Nancy Walker

Nancy Walker Biography

Pianist and composer Nancy Walker has been recognized with honours Canada-wide, including the Montréal Jazz Festival’s Grand Prix de Jazz, the National Jazz Awards Keyboardist Of The Year Award, a JUNO nomination for Instrumental Album Of The Year, and an induction into the Mississauga Music Walk Of Fame. A dynamic improviser, an artful composer and a responsive accompanist, Nancy has been praised both for her work as a solo artist and as a musical collaborator. As a side player she can be heard on a wide range of recordings, by artists from saxophonist Kirk MacDonald to vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow to children’s entertainer Raffi. More recently she can be heard on the 2024 recording Here’s To Life by John Neudorf (on which she was both pianist and co-producer), and Sarah Jerrom’s 2025 JUNO-nominated Magpie.

Kevin Goss

Born: December 13, 1967

I was born and raised in the east coast of Canada, and I discovered jazz at the age of 12. By the time I was 15, I was playing in local bands, and soon fronted my own quintet. From 1985-89, I attended the St. Francis Xavier University Jazz program in Nova Scotia, where I studied under an accomplished American Faculty. After years of playing in Halifax, NS I moved to Toronto in 1997. During that time I maintained a steady gig schedule, while also teaching high school. Over the years, I performed alongside such diverse artists as Rosemary Clooney, Frankie Valli, Melba Moore, Leslie Gore, The Maritime Jazz Orchestra, Randy Brecker, Joe Sullivan's Big Band, The Orange Devils, and Jim Galloway's Wee Big band

Tara Davidson

Born: 1979

Tara Davidson is a JUNO Award-winning alto and soprano saxophonist who has performed around the world at such prestigious venues as New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the acclaimed North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, the JZ Jazz Club in Shanghai, China, and The Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C.

As a bandleader, Davidson has produced seven recordings since 2004 and performed on approximately forty recordings as a side musician. Five of her seven recordings as a leader or co-leader (Carn Davidson 9) have been nominated by the JUNO Awards for “Jazz Album of the Year”. Davidson has been associated with seven additional JUNO nominations for her work as a side musician with Ernesto Cervini's "Joy" project, Andrew Downing’s Otterville, Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop (x2), the Mike Murley Septet, CBC Records’ “Jazz Legends Live” project, and Jens Lindemann’s Order of Canada Band (Yamaha Big Band member). In 2020, Davidson won a JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year: Group as a member of Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop.

Teri Parker

Born: April 1, 1986

Teri Parker (MA, BMus) is a jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader based in Toronto, Canada. Born into a musical family, Parker gravitated towards the rich history and creative possibilities of jazz while still in high school; when it came time to apply for post-secondary schooling, she was accepted into the University of Toronto’s prestigious Jazz Studies program. It was at U of T that Parker had the opportunity to study with prominent educators who would prove foundational in her development as an artist, including celebrated instrumentalists and composers such as Dave Restivo, David Braid, and Phil Nimmons, Director Emeritus of Jazz Studies. After graduating from U of T, Parker continued her studies independently; as the winner of successive grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council, she was able to continue learning with world-renowned artists in New York and Europe, including Sophia Rosoff, Aaron Goldberg, Guillermo Klein, Fred Hersch, and Enrico Pieranunzi. 

S��bastien Parent

Born: October 29, 1998

Sébastien Parent is a Montreal-based composer, producer, and drummer. He specializes in eclectic big band songwriting, specifically personal melodic ideas arranged with precision and improvisational showcasing. His first album as a leader, ''Projet Seb Parent'', was released on June 2nd, 2023.

Adrian Vedady

Adrian Vedady is one of Montreal’s finest jazz bassists. Since 1998 he has been performing, recording and touring nationally and internationally. He is known for his beautiful sound, his creativity, his ability to connect with a broad array of musicians and his soulfulness.

He performs regularly with such great Montreal musicians as Jim Doxas, Al McLean, Christine Jensen, Lex French, Andre White, Steve Amirault, the late Wray Downes and Yannick Rieu. He has performed with Canadian jazz greats, Lorne Lofsky, Kirk MacDonald, Brad Turner, Florian Hoefner, Kevin Turcotte and Roddy Ellias.  Vedady has worked with international artists such as Marc Copland, Dan Weiss, Peter Bernstein, Ingrid Jensen, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sheila Jordan, Chet Doxas, David Liebman, Ariel Pocock, Ravi Coltrane and George Colligan.

So Long Seven

Active since: June 8, 2012

So Long Seven is a delicious mix of jazz, classical, blues, folk, and music from around the world is both a funky, relentless force and an atmospheric cornucopia of sound.

Nestled in the rhythmic drive of tabla player Ravi Naimpally, Neil Hendry (guitar), William Lamoureux (violin), and Tim Posgate (banjo) create an aural space beyond boundaries. This highly skilled quartet references several global traditions including traditional musical forms of India, Europe, Africa and the many musical traditions of the Americas, in a unique and cohesive cultural bridge.

So Long Seven has performed with Canada’s top global music venue, Small World Music, and plays concerts and clubs across the country. From a tour of Vancouver Island, appearances at Victoria Jazz Festival, Ontario’s Hillside Music Festival, and Sunfest, the band is a national force. The band has also performed internationally with multiple concerts across Europe.

Kate Wyatt

Celebrated Canadian pianist and composer Kate Wyatt is one of the top tier jazz musicians in the city of Montreal. She has been praised as having “musical ideas and a style of playing and writing that is on par with the current jazz piano elite: Mehldau, Yaron Herman, Shai Maestro, Fred Hersch.”, and has been hailed as “one of the top artists of Montreal, Quebec, or even Canadian jazz.” (Cardin/Brunet, panm360.com). Her most recent album “Artifact” was released to overwhelmingly excellent critical reviews, and was featured on “Best Jazz of 2022” lists from Canada, the US and Europe. From Peter Hum of the Ottawa Citizen: “Pianist and composer Kate Wyatt is making some of Canada’s most exciting and engrossing small-ensemble jazz these days”.

Ariane Racicot

Born: April 26, 1997

Ariane Racicot is a Montreal-based jazz pianist and composer who incorporates elements of classical, latin and metal music, creating her unique style. 

She first rose to prominence following the success of her rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody on Youtube in 2013. The video has reached up over 18 million views to date.

Ariane began her training as a classical pianist at the age of 6, before switching to jazz ten years later. She then went on to study at Cégep St-Laurent, University of Montreal and McGill, where she trained with Lorraine Desmarais, Luc Beaugrand, John Roney and Jean-Michel Pilc. 

Fuat Tua?

Born: August 23

Fuat Tuaç is a Toronto based jazz vocalist of Turkish Origin. After completing his degree in “Jazz Studies” in Montréal, he released his first album, “Late Bloomer” in late 2017 which received critical acclaim and still receives a lot of airplay on jazz radios over the world. Fuat sings in 5 different languages and has a very eclectic repertoire. Fuat performs regularly in Toronto and ?stanbul jazz scene. He is currently working on his second album, “The Immigrant”.