Oct. 21, 2022 — Press release from the Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Toes will be tapping this fall as some of Canada’s most talented musicians in the jazz and boogie-woogie genres will be at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Canadian Jazz All-Stars, is a stellar group of six celebrated musicians will perform on Saturday, October 29, and Michael Kaeshammer, known for his fluid representation of various genres on the piano is coming on Saturday, November 19, 2022. Both shows will be performed in the gracious Main Stage Theatre and will begin at 8:00 p.m.
When you think of Canadian fazz musicians these six are some of the first to come to mind. Guido Basso on horns, Heather Bambrick at the mic, Davide Direnzo on drums, Mike Murley on sax, Robi Botos at the piano, and Dave Young on upright bass. This year is the first time this incredible collection of musicians are coming together to create this unbelievable jazz ensemble. Each of these artists have performed on the finest world stages alongside many well known names in various genres and together they bring an energy and excitement the Canadian jazz scene that is not to be missed.
Artists
Guido Basso is a Juno award-winning horn player who was been given the Order of Canada in 1994. Born in Montreal, Basso began playing the trumpet at age nine and his professional music career began in his teens. He toured internationally at the young age of 20 with American singer, Vic Damone, has held the role of music director for CBLT’s Nightcap and other music director positions with CBC along with being an active performer. Today Basso is known for his contributions as a trumpeter, flugelhornist, arranger composer and conductor.
Heather Bambrick is a Canadian jazz singer, voice over artist, and radio broadcaster based in Toronto. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, and sang in the award-winning Chamber Choir at her school. In 1993, Bambrick moved to Toronto to study as a voice major at the University of Toronto and upon graduation she worked as a freelance musician and teacher. She has a rich solo career and is a Juno nominee for vocal Jazz Album of the Year. Heather is a well loved broadcaster on JAZZ.FM91, hosting her self-titled show.
Davide Direnzo is considered one of the most versatile and in-demand drummers in Canada with accolades in genres ranging from rock, pop, jazz, folk, and R&B. Born in Guelph, Ontario, he was considered a child prodigy percussionist. “Born with sticks in his hands,” many say. Direnzo was the house drummer for the Canadian Idol television competition and he has played with numerous well-known artists including Jacksoul, Holly Cole, Heather Bambrick, Sarah Slean and Alanis Morisette to just list a few. As a member of Jacksoul, Direnzo won a Juno Award for R&B Soul Recording of the Year.
Mike Murley is one of Canada’s most celebrated and well-respected saxaphonists, playing on 14 Juno award-winning albums since 1990. Originally from Nova Scotia, Murley moved to Toronto in 1981 and has enjoyed a strong musicial career as a leader, co-leader, and sideman. Experienced in traditional jazz, Murley has also contributed greatly on the contemporary side, collaborating with younger generations of composers. His career is also not simply Canadian. Murley has recorded and performed with multiple international artists including Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, David Liebman and more.
Robi Botos is a Hungarian-Canadian jazz pianist. Originally from Hungary, Botos grew up in Budapest and started his musical journey on drums. At age seven he began playing piano and in 1998, he immigrated to Canada and has been a prominent member of the Toronto jazz scene since. In 2004, Botos won the Montreaux Jazz Festival piano competition in 2004 and the TD Award in 2012. Perhaps one of his greatest legacies is being Oscar Peterson’s last protégé.
Dave Young is a Winnipeg native double bassist who played local gigs before heading to Berklee College of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Young played with many Canadian symphony orchestras and shared the stage and recording studio with many jazz musicians including Kenny Barron, Wray Downes, Oliver Jones, and Oscar Peterson. Young has been nominated for nine Juno Awards, winning the 1994 Best Mainstream Jazz Album for Fables and Dreams with the Phil Dwyer Quartet.
Prepare to move when Michael Kaeshammer returns to the BPAC stage November 19th. The 45-year-old, seven-time Juno Award nominee, jazz and boogie-woogie pianist already has decades of experience wowing audiences with his high energy and clear personal enjoyment of performing for his listeners. A Kaeshammer show isn’t just about the music though, it’s about the lyrics, entertainment, and his liveliness on stage.
Born and raised in Germany, he began his career there performing in clubs, theatres and festival stages across Europe. In the mid-1990s, his family emigrated to Canada’s West Coast, where he released his first studio album, which spurred his international performances. A child prodigy turned full-fledged phenom; from unparalleled pianist to virtuosic songwriter, Kaeshammer will amaze yet another audience at BPAC this fall.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre presents
Canadian Jazz All-Stars
Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 8 p.m.
Main Theatre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, Ontario
Tickets can be purchased online or by telephone:
905-681-6000 | https://burlingtonpac.ca/events/canadian-jazz-all-stars/
Tickets: Regular $59.50 / Members $54.50
Michael Kaeshammer
Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 8 p.m.
Main Theatre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, Ontario
Tickets can be purchased online or by telephone:
905-681-6000 | https://burlingtonpac.ca/events/michael-kaeshammer/
Tickets: Regular $59.50 / Members $54.50
