberg

Friday June 19 8:00 p.m. To most of us, the adventures of trailblazing triple threat trumpeter, vocalist and songwriter Bria Skonberg are borderline unbelievable. Born in British Columbia, Canada and now residing in New York City, Bria has been a featured bandleader and guest artist at hundreds of festivals and stages the world over, including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival.

Julian Lage

Friday June 19 9:00 p.m.

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and "highest category of improvising musicians" (New Yorker), Julian Lage has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via impeccable technique, free association and a spirit of infinite possibility.

Andrew Glover Trio

Saturday June 20 8:00 p.m. Pre-Recorded Live from Yardbird Suite in Edmonton Edmontonion Andrew Glover has been a professional musician and prolific composer for forty plus years. He has worked with the likes of P.J.Perry; Jack Semple; Alfie Zappacosta; the Edmonton, Victoria, and Regina Symphonies; and countless others in many genres of music.

Veronica Swift + Emmet Cohen

Saturday June 20 9:00 p.m.

At age 23, Veronica Swift is now being recognized around the country as one of the top young jazz singers on the scene. In the fall of 2015, she won second place at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. In 2016 she was asked to perform a concert of her own at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City and she was a guest artist with Michael Feinstein at Jazz at Lincoln Center with the Tedd Firth Big Band and Marilyn Maye and Freda Payne. Veronica's first appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center was at age 11 when she performed at the "Women in Jazz" series at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is in the vanguard of his generation's advancement of music and the related arts. A recognized prodigy, Cohen began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three, and his playing quickly became a mature melding of musicality, technique, and concept. Downbeat observed that his "nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary indicate he's above any convoluted technical showmanship." Cohen notes that performing jazz is "about communicating the deepest levels of humanity and individuality; it's essentially about connections," both among musicians and with audiences. He leads his namesake ensemble, the "Emmet Cohen Trio," is a vibrant solo performer, and is in constant demand as a sideman. Possessing a fluid technique, an innovative tonal palette, and an extensive repertoire, Cohen plays with the command and passion of an artist fully devoted to his medium.

Dianne Donovan interviews Sheila Jordan

Sunday June 21 3:00 p.m.
on CKUA

Raised in poverty in Pennsylvania's coal-mining country, Sheila Jordan began singing as a child and by the time she was in her early teens was working semi-professionally in Detroit clubs. Her first great influence was Charlie Parker and, indeed, most of her influences have been instrumentalists rather than singers. Working chiefly with black musicians, she met with disapproval from the white community but persisted with her career. She was a member of a vocal trio, Skeeter, Mitch And Jean (she was Jean), who sang versions of Parker's solos in a manner akin to that of the later Lambert, Hendricks And Ross.

After moving to New York in the early 50s, she married Parker's pianist, Duke Jordan, and studied with Lennie Tristano, but it was not until the early 60s that she made her first recordings. One of these was under her own name, the other was "The Outer View" with George Russell, which featured a famous 10-minute version of "You Are My Sunshine".

Funkford Family

Sunday June 21 8:00 p.m.
Live from Starlite Room

Respect yourself
Love each other
Funk makes you family
Welcome to our family
The Funkford Family

Finally the mothership of funk has returned to Edmonton! From the folks who gave you Funkford & Sons and the SuperBand, now together as Funkford Family debuts on June 21, 2020 with the thump to shake that rump. Grab your dancing shoes and get ready to get down!

Audrey Ochoa - Trombone
Brennan Connor - Keys
Eric Weiden - Trumpet
Ian Alleyne - Vocals
Jamie Cooper - Drums
Jay Cairns - Bass
Jeremiah Mcdade - Sax
Peter Belec - Guitar
RJ Qui - MC
Tim Noel - Vocals

Weekly Shows

Christine Hanson
Saturday June 27 8:00 p.m.
Shelley Jones & A Touch of Cole
Sunday June 28 3:00 p.m.
Pre-Recorded Live from Yardbird Suite
Ernesto Cervini
Saturday July 4 8:00 p.m.

Jocelyn Gould
Saturday July 11 8:00 p.m.

Mats Gustaffson
Saturday July 18 8:00 p.m.

Kendrick Scott
Saturday July 25 8:00 p.m.

If possible, based on Alberta Health Services' guidelines for gathering outside, the Festival will be planning outdoor presentations based on Stage 2 parameters.

Rather than requesting donations for the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society the organization is honoured to include a list of charities for donation consideration.

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