Donny McCaslin To Headline The T.U. Jazz Fest

Grammy award-winning Donny McCaslin will be the headline artist at the T.U. Jazz Fest (TUJF) on September 7th at the TUJF Main Stage, Mel Lastman Square.

Other well-known artists include Juno award winners Robi Botos and Mike Downes, and Grammy award winner Larnell Lewis who will be performing at various venues during the festival. This is the fifth annual event for TUJF.

This year, TUJF will open on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019, with nightly performances all week, along with a full day and night on Saturday, September 7th, 2019.

TUJF is a non-profit organization since 2014. Founded by a group of young musicians who were post-secondary students at the time, it was initially meant as a platform for young artists to network, learn and perform. It has since developed a larger mission to serve the New Generation of musicians between the ages of 15-30, by providing young performers with the opportunity to be mentored by legendary musicians, and networking with industry leaders. This will improve their quality of performance and help them secure better-paying opportunities.

TUJF has excellent corporate ties with sponsors, partners and local business groups. This year?s event will feature over 150 Canadian and international musicians, award-winning performers and local food and market vendors serving thousands of attendees. The headline performance at Mel Lastman Square itself is expected to bring in a crowd of over 10,000. This 5-day festival also includes free masterclasses, open to the public, conducted by renowned artists. T.U. Jazz Fest is not only for jazz enthusiasts but also for anyone who likes music. The scheduled acts include jazz, Latin, fusion, funk, blues and many other genres.

TUJF is the first initiative in Canada to showcase emerging musicians and to provide mentoring opportunities. As a federally incorporated non-profit organization, this annual event is sponsored by the City of Toronto, Humber College, Long & McQuade and many other corporate partners bringing musicians together to present various styles of jazz and world music. This event is also supported by the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and SOCAN. Among its future goals, TUJF plans to hire its musicians to teach and mentor youth who are pursuing music as a career and to provide instruments and facilities to young musicians in need. TUJF hopes that the young musicians will pay it forward to the generations that follow.