7 local acts to discover at the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2017

Horsepowar / Coastal Jazz

Jazz in all of its many forms is alive and well in Vancouver, and the annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival is hard evidence of that fact.

Along with bringing in a range of international talent to the city every summer, the Jazz Festival also does an awesome job highlighting much of the hometown talent we right here in our backyard.

Below we’ve highlighted seven local acts on the 2017 lineup that you should definitely consider checking out.

The Boom Booms

Image: Coastal Jazz

70s soul, funk, Afro-beats, R&B, reggae, and Latin vibes, are just few words that can be used to describe Vancouver’s The Boom Booms. Runners up in the Peak Performance Project, the talented 5-piece band are quite literally the sounds of summer incarnate.

When: Sunday, June 25
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Downtown, Georgia Street Stage (around the Vancouver Art Gallery and Robson Square)
Tickets: Free

Rumba Calzada

Image: Coastal Jazz

Led by composer Raphael Geronimo, Vancouver’s Rumba Calzada is an eclectic and powerful mix of salsa, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms that creates a mesmerizing Caribbean musical fusion. Guaranteed to bring the house down every time, this Juno-nominated band performs powerful and joyful music for the world.

When: Tuesday, June 27
Time: 8 pm
Where: Frankie’s Jazz Club – 755 Beatty St, Vancouver
Tickets: $15 at the door

Thad Bailey-Mai Quartet

Image: Geraldine Pagal

Trumpeter Thad Bailey-Mai is an important new voice in Vancouver’s music scene. Known for his unique approach to jazz improvisation, Thad embraces the more modern and experimental aesthetics of jazz trumpet playing, while still grounding himself in the tradition set by the masters of the genre. With influences ranging from Woody Shaw, Ambrose Akinmusire, Ingrid Jensen, and Ben Wendel, to Vancouver’s own Brad Turner and Vince Mai, Thad is an exciting yet soft-spoken presence on his horn.

When: Tuesday, June 27
Time: 8:30 and 10 pm
Where: Tangent Cafe – 2095 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Tickets: $10 at the door

Sick Boss

Image: Coastal Jazz

Led by Juno award-winning Pugs and Crows guitarist Cole Schmidt, Sick Boss draws influence from creative improvisation, folk music, and Jimi Hendrix. Schmidt’s sweeping, beautiful, and cerebral originals are taken to new and unexpected places by a cherry-picked cast of Vancouver all-stars, all of whom are composers and leaders in their own right.

When: Tuesday, June 27
Time: 11 pm
Where: The China Cloud – 524 Main St, Vancouver
Tickets: $15 at the door

V Vecker (with Shobaleader One)

Image: Coastal Jazz

Armed with a synthesizer, a loop pedal, and an alto saxophone, Vancouver’s V Vecker creates a layered soundscape of saxophone drones and modal melodies. Vecker fuses the space between melody and atonality to produce unique aural experiences that are arguably more felt than heard.

When: Wednesday, June 28
Time: 9 pm
Where: The Imperial – 319 Main St, Vancouver
Tickets: On Ticketfly, $39

Big EviL

Image: Coastal Jazz

For fans of Mr. Bungle, Morphine, and Zappa, Big EviL’s eccentric punk/groove machine is built on dueling saxes, distorted guitar and bass, and funky drumming. Discover the calm within the chaos of their compositions and stick along for the ride.

When: Saturday, July 1
Time: 7 pm
Where: David Lam Park, Main Stage – 1300 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
Tickets: Free

Horsepowar

Image: HYFN

One of Vancouver’s most internationally buzzed-about rappers, Horsepowar is what you get when you combine the energy and glamour of Bollywood culture with the thoughtful opinions of a woke millennial woman. Layering her sharp lyrics over bass-heavy hip hop and Bhangra beats, Horsepowar is here and ready to speak her mind.

When: Sunday, July 2
Time: 7 pm
Where: David Lam Park, Main Stage – 1300 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
Tickets: Free

See also

The Boom Booms

Rumba Calzada

Thad Bailey-Mai Quartet

Sick Boss

V Vecker (with Shobaleader One)

Big EviL

Horsepowar