What happens when a seasoned blues band steps outside the genre and covers all the hits from the past few decades in pop, rock, funk, R&B? You get Left Turn. Born out of the popular Friday Night Blues Jam, the house band decided that they needed an act that would allow them to combine all of the different influences the members bring to the table. One song to the next is a complete left turn from covers of: Lenny Kravitz, Beatles, Radiohead, Amy Winehouse, Rolling Stones, Bill Withers, GnR, Doobie Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, AC/DC, Hendrix, 4 Non Blondes, Tina Turner, etc.

This high energy act plays with the conviction of a blues band, which creates a unique vibe and experience for the listener. This band has been gaining attention with a standout debut performance at the 2023 East York Blues Festival. Come and see what all the buzz is about! The band is made up of the powerhouse vocals of Juliet Ann, searing guitar chops of Mike Sedgewick, thundering bass of Tex Bach, and solid groove of Paul Domanski.

2023 ALGM award winner, Wayling James create and perform high energy, original feel good music and cover all genres from R&B and Reggae to Blues and Classic Rock. Their Soul intent is to fully entertain their audience, get people dancing and connect on a personal level with everyone who attend their performances.

Web & Social Link

Youtube Link

Spotify Link

Introducing The Sean Stanley Trio to our Live Music in the Park series! This marvellous group play a mix of Jazz, Swing and the Blues. Be prepared to hear the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Ray Charles as well as some original compositions.

Featuring Juno winner Kyle Tarder-Stoll on the tenor-sax, Gram Whitty on the bass, and Sean Stanley on the keys and vocal.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and take in the show or have a seat at the Amphitheatre. These outdoor events are a great opportunity to enjoy the park as it was meant to be!

Ryan Gazzola is a Vancouver-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter who fuses nu-disco grooves, noodling guitars, and soaring vocal hooks. His songwriting marries the sweet melodies of modern pop with a funk and soul instrumentation backbone. It takes inspiration from modern contemporaries: Maroon 5, Dua Lipa, and Charlie Puth, to icons: Stevie Wonder and Daft Punk.

The independent songwriter performs across Canada live with the four-piece Ryan Gazzola Band, a group of talented musicians formed during Gazzola’s time studying at McGill University (Montreal).

Web & Social Links:

Website: https://ryangazzola.com/

Facebook: @RyanGazzola

Instagram: @RyanGazzola

Youtube: @RyanGazzola

TikTok: @Ryan.Gazzola

Brought to you by the WCRA & Emerging Artists Association (EAA) This high energy Canadian lineup is a great way to celebrate Canada Day!

Be sure to join us at the main stage of Mel Lastman Square. The program will run from 1:00 - 6:30pm.

1:00-2:30: TJ & the Crew, a 10 piece Jazz Fusion band

3:00-4:30pm: LuisAnselmi & Gratitud Band, a 7 piece Latin Jazz Band

5:00-6:30pm: Jonathan Nvita & the Alkebulan Sound, a 12 piece World Music Band

See attached link for the full Canada Day Celebrations lineup of activities…

Yonge North York Canada Day Celebration

The Emmett Hodgins Coast Group is a jazz fusion ensemble of performers from around the globe based in Toronto, Canada. Featuring Victoria, B.C. born artist Emmett Hodgins, this band is also comprised of artists from Zimbabwe, Jamaica, and other parts of Canada such as Alberta. The group was founded after a brief summer tour through the coast of B.C. (hence the name Coast Group) where the band was formed playing original compositions inspired by the B.C. coast, and the atmosphere and global emotion of the time. This is their second year of being a band, and they continue to create new and exciting original music, combining ambient classical, modern jazz, jazz fusion, funk, and free jazz into the sound they now represent.

Piano + Keyboard: Emmett Hodgins

Drums: Aaron Blewett

Bass: Chris Parnis

Guitar: Matt Greenwood

Tenor Sax: David Hodgson

Percussion: Roshane Wright

Alto Sax: James Griffith

Web & Social Link

Video Links: https://youtu.be/izgRmvEQkmY?si=csQRxUAg600cXEV3

Social Handles: @emmetthodgins

The Angela Pincente Octet is a jazz ensemble featuring the compositions and arrangements of Angela Pincente. Her approach to large ensemble arranging highlights the trombone as a featured soloist as well as features each member of the ensemble in new and unique ways. This ensemble includes Toronto's most notable young musicians and gives a platform for them to showcase their artistry. The Angela Pincente Nonet was created to further the lineage of the large ensemble music scene in Toronto and to spotlight young musicians within the undergraduate category.

Band Members:

Angela Pincente - Trombone

Paul Callender - Trumpet/Flugelhorn

Steve Carson - Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet

Dain Carandang - Alto Saxophone/Flute

Julian Straatsma - Piano

Hiro Tanaka - Upright Bass

Jackson Haynes - Drums

Web & Social Link

Social Handles: @angelapincente on Facebook and Instagram

Their recent debut album, "A PORTA APERTA," launched in March 2022, has been making waves in the jazz world. Now Willowdale gets the opportunity to experience the Karl Silverira Quintet.

Comprised of some of the most talented Ontario musicians, including Allison Au on saxophone, Chris Pruden on piano, Dan Fortin on bass, and Nico Dann on drums. The Karl Silverira Quintet is a fusion of contemporary jazz with inspiration drawn from Latin, classical, pop, and folk genres. Influenced by greats like Lennie Tristano, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and Mark Turner, our music is a nuanced exploration of the jazz tradition, characterized by subtlety, depth and playful creativity.

The group has held multiple residencies at renowned venues like The Rex and frequently performing at Jazz Bistro and The Waterloo Jazz Room. Moreover, their debut album, "A PORTA APERTA," gained significant attention, ranking as the 2nd most played album according to Earshot for the month of April 2022. Since then, the quintet has enjoy consistent radio play and has been invited to radio interviews at prominent stations, including Jazz FM and the like, across the US and internationally.

Web & Social Links

Video Links: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kdLrQG1uHUJGpUxrBvUmmP5f8MnnWJV24&si=GySRxkbsagDR2sFP

Grand Prize Winner at the 2023 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Canadian jazz singer-songwriter Ori Dagan has attracted a dedicated and growing audience worldwide. He brings a wry and agile sense of swing to everything he does, whether interpreting a standard, spinning a pop tune on its head or introducing his own original music and lyrics.

Dagan's rich bass-baritone is unmistakable. His consistently forward-thinking style is inspired by hundreds of heroines and heroes, including Sheila Jordan (with whom Dagan recorded a duet in 2017).

Kicked off by the audaciously truthful "Viruses," which netted him a Grand Prize at the Great American Songwriting Contest, Dagan’s 2022 release "Click Right Here" solidifies his strengths as a lyricist. The album is a darkly humorous tongue-in-cheek sendup of life in the digital age, with songs about online dating, social media and other 21st-century blues ironically paired with the old-school sound of an 8-piece jazz band. "Click Right Here" was praised by John Devenish of JAZZ.FM91 as “fun, provocative, fancy-free and spirited,” while George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly proclaimed: "Rare are the male singers these days who are just as clever with the pen as the vocal sword. Toronto-based Ori Dagan fits into that category with this clever release of originals."

Ori’s previous recordings, S’Cat Got My Tongue (2009) and Less Than Three <3 (2012), established his creative artistic voice. In 2017, with the support of an ambitious crowdfunding campaign, he collaborated with seven directors from around the world on the visual album Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, which garnered him invitations to headline around the world, won critical acclaim and recognition at film festivals worldwide, as well as an official showcase at SXSW. During the pandemic, Ori’s weekly live-streamed concert Jazz It Up garnered over one million views collectively. He has entertained thousands across Canada and has performed in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Macedonia, and Germany. In July 2023 Ori Dagan placed on the Downbeat Critic's Poll in the Rising Male Vocalist category. Follow @oridaganjazz on social media.

Web & Social Link

Video Links: http://youtu.be/iQLykvwyHqc?si=Sboun7JAmL0a7VD7

Social Handles: @oridaganjazz

The Willowdale Central Ratepayer’s Association (WCRA), Toronto All Star Big Band and Mattamy Homes are looking to bring back the beloved, and widely popular Sunday Serenades.

This free outdoor concert series will feature live swing, big band and jazz acts, from 7:00-8:30pm.

Featuring The Toronto All-Star Big Band

One of the most exciting bands around, the Toronto All-Star Big Band revives the spirit style and sound of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s – that golden age of the big bands. Armed with brilliant programming, choreography and engaging cultural nostalgia, this vibrant cast of awesome young talent has earned its position at the top of the list of presenters throughout Ontario and in the USA. 

Instagram: @tabbswingofficial 

Facebook: @TorontoAllStarBigBand

The Willowdale Central Ratepayer’s Association (WCRA), Toronto All Star Big Band and Mattamy Homes are looking to bring back the beloved, and widely popular Sunday Serenades.

This free outdoor concert series will feature live swing, big band and jazz acts, from 7:00-8:30pm.

Featuring Swing Shift Canada

Canada's premier big band - a 19 piece orchestra playing all the best dance and swing numbers from the 20's to today!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swingshiftcanada

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swingshiftbigband/