Coastal Jazz & Blues Society Announces IRONFEST: A Fall Jazz Concert Series

Coastal Jazz & Blues Society is thrilled to present IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series from Thursday, November 18 to Saturday, November 20, 2021 at The Ironworks (235 Alexander Street). Tickets for each performance are $25 (plus applicable fees and service charges) and go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, October 20 at 10:00am PT.

IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series features six performances over a period of three nights. These concerts mark the return to live performances that began with the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival this past summer. With relaxed capacity restrictions, all patrons must show proof of vaccination to enter, and Coastal Jazz & Blues Society is requiring all staff and volunteers to be fully vaccinated as well. As the situation adapts and changes, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society will ensure that all new and existing health regulations are followed.

The lineup for the inaugural IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series is as follows:

Bill Coon Quartet with Campbell Ryga | Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pmBill Coon is an award-winning guitarist who has played with jazz luminaries like Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Heath, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. A prolific and adaptable composer, he has written everything from intimate solos to large-scale works for the VSO and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. For this concert, Bill will showcase some original tunes and cook on some fine arrangements of Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans. With a passion for groove, beautiful melodies and hard-swinging improvisation, Bill's always engaging quartet features Campbell Ryga (saxophones), Miles Hill (bass), and Dave Robbins (drums).

Emad Armoush's Rayhan | Thursday, November 18 at 9:30pmLed by Emad Armoush on oud, ney, guitar and vocals, Rayhan's interpretations of traditional Arabic songs are filled with intensity, bold sonic colouring, and far-reaching improvisation. Aided and abetted by the extended techniques, electronic manipulations, and fire-stoking sonic excursions of François Houle (clarinet), Jesse Zubot (violin/effects), JP Carter (trumpet/electronics) and Kenton Loewen (drums), Armoush's arrangements flourish wildly without losing the delicate beauty and originality of the time-honoured melodies.

Krystle Dos Santos | Friday, November 19 at 7:00pmTwo-time Western Canadian Music Award-winning vocalist Krystle Dos Santos absorbs classic and neo-soul along with jazz and R&B into her inviting sound. Bold and elegant, Dos Santos is a balm for the soul for fans of legends like Sharon Jones, Erykah Badu, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Handmade Blade | Friday, November 19 at 9:30pmHandmade Blade is Peggy Lee (cello), Aram Bajakian (guitar), and JP Carter (trumpet). Each member of this trio contributes compositions that launch striking and explosive improvisations. This small group has a huge sonic palette and great energy. The trio has performed at numerous venues in Vancouver, and in May 2016, made their U.S. debut at Constellation in Chicago for the Chicago String Summit. The group has produced one recording: 3 interpretations of guitarist Aram Bajakian's Dolphy Formations.

Jodi Proznick: New Horizons | Saturday, November 20 at 7:00pmTwo-time JUNO-nominated bassist, composer, bandleader, and educator Jodi Proznick has earned a reputation as one of Canada's finest jazz artists and collaborators. She has won numerous National Jazz Awards, including Bassist of the Year twice. Among her many honours, Jodi was awarded the Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year for 2019. Jodi Proznick's New Horizons project features three of Canada's bright musical lights - Chris Davis on trumpet, Tilden Webb on keys, and Nick Bracewell on drums. They will be exploring jazz repertoire from albums such as Herbie Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda and Empyrean Isles; Woody Shaw's United; Kenny Wheeler's Gnu High; and Miles Davis' E.S.P, as well as new originals.

James Meger's How To Do Nothing | Saturday, November 20 at 9:30pmThis music isn't shy about exploring extreme emotional dynamics or diverse sonic influences, moving gutsily between free improvisation, electro-acoustic composition, jazz, metal, noise, and song. Led by bassist James Meger, the newly formed ensemble skillfully pulls listeners through trashed maximalist howls of feedback and noise to emerge in clearings of delicate acoustic improvisation. It's a voyage through the supersaturated dirt of janky electronics to the purity of handmade sound, but even that isn't always what it seems.

At its core, this project explores the wild scope of human experience while teasing our confusion between the fake and the real; the most soulful cries come from broken machines. This ensemble features James Meger (bass, compositions), Lisa Cay Miller (piano), Sam King (guitar), Andromeda Monk (no-input mixer, saxophone), and Dan Gaucher (drums).

"We are so excited to return to live performance in a way that is more in keeping with our regular offerings," said Rainbow Robert, Managing Director of Artistic Programming. "The Ironworks is the coolest space in Vancouver to see a live performance, and with this variety of programming we hope everyone will come and experience it."

For information on Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, please visit www.coastaljazz.ca

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