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Jocelyn Gould
JUNO Award winning guitarist Jocelyn Gould “has quickly become an international favorite with her hard swinging, imaginative approach and technical mastery” (Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz Magazine). Her joyful energy has captivated music fans around the world and her passion for music is as infectious as her unique ability to connect with audiences. Jocelyn has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and has woven them into an exciting personal sound, citing Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass, and Kenny Burrell as primary influences on the guitar.
Jocelyn’s debut album, Elegant Traveler, won the 2021 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year: Solo. Her albums Sonic Bouquet and Portrait Of Right Now were nominated for 2024 and 2025 JUNO Awards for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo).
2025 saw Jocelyn tour full time as a leader and supporting musician throughout Europe, North America and Japan playing in venues such as Massey Hall in Toronto, Birdland and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Pizza Express SOHO in London, UK, Le Duc Des Lombards in Paris, and Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. She released a solo guitar and voice album in the fall of 2025, which is her 5th release as a leader. 2026 will see Jocelyn continue to tour internationally and release her 6th album.
Jocelyn has performed and recorded as a supporting musician with GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, JUNO-winning trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg, DownBeat Trombonist of the Year Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, Caity Gyorgy, Benny Bennack III, Jon Gordon, Rodney Whitaker, Will Bonness, Randy Napoleon, Diego Rivera and many more.
Jocelyn is an experienced educator and was a full time professor and the Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto from 2019-2024. She is the guitar faculty at the Brevard Jazz Institute in North Carolina and the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp in Tokyo, Japan. She has been a guest artist at Jazz Institute Berlin, the Leeds Conservatory of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Michigan State University, University of South Carolina, North Eastern State University, Ohio University, University of North Carolina, Broward University, and others.
Jocelyn Gould is managed by Birdland Artists and is a Benedetto-endorsed artist.
Awards
2025 JUNO Award - Jazz Album of the Year (nominee) - Portrait of Right Now
2024 JUNO Award - Jazz Album of the Year (nominee) - Sonic Bouquet
2021 JUNO Award - Jazz Album of the Year (WINNER) - Elegant Traveller
2018 Wilson Centre Jazz Guitar Competition - 1st Place
Gear
Guitar - Benedetto 16-B
Strings - D'Addario 12s flat wounds, Thomastik Bebop 12s
Pick - Dunlop Primetone 1mm
Amp - Fender '57 Custom Deluxe
Tags
Al Muirhead: Still Cookin' at 90: The Canada Sessions, Volume II
by Jack Bowers
"Twelve years ago," bassist Kodi Hutchinson writes in the liner notes to The Canada Sessions, Volume II, “I found myself on a bandstand with 78-year-old trumpeter Al Muirhead. I remember thinking, why has this amazing musician never recorded under his own name?" Fast forward a dozen years, to 2025, and Muirhead, still going strong at age 90, has not only released five albums under his own name, he earned a prestigious JUNO nomination for the first one while continuing to ...
Continue ReadingRandy Napoleon: Waking Dream
by Jack Bowers
What greater satisfaction could a teacher have than to see his or her students achieve success--and in their chosen field, no less. On Waking Dream, renowned jazz guitarist and educator Randy Napoleon shares center stage with four fellow guitarists, all of whom are former students in his classes at Michigan State University (MSU) in jny: East Lansing. The guitarists are part of a core group that includes three more MSU faculty members: pianist Rick Roe, bassist Rodney ...
Continue ReadingRandy Napoleon: Waking Dream
by Pierre Giroux
In Waking Dream, guitarist Randy Napoleon has assembled a musical family whose shared history fosters a strong sense of cohesion, one that goes beyond the leader's skillful guitar work. Longtime collaborators bassist [[ {{m: Rodney Whitaker, pianist Rick Roe and drummer Quincy Davis form the rhythmic and harmonic foundation, while four additional guitarists , Luke Sittard, Chris Minami, Jocelyn Gould and Ben Turner, create a rich sonic tapestry reminiscent of a modern guitar choir. Throughout the tracks, there are also ...
Continue ReadingMeet Jocelyn Gould
by Cheryl K.
In this hour, an interview with JUNO Award-winning guitarist and vocalist Jocelyn Gould. Her fourth album is titled Portrait of Right Now. Accompanying Gould are Will Bonness on piano, Curtis Nowosad on drums, and Jared Beckstead-Craan on bass. Playlist Tom Johnson Jazz Orchestra “Ballad for the A1 Band" from Time Takes Odd Turns (Tom Johnson) 5:31 Hyeseon Hong Jazz Orchestra “Treasure Hunt" from Things Will Pass (Pacific Coast Jazz) 7:07 Jocelyn Gould “Jingles" from Portrait of Right Now ...
Continue ReadingJon Gordon: 7th Ave South
by Jack Bowers
Some of life's moments, even when buried in the past, remain almost as fresh and memorable as today's. Such is alto saxophonist Jon Gordon's memory of his first visit to New York City's then-jazz center, Greenwich Village's 7th Avenue South, which was “the first place [he] ever heard live jazz in New York." That was in 1983--nearly four decades ago--but that memory and those that followed were enough to inspire Gordon's latest album, appropriately titled 7th Ave South.
Continue ReadingNew And Old Voices
by Bob Osborne
This time around a bit of a change, with a raft of recent albums featuring female vocalists it seemed timely to feature a selection of new and old releases with the women of jazz.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Sudha “Nature Girl" from Her Nature (Zack's Talent) 00:21 Jocelyn Gould “I Haven't Managed To Forget You" from Portrait Of Right Now (Jocelyn Gould Music) 02:47 Laila Biali “Rocky Mountain Lullaby" from Wintersongs (Self Released) 08:32 Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli ...
Continue ReadingMichael Dease: Grove's Groove
by Richard J Salvucci
The story of Michael Dease's journey from sax to trombone and back again is one any parent of a musically talented child could recognize. Dease started out as an alto saxophonist in middle school. Sometime later, he wanted to switch to the baritone sax. He worked at it. And worked at it some more. His combination of talent and practice paid off. Dease became something of a young monster on the horn, outplaying his senior bandmates in high school. But ...
Continue Reading"A leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists" - Howard Paul, CEO of Benedetto Guitars "Jocelyn has a rare intensity and tenacity that is the sign of a committed artist. She understands where the music is coming from, and where it is headed. Her passion for the guitar makes it clear that she is going places. It's a special and wonderful thing when a young player has her balance of feeling, discipline, and creativity" - Randy Napoleon, Jazz Guitarist "Jocelyn Gould is going to be a big part of the future of jazz guitar - no doubt about it" - Michael Dease, GRAMMY-winning jazz trombonist
Primary Instrument
Guitar
Location
Winnipeg
Willing to teach
Beginner to advanced
Credentials/Background
Former Professor and Head of Guitar Department, Humber College, Toronto, Canada
Peter Bernstein
guitar
Kenny Burrell
guitar, electric
Charlie Christian
guitar, electric
John Coltrane
saxophone
Grant Green
guitar
Russell Malone
guitar
Wes Montgomery
guitar
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto
Joe Pass
guitarPhotos
Music
The Singer
From: Waking DreamBy Jocelyn Gould
Grove's Groove
From: Grove's GrooveBy Jocelyn Gould
Witness
From: 7th Ave SouthBy Jocelyn Gould
Guiding Light
From: Change Of PlansBy Jocelyn Gould
