Festival

Four days of music at Aeolian Hall. See the individual festival events for each day's lineup and tickets.

Thursday

• Jeremy Ledbetter Trio

Friday

• Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues Band

Saturday

• The Laurraine Sigouin Trio
• Jaron Camp Trio
• Andy Cloutier
• Bill Needham
• Abigail Lapell
• Sam Peco
• Jim Cuddy Trio

Sunday

• Sarina Haggarty
• Jade Hilton
• The Red Door Collective
• Marty Kolls
• Oh, Berlin
• Robbie Antone
• Monkey House

THIS EVENT IS PART OF AEOLIAN JAZZ & MUSICAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2024! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

Heather Bambrick is a JUNO/ECMA-nominated vocalist, voice actor, and broadcaster who’s collaborated with Fred Hirsch, Gene DiNovi, Guido Basso, Rob McConnell, Peter Appleyard, Phil Nimmons, Ian Shaw, Ofra Harnoy, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Her shows have been described as “Carol Burnett meets Ella Fitzgerald at a Newfoundland kitchen party”, featuring music ranging from jazz standards and pop hits, to Newfoundland folk music and sitcom theme songs. Add to that engaging, hilarious storytelling and some of the best musicians in the country – all delivered with warmth, wit, and pure Newfoundland charm – and you’ll know why her audiences everywhere are left wanting more!

Heather has released four solo recordings, all of which were nominated for Jazz Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, including You’ll Never Know, which was also nominated for JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Recording of the Year. Her 2019 recording, Fine State was praised by critics and fans alike as her best work to date. Heather has released albums with vocal ensembles the Beehive Singers and Broadsway (both of which she co-founded), and has been a featured artist on recordings with Carol Welsman, the Breithaupt Brothers, Peter Appleyard, Ofra Harnoy, the Nimmons Tribute, and others.

Heather is also one of Canada’s top voice actors (featured on such shows as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Superbuns, Wild Kratts, Justin Time, Hotel Transylvania, and others) and an award-winning broadcaster, hosting and producing shows on Toronto’s JAZZ.FM91 for more than 20 years.

THIS EVENT IS PART OF AEOLIAN JAZZ & MUSICAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2024! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

"Holly Cole "Dark Moon" tour, hear fan favourites and brand new songs from Dark Moon, her new studio recording before it's October 18th release date. The entire concert will be filmed, and features Holly's all star band including Aaron Davis, Kevin Breit, George Koller, John Johnson, and Ben Wittman. Not a concert to be missed!"

THIS EVENT IS PART OF AEOLIAN JAZZ & MUSICAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2024! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!
Internationally acclaimed vocalist/pianist Carol Welsman is a 6-time Juno Award Nominee (Canadian Grammy). She captivates audiences the world round with her unique ability to story tell and spread her infectious warmth and energy through music.  Carol has 13 albums to her credit. Her 2016 solo piano/vocal album “FOR YOU” was the #1 selling album at retail in Japan for 6 months following its release, and it reached number 4 on the jazz charts. Volume 2, This is Carol – Jazz Beauties, a trio album, was released in 2019 in Japan and it too was the #1 selling album of the year at retail. Carol’s 2020 Latin Jazz release, “Dance with me”, features a duet with Latin superstar Juan Luis Guerra, and the duet recording was added to a Spotify Latin playlist with 900,000 listeners.

Welsman has a brand new album entitled “14”, her fourteenth recording which will be released September 9, 2022 on Justin Time Records, with four singles that will be pre-released over the Spring and Summer. It is truly a jazz album co-produced by internationally renowned producer and composer/arranger, Romano Musumarra. It features Carol’s intimate piano/vocal accompaniment along with guitar and bass (and a few tracks with drums), featuring.

Carol is the granddaughter of Frank Welsman, founder and first conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her album “I LIKE MEN- Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee”, was voted Top 5 album of the year in USA Today (all genres) in 2010. Carol has performed for such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Gordon Lightfoot, Herbie Hancock (duet) and President Bill Clinton.  She speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian fluently and also records in these languages.   

While she has internationally, performing from trio to big band to Pops symphony orchestra concerts, Carol has enjoyed much of her career success in Japan and Canada. A “Distinguished Alumnus” of Berklee College of Music, Welsman is also a prolific songwriter and her songs have been recorded by such artists as Celine Dion, Ray Charles and Chrissy Hinde. 

“Blessed with so many musical gifts—taste, time, projection and a rhythmic sense of when to change chords—Carol’s piano is beyond reproach, warm yet rhythmically sharp, giving her voice a perfect hammock of support to swing in.”   I’m not an easy pushover, but she’s got what it takes to take me.    –REX REED

THIS EVENT IS PART OF AEOLIAN JAZZ & MUSICAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2024! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

Alex Cuba is a Grammy and Juno winning; singer, songwriter, producer and musician. Born Alexis Puentes in Artemisa, Cuba and now living in Smithers, BC, Canada. His first musical memory was playing claves (a Cuban rhythm instrument) at the age of 4 alongside his father on national TV, and went on to study guitar, then electric and upright bass, touring and recording nationally and internationally, before moving to Canada in 1999. His sound is the unique confluence of tradition and global influences in articulate arrangements, conveying emotions through melody and lyric. In 2022, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop for “Mendó” as producer, artist and engineer, his proudest accomplishment of the 20+ awards and nominations he has received as an independent artist over 9 albums.

His musical evolution for years was all about searching for the simplicity and soul in Cubanmusic – taking apart the complex arrangements, mixing it with North American influences,adopting the melodic simplicity of pop music, looking to Cuban folk traditions for inspiration –he’s always exploring, always creating something fresh and new, and always, it seems, getting itjust right.

“I always believed, from the beginning of my career in Canada, that if music is beautiful, itwill cross the language. Because we are all humans.” Alex Cuba

THIS EVENT IS PART OF AEOLIAN JAZZ & MUSICAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2024! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

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 evening sessions at the Lambeth Legion. The arrangement included physical distancing and masks when not playing. Big Bandemic rehearses weekly at the Lambeth Legion and helps them out with some fundraising concerts each year.  In June 2022, the band participated in the inaugural Aeolian Jazz Festival and continues to perform to sold out crowds in Southwestern Ontario.

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.