Jazz

Award-winning bassist George Koller Gives Free Workshop and Solo Bass Concert!

Members of the Aeolian community are invited to join El Sistema Aeolian students and audit a Free Bass Workshop and Solo Bass Performance by bassist, producer, and composer George Koller. The event takes place on Monday October 2 at Aeolian Hall. Aeolian community members may audit the workshop (4:30-5:30pm) and concert (5:30-6:30pm). For those joining us for this free event, we ask for a donation El Sistema Aeolian.

George Koller is a bassist, producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and promoter of jazz, world and folk music through concerts and his home-grown label ZSAN Records (the zenith of science art and nature). In a wildly diverse and expansive career, he has worked with everyone, including Peter Gabriel, Eartha Kitt, Chaka Khan, Eddie Harris, Loreena McKennitt, David Clayton-Thomas, Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds), Ian Tyson, The Shuffle Demons, Laila Biali, John McDermott, Larry Coryell, Karrin Allyson, Phil Woods, Michael McDonald, Carvin Winans, Sonny Stitt, Valdy, Eliana Cuevas and Holly Cole and many others.

George is a first call studio bassist, soloist and touring musician in all styles.

He plays a variety of instruments, many of which are featured on his award-winning debut solo album “Music for Plants, Animals and Humans”and his most recent recording “Secret Space Program”. He has performer/bassist/ credits on over 1600 albums in various genres and producer credits on at least 250 albums. George has also recorded numerous yoga/meditation/wellness albums.

George studied classical vocal and sitar from Pandit Chandrakant Kapileshwari, and has now been studying sarangi with Pankaj Mishra, and has always

been active in east/west musical dialogue.

He was awarded the HMV "fresh blood" grand prize, has been voted 2007 National Jazz Awards “Bassist of the Year”, has a Toronto Star critics award and 2 “Porcupine” awards and has been on many Juno award-nominated and winning albums.

We are thrilled to have George Koller lend his time and experience to El Sistema.

Please RSVP at elsistema@aeolianhall.ca.

The Nimmons Tribute honours the legacy of Canada’s living jazz legend – The Dean of Canadian jazz – Phil Nimmons O.C., O. Ont. The Nimmons Tribute band features some of Canada’s greatest musicians, many of whom are JUNO Award-winners. The Nimmons Tribute, led by Sean Nimmons-Paterson consists of former students, colleagues, friends, and family, who have come together to celebrate Phil through his music.

5 years after their first performance of Radiohead Jazz Arrangements, The Peter Karle Combo is excited to bring "Everything In Its Right Place" back to life.

The Peter Karle combo is a powerhouse of London Jazz musicians consisting of: Peter Karle (Guitar), Marsh Bindseil (Trumpet), Adam Lamoureux (Tenor Saxophone), Tony DeLuca (Alto/Baritone Saxophone), Luke Roussy (Trombone), Andrew Kosty (Upright Bass) and Mark Swan (Drums). Arrangements will shift between some of Jazz’s current leaders such as Brad Mehldau, Amnesiac Quartet, and arrangements by Peter Karle, Mark Swan, Adam Lamoureux and Andrew Kosty.

Having since played the Radiohead Jazz Tribute, The Peter Karle Combo was proud to bring their own arrangements of Pink Floyd, David Bowie and The Police/Sting to The Aeolian. Since then, the Combo has matured into its own sound with each member of the combo bringing a unique jazz element to the Combo.

With the start of the pandemic in early 2020, all live wind-instrument playing stopped. By the end of the year, musicians were restless to find a place to play, so Karl Hermann and John Thompson started a group that used the Internet to allow people to play together, but from home. The musicians could hear and see each other online. What to call the Group?  Big Bandemic — what else?

The online sessions were chaotic, especially because of the inherent delays in Internet technology.  But the musicians persisted, and Big Bandemic held eighteen sessions in the first half of 2021.

With the re-opening of the country in 2021, the band quickly moved to regular Monday eveningsessions at the Lambeth Legion. The arrangement included physical distancing and masks when not playing. Big Bandemic has since held forty-six two-hour rehearsals at the legion and has performed three free concerts at the Lambeth Legion.  In June 2022, the band participated in the inaugural Aeolian Jazz Festival.

The 17-piece big band grew out of necessity because of the pandemic, but we plan to play together for as long as the musicians enjoy the experience.

Join us on August 14 for a free show featuring Peter Karle Combo & Take 3! This event is apart of The Aeolian Jazz & Musical Arts Festival: 2023 Edition.

To learn more about the festival, click HERE

Dizzy & Fay is the jazz project from songwriters Mark Lalama and Amanda Walther. Based in Southern Ontario the piano/vocal duo has released two full-length recordings of original music and is currently receiving extensive play on jazz radio stations.

With compositions that are heartfelt and familiar, Dizzy & Fay craft songs that sound like timeless classics you've loved your entire life. Wholenote Magazine gave their new album "Hooked" a glowing review, calling them highly musical tunesmiths and storytellers".

Band Members

Mark Lalama, piano

Amanda Walther, vocals

Rick Kish & Friends are...

Rick Kish - Singer

Rick is several times nominated and holds the title of Forest City London Music Awards Jazz Vocalist 2019. He is honoured to be back at The Aeolian Hall Jazz & Musical Arts Festival (AJAMAF), this year as Rick Kish & Friends! These guys have been doing shows together, all over the place for quite some time. In particular they were super fortunate to essentially hold a monthly spot at Jazz On The Thames at Michael's On The Thames from February 2019 through every possible opportunity available during the pandemic to December 2022. They tour extensively with LINK theatre & concerts as a really Retro CROONER Christmas & The Crooner Show which was seen most recently in Ingersoll at ITOPA and the Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon, ON this past summer.

The fellas are excited to head to The Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh, Ontario this Fall with The Crooner Show

Rick has performed onstage at the Grand Theatre in London, Huron County Playhouse, Drayton Festival Theatre, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Blyth Festival Theatre, Bluewater Summer Playhouse, and elsewhere…

He served as Artistic Director at Port Stanley Festival Theatre, The Bluewater Summer Playhouse and LINK theatre & concerts…

For a lot more information about what we do, please go to…
www.rickkish.ca/therickkishcombo
www.linktheatre.ca

& Friends...
Connor Boa - Singer

Connor is extremely excited to be working alongside Rick, Nevin, Larry & Sandy again for this event. Connor and Rick have been crooning together for 10 years now! It all started with a really retro Christmas Special, through some musical theatre and most recently they performed with BIG BANDemic with whom they will be performing again with AJAMAF on August 19th - 12:00 - 12:40 & 1:00 - 1:40 on the main stage! He hopes you enjoy what we do, as we certainly do!!

Nevin Campbell - Piano

Nevin is very happy to be working with Rick Kish & Friends. Performing alongside Rick and Connor is always such a thrill for him as he loves playing those classic crooner tunes and jazz standards. For the last 7 years, Nevin has been the musical director and pianist for a really Retro CROONER Christmas and The Crooner Show. He performs regularly with Rick Kish & Friends as well as with many of Southwestern Ontario's finest musicians. He hopes that you have as much fun listening to the music as he has playing it!

Larry Ernewein - Bass

Larry loves working with these lads!

He has been playing bass, both electric and acoustic, since the 1970’s He has toured Canada and the US as a classic rock bassist with numerous show bands, and performs in several styles including jazz, country & western, classic rock and folk music.

He is one of the busiest bass players in Southwestern Ontario, working with many small combos, backing vocalists, and recording.

He plays regularly with Rick Kish & Friends and several other LINK theatre & concert productions.

Sandy MacKay - Drums

Sandy has been part of the Southwestern Ontario music scene for over 50 years. From 1984-1989 he held the drum chair with the Juno-nominated (1985) Oliver Whitehead Quintet and appeared at Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Toronto DuMaurier Jazz Festival, Montreaux-Detroit Jazz Festival, Edmonton 's Jazz City and Vancouver 's World Expo '86. From 1983-1998 he played drums for the dance band Hawthorne.

Sandy has been the Music Director of the Jazz For The People concert series at the Wolf Performance Hall in London, Ontario since 1986, presenting + playing over 300 concerts.

He currently drums with Rick Kish & Friends, The Crooner Show, Nevin Campbell Trio, Ken Foster Quartet, Laurraine Segouin & Enchante, The "Young Ones", Roy "Elvis" Leblanc, The MoTones, The Stetson Brothers and jazz vocal trio, Take Three.

He is also the host of the 106.9 FM "Jazz Junction" radio show, heard Sundays 9 am - 1pm worldwide at http://www.1069thex.com 

In 2011, Sandy was chosen by his peers to be the recipient of The Forest City London Music Award, Jazz Instrumentalist Distinction.

Holly Cole has a long and storied international career, having sold hundreds of thousands of recordings internationally while at home in Canada her successes include multi-platinum album sales awards, three JUNO awards and countless successful national tours!

In 2013 Ms. Cole became the 15th winner of the highly prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Award. This award, created by the world renowned Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, is annually conferred upon “A jazz singer of significant talent who has had a major impact and influence in the international scene.”.  Other winners include Sade (2011), Aretha Franklin (2008), Harry Connick, Jr. (2007), Etta James (2006) and Tony Bennett (2004).

2019 proved be an interesting year live for Holly, including successful concert dates internationally and 4 sellout nights at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal which were recorded live and released worldwide April 2/2021 as a love letter to her favourite city and Festival.

Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and supported international icon Sting. In 2020, Laila was honoured by SOCAN Music with the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Songwriting. In 2019, Laila’s eponymous release won her a JUNO (Canada’s GRAMMY) for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” The year prior, she was awarded top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category. Laila was also the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards when she was named “SOCAN Composer of the Year” and “Keyboardist of the Year.” She received her first JUNO nomination for Tracing Light (2011), and a spot on DownBeat Magazine’s “Best Albums of the Year” for Live in Concert (2013) and Out of Dust (2020). In September of 2017, Laila was brought on as the host for CBC Music’s national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, a weekly show broadcast to listeners across Canada. While Laila continues to earn high honours in the Jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she “masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy” (Washington Post). Laila’s highly anticipated album, Out of Dust, which features multiple GRAMMY nominees and winners including Lisa Fischer, Alan Ferber, John Ellis, and Larnell Lewis, released March 27, 2020 and was also nominated for a 2021 JUNO Award.

Thirty years into an acclaimed career, Monkey House finds itself with a worldwide following and a star-studded list of collaborators that includes Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy), Richie Hayward (Little Feat), David Blamires (Pat Metheny), and Steely Dan veterans Jay Graydon, Elliot Randall, Michael Leonhart and Drew Zingg.

Emmy-winning frontman Don Breithaupt, whose songs have been recorded by Chicago, the Manhattan Transfer, Marc Jordan, Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Slean, Ian Thomas and many more, founded Monkey House in 1993 as an outlet for material he was pitching to pop artists: “When word would come back that a song was too quirky, too tricky, or too jazzy, I would keep it for myself,” laughs Breithaupt. “Those songs became the foundation of our first album, Welcome to the Club.”.