The 2013 Empire Life Kingston Jazz Festival!
The Grand Theatre, Kingston Jazz Society, and Kingston Arts Council and The Skeleton Park Music Festival are proud to announce the full 2013 Empire Life Kingston Jazz Festival line-up! The festival, part of Limelight, runs from June 14 to June 29, 2013.
Tickets are on sale now through the Grand Theatre Box Office!
See the official Empire Life Kingston Jazz Festival website for more details.
The Festival This Week:
After a wonderful opening evening with Craig Pedersen’s quartet and La Bottine Souriante, the 2013 Empire Life Kingston Jazz Festival continues with a very busy week.
Restaurant jazz kicked off on Tuesday with a full house at Olivea, The Kingston Brewing Company, and The Common Market continue with more excellent programming this week.
Main stage concerts continue on Thursday and Friday with shows by Georgette Fry and Digging Roots in collaboration with the National Aboriginal Day Kingston Committee.
The festival is in full-swing on Saturday, starting with our third-annual Porch Jazz parade beginning at The Sleepless Goat at noon, and ending at Skeleton Park in time for more great outdoor jazz. Nikki Yanofsky then takes to the main stage at the Grand Theatre on Saturday before the first KJS show, Peter Van Huffel’s Gorilla Mask in the Baby Grand.
You can find festival details below and on the Kingston Jazz Festival website. Thanks again to The Whig for their coverage of Georgette Fry’s concert, and to Kingston This Week’s Tricia Knowles for her article on the festival in their June 14th edition.
June 19-25 | 5-7pm
Stop in at one of Kingston’s fabulous restaurants from 5-7pm for live local jazz during the Kingston Jazz Festival. Enjoy a drink and a meal before the show and the smooth sounds of our amazing local performers. For more information or to make a reservation please contact the restaurant directly.
- The Kingston Brewing Company – June 19, 20 and 22 – 5 to 7pm: Rubbaboo (Cam Schaefer, Bob Arlidge, Jak Thrasher)
- The Common Market – June 20 – 5 to 7pm: Artango
- Olivea Restaurant – June 22 and 25 – 5 to 7pm: Spencer Evans
Free Jazz and World Music in Skeleton Park
June 22 | 3pm
Skeleton Park Music Festival, McBurney Park
One of the signature summer events in the City, The Skeleton Park Arts Festival showcases local musicians as well as family activities, artisans, and education on the history of McBurney Park, also known as Skeleton Park. The Kingston Jazz Festival is pleased to partner with Skeleton Park to present The Soul Jazz Orchestra, Nomadic Massive and The Lemon Bucket Orkestra starting at 3pm on Saturday, June 22.
Nikki Yanofsky
June 22 | 7:30pm
Regina Rosen Auditorium, Grand Theatre
Quincy Jones Presents: Nikki Yanofsky
- Will Wells – Musical Director, Auxiliary keyboards
- Cale Hawkins – Piano
- Steve Maxwell – Guitar
- Evan Coniglio – Acoustic/Electric Bass
- Al Cleveland III – Drums
After bursting onto the scene with her debut performance at the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival, Nikki Yanofsky has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, Will.i.am, Wyclef Jean and Herbie Hancock. Nikki’s salute to the First Lady of Song resulted in her Gold selling, 2-Time Juno nominated debut – Ella… Of Thee I Swing and this performance will feature selections from this album and more of Nikki’s jazz favourites.
Jazz, Mix and Mingle: June 22 | 9-10pm
Intermission between performances in the Grand Theatre. Christos Smirnios Trio: June 22 Percussionist Christos Smirnios heads up his trio ahead of Peter Van Huffel’s Gorilla Mask in The Baby Grand
Peter Van Huffel and Gorilla Mask
June 22 | 10pm
Baby Grand, Grand Theatre
The Kingston Jazz Society presents a series of late night performances in the Baby Grand at the Grand Theatre
Native Kingstonian Peter van Huffel makes his way back from Berlin with a stop at the Grand as part of a cross-Canada tour. A prolific saxophonist, clarinetist and composer, Van Huffel is the leader of the energy-packed hard-rock/free-jazz trio Gorilla Mask (with bassist Roland Fidezius and drummer Rudi Fischerlehner), which has been together since 2009 and has performed at some of the most recognized music venues in Europe
Joshua Redman Quartet
June 27 | 7:30pm
Regina Rosen Auditorium, Grand Theatre
Performance sponsor: Shoalts and Zaback Architects
One of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists on the scene today, the Grammy nominated saxophonist Joshua Redman makes a stop with his quartet featuring Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers & Gregory Hutchinson.
“When the conversation ensues about who is carrying on the great tradition of jazz musicianship today…if Joshua Redman’s name does not come up, the conversation is not worth having.” — JamBase
Ron Di Lauro Sextet: Kind of Blue
June 28 | 7:30pm
Regina Rosen Auditorium, Grand Theatre
This iconic album was released over 50 years ago and remains not only Davis’s masterpiece, but one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Now the tracks from Kind of Blue will be recreated live by some of this country’s top musicians. Italian-Canadian trumpeter and bandleader Ron Di Lauro will lead a sextet with a set of Miles classics from the late fifties and return in the second set for a full re-creation of Kind of Blue.
Hilario Duran & his 20-Piece Latin Jazz Big Band
June 29 | 7:30pm
Regina Rosen Auditorium, Grand Theatre
Hilario Duran, pianist, producer, arranger, composer, bandleader, and educator, better known as “Con Tumbao” represents an important musician in contemporary Cuban music history. Noted as one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century, this multi Canadian Juno and National Jazz Award winner; American Grammy Award nominee and recipient of the 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award will bring his 20 piece Latin Jazz Big Band to the Festival finale.
Jazz, Mix and Mingle: June 29 | 9-10pm
Intermission between performances in the Grand Theatre.
Rob Garcia Quartet
June 29 | 10pm
Baby Grand, Grand Theatre
The Kingston Jazz Society presents a series of late night performances in the Baby Grand at the Grand Theatre
- Rob Garcia – drums
- Noah Preminger – Sax
- Ben Monder – guitar
- Matt Pavolka – bass
“A prime mover in the current Brooklyn jazz scene” (Time Out-New York), Rob Garcia continues to be a strong presence in the international jazz scene as a sideman and bandleader. Having performed on over 40 albums including Grammy Award winners, Garcia will showcase his “remarkable chemistry” (Jazz Times) for his Kingston debut.
June 18-29 | 5-7pm
Stop in at one of Kingston’s fabulous restaurants from 5-7pm for live local jazz during the Kingston Jazz Festival. Enjoy a drink and a meal before the show and the smooth sounds of our amazing local performers. For more information or to make a reservation please contact the restaurant directly.
- Olivea Restaurant – June 18, 22 and 25 – 5 to 7pm: Spencer Evans
- Le Chien Noir Bistro – June 28 and 29 – 5 to 7pm: The Chien Noir All-Stars
- The Tir Nan ‘Og– June 27, 28 and 29 – 5 to 7pm: Hannah Barstow, Paul Clifford, Rich Bannard
- The Common Market – June 20 and June 29 – 5 to 7pm: Chantal Thompson
