JANE BUNNETT
& THE SPIRITS OF HAVANA
Multiple Juno Award winner, Jane
Bunnett has turned her bands into
showcases for the finest talent
from Canada, the US and Cuba. An
internationally acclaimed musician,
Jane Bunnett is known for her
creative integrity, improvisational
daring and courageous artistry. Her
exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies
expresses the universality of music
and her ability to embrace and
showcase the rhythms and culture of
Cuba has been groundbreaking. She
“Truly one of has toured the world bringing her
own special sound to numerous jazz
Canada’s most festivals, displaying her versatility as a
valuable artistic flutist, saxophonist and pianist.
resources.” Bunnett’s Cuban connection started
in 1982 when a trip to the island
with husband Larry Cramer turned
her musical world upside down.
Everywhere Bunnett and Cramer
went they found drummers whose
rhythmic complexity liberated the
senses; horn players who deployed
amazing dexterity in the service of
heartstopping lyricism; and pianists
who could make any decrepit old
upright roar like doom or sing like
a heart in love. No fools, they took
their horns and played along.
Juno Award Winner
Grammy Award Nominee
Recipient of The Order of Canada
“Over the years I developed
relationships with some of Cuba’s
legendary musicians,” Bunnett recalls.
“I’ve had a great opportunity to learn
the music in the streets and in the
homes of these celebrated talents…
and that’s what has fueled my vision.”
Since then Bunnett has moved
from strength to strength, touring
internationally and recording a
string of critically lauded albums.
Her house in Toronto’s west end
has become a home away from
home for a growing number
of extraordinary young Cuban
musicians who’ve migrated to
Canada, many of whom have played
in her group, The Spirits of Havana.
Today, Jane Bunnett is a very
recognizable name in the World
Music and Jazz scenes.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca
 RITA CHIARELLI

Rita Chiarelli, Canada’s most highly Chiarelli’s documentary Music

acclaimed female roots and
blues artist, has just released the
soundtrack for her award winning
documentary, Music from the Big
House, her ninth recording. With a
Juno award and four subsequent
Juno nominations, she is known
across Canada as the “Goddess of the
Blues”.
from the Big House will kick off the
festival at a screening held at the
Rainbow Cinemas, the evening of
Thursday 8 September, 2011. Her
live performance at the Festival is on
Saturday 10 September 2011.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca

Chiarelli is a gifted songwriter and an

entertaining performer, but it is her
soaring three octave voice that sets
her apart from her peers, inspires
awe and often tears in her audiences,
and causes critics to gush.

“ A voice so blue The one thing Chiarelli is not is

it could make the
angels weep…
A voice that can
growl at her demons
or soar with the
angels, a gift for
lyric, an ear for
melody and the heart
to combine them”.
predictable. Over the past five years
she has released Cuore, a recording
of traditional Italian folk songs, which
won the World music category at
the prestigious Canadian Folk Music
Awards; Uptown Goes Downtown
Tonight, a highly acclaimed
collaboration with the Thunder Bay
Symphony Orchestra; and Music from
the Big House, a documentary movie
filmed in Louisiana, at Angola prison,
which premiered in New York and
L.A. Her CD Sweet Paradise, heralds
a return to Chiarelli’s blues roots,
and is her first album of all original
tunes since 2001’s Juno nominated
Breakfast at Midnight.

Juno Award Winner

Four Juno Award Nominations
 MATT DUSK

There are swingers and then there
is Matt Dusk – a singer, songwriter,
producer, arranger and fervent
jazz-pop musicologist blessed
with the perfect name… for his
spirit truly comes out as night
approaches and concert audience
awaits. The Canada-native and Juno
Award nominee has spent most
of his career reanimating the great
American songbook alongside
some of his own more quirky pop
creations.
Matt is eager to take his show – and
his nine-man band of horns and
rhythm – on the road, for it is the
stage that really gets his juices going.
“When you’re around people who
love music as much as you, that’s the
moment I love”, says Matt.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca

Matt is one of Canada’s most beloved

male vocalists, forging a career in
music that has resulted in 3 critically-
acclaimed studio albums including
a gold record for the debut album
Two Shots. Matt’s first recording in
3 years is Good News is an album of
“The nuances he has originals and international hit songs
lent to the classic that sees an exciting shift in direction
pop standards are for one of Canada’s great crooners.
Featuring the uplifting first single
unique and make and title track ‘Good News’, this
me feel really, really album is a decidedly new direction
for Matt into the world of pop music
good. They bring a and production. Although the
smile to my face.” songs represent a new direction in
Mary Jo Conniff, Jazzreview.com pop music for this amazing artist,
Matt’s signature voice and instantly
recognizable tone remain.

Proudly presented by

Juno Award Nominee

Gold Album
Vegas Headliner
 KEN WHITELEY

Ken Whiteley is a Canadian roots As a producer of over 125 recording

music legend. His musical journey
has taken him from jug band, folk
and swing to blues, gospel and
children’s music. Among numerous
accolades, he has won a Canadian
Folk Music Award, Genie Award for
Best Original Song in a Canadian
film, Lifetime achievement awards
from the Ontario Council of Folk
Festivals and Mariposa Folk Festival.
Ken has been nominated for seven
Juno awards and 13 Maple Blues
Awards.
projects, Ken’s productions have
garnered ten Canadian gold and
platinum records, four American
gold records, 22 Juno and two
Grammy nominations, and sold over
eight million copies.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca

Ken’s live performances showcase

“Wonderful, uplifting
music, elemental in
form and soul stirring
in intent.”
Greg Quill, The Toronto Star
his outstanding musicianship
on guitars and mandolin, award
winning original songs and his
powerful vocals, called “…a cross
between Pete Seeger and Tony
Bennett cranked to 11!” Whether
leading his own group, solo or
collaborating with peers at blues,
folk, children’s festivals and concerts
of all sizes, his “…deep knowledge
and infectious passion” guarantee
good times for all.

Folk Music Award Winner

Genie Award Winner
Seven Juno Award Nominations
13 Maple Blues Awards
 RICHARD UNDERHILL

Richard Underhill’s warm alto His latest album Kensington Suite

sound, great writing and arranging has garnered significant critical
skills and in-from-the-outside acclaim and was nominated for a
soloing make him one of Canada’s 2008 Juno Award, and his second
most distinctive jazz performers. His album Moment in Time was also
new project is Free Spirit, a critically nominated for a Juno Award in 2007.
acclaimed Live DVD/Studio CD set He also took home second place
that features Lincoln Center Jazz in the International Songwriting
trombonist Ron Westray and some Competition in 2008.
of Toronto’s finest jazz players.
For more information visit
Richard, a founding member of www.jazzsudbury.ca
the Shuffle Demons, was awarded
the Roy Thomson Hall Award
of Recognition in 2008 for his
contribution to Toronto musical
and artistic community. He won a
2003 Juno Award for his jazz debut
Tales from the Blue Lounge and was
nominated for the Prix du Jazz at
“A veteran of the 2003 Montreal Jazz Festival. His
debut video The Old Guys climbed
Toronto’s jazz scene to No. 1 on the Bravo! video chart
and one of its most and won a 2004 SOCAN Number 1
award.
endearingly hip
personalities.”
spillmagazine.com

Juno Award Winner

Two Juno Award Nominations

“Shirantha Beddage
may have been born
and raised in North
Bay, Ontario, but
he has absorbed
American Jazz with
the enthusiasm and
insight of a New
Orleans native.”
Ron Netsky, City Newspaper
Rochester NY
SHIRANTHA BEDDAGE
Shirantha Beddage is a nationally
recognized baritone saxophonist,
composer and educator. He is
currently the Director of Theory and
Harmony in the Music department
of Humber College (Toronto),
where he teaches courses in
Contemporary Music Theory and
Improvisation. In 2007, he earned
one of the first Doctoral degrees
in Jazz Studies from the Eastman
School of Music in Rochester, New
York. He has performed with The
Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Gladys
Knight, and numerous jazz groups
in the US and Canada. Shirantha’s
solo album, Roots and Branches,
featuring his original works, is
distributed internationally through
Jazz Excursion Records.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca
 ELVIS BOSSA NOVA

Elvis Bossa Nova! began as an Their ability to embrace the

experiment. The idea was to re-
imagine classic Elvis tunes with
an eclectic instrumentation, and
an interesting mix of musical
personalities. They blend the rock,
jazz, latin, bluegrass, country,
classical and improv musical
traditions. Did anyone mention it’s
all Elvis?
While some of the songs are
instantly recognizable, others have
the king hiding out somewhere
around the corner with the rest
“Elvis Presley is of the surprises. On the tour of
Graceland they don’t let you see
all shook up, and the upstairs of the house. This
more. On a dynamic band knows what’s up there. The
result of this experiment has been
new album by a a fluid, dynamic mish-mash of
high-flying Toronto various musical styles. It’s new life
garage-jazz troupe, breathed into some classic music,
and above all else an exciting live
Elvis is celebrated, show. The unique instrumentation
smartly investigated of vibraphone, electric guitar,
percussion, drums and bass
and, at times, provides a rich palette of places for
rendered almost the group to navigate.
unrecognizable.”
Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
moment, and constantly
search for new sounds always
creates a palpable energy keeping
audiences on the edge of their seat
or the tips of their toes. Over the
past two years the band has played
every Sunday night at The Local Pub
in Toronto. This regular performance
has helped the group develop
an extremely tight sound with an
almost telepathic musical sensitivity
amongst them. It’s evident nowhere
more than on their debut album,
Hi, I’m Elvis Bossa Nova! recorded in
February 2009, and released August
28, 2009.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca
 CHRISTINE TASSAN
ET LES IMPOSTEURES
These four musicians burst on stage
and deliver a lively and outstanding
concert. An all-female group is a
rare thing in jazz and quite unique
in gypsy jazz! With tremendous
energy, on-stage chemistry and
a passion for playing together,
these musicians improvise with
ease and sing as well! In concert,
their pieces alternate from gypsy
instrumental to vocal, always with
original arrangements and rhythmic
compositions!
The group began in 2003 under
“Unique in their the leadership of Christine Tassan,
who was captivated by the music of
genre, they ride Django Reinhardt. They were three,
the wave of gypsy then four. Their initial formation
evolved into the current group: two
jazz that has swept guitars, a double bass, a violin and
Quebec.” four voices.
Michel Truchon, Le Soleil
From the beginning the group has
enjoyed growing success with over
200 shows under their belt, notably
at national and international scale
events: the Montreal International
Jazz Festival, Lévis Jazz Festival,
Carrefour mondial de l’accordéon in
Montmagny, Rouyn-Noranda Guitar
Festival, Lanaudière International
Festival, St-André-les-Vergers
(France) Guitar Festival, and more.
In March of 2007, the group’s debut
album, De bon matin, finished the
first weeks of its release as Radio-
Canada’s favourite hit album, in
first place of Top Cat at Radio
Couleur Jazz and the CIBL top
hits. Global television devoted
one of its morning shows, This
Morning Live, to Christine Tassan
et les Imposteurs, with interviews
and live performances. The group
also performed on the Des kiwis
et des hommes show in July 2008.
One year after its release, the
album continues to be regularly
played on Radio-Canada and many
community radio stations.
In March of 2009, the group joined
forces once again and embarked on
creating a second album, due out
this fall: Pas manouche, c’est louche.
This latest instalment is along the
same lines as the first; that is to
say, gypsy jazz that is joyful and
accessible, true to the flavour of the
Imposteurs: instrumental pieces
showcasing solo musicians, songs
with vocal arrangements and some
familiar reprises arranged in typical
style, such as Les nuits de Montreal.
The emphasis is equally placed
on instrumental as well as vocal
compositions, like Chic Rumba or Un
lit moelleux à Limoilou.
For more information visit
www.jazzsudbury.ca