Results for "Montreal"

In Circuses and Carnivals, Sideshows Brought Black Music To The Heartland

by Arthur R George
May 30, 2026

Black musicians in circus and carnival sideshow bands from the late 1800s well into the Twentieth Century brought ragtime and what would become jazz and rhythm and blues to white audiences deep into Midwest agricultural regions. Trumpeter Lester Bowie, later known for the avant-garde Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), ...

Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville 2026

by Mike Chamberlain
May 28, 2026

Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville Victoriaville, QC May 11-17 2026 The theme of the 42nd edition of the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville was change. This was the third edition of the festival under the artistic and general direction of Scott Thomson. The 40th edition in 2024 was ...

Kulusé Souriant

Born: October 16, 1988

Deeply connected to his Caribbean roots as well as his early jazz influences, Kulusé Souriant is a versatile and always passionate drummer who has found his own voice by exploring many musical configurations. He was the composer and the bandleader of the contemporary jazz quintet Markit Zero with whom he played in many french venues and festivals (Jazz in Marciac, Sunset/Sunside…) from 2013 to 2019.

Kulusé grew up in a jazz musician family and is very attached to this music. Along his career, he played in many jazz bands such as Two Slides, Art Bop Jazztet or Swing Vandals. Loving jazz didn’t prevent him to play in various other contexts including a forty drummers band (Ali Baba et les 40 batteurs) for ten years, a tour in Turkey with the rockabilly band Jerry Khan Bangers, a rock band with Maddy Keita, and to explore many creative music (Aram, Le Chantier, High Key…). He always was a substitute of choice in the Toulouse music scene, being able to adapt to any genre. His curiosity prompted him to live in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 and travel South-America for two years.

Greenhouse Ensemble

Bellbird: Montreal's Jazz Collective Heeds The Call

by Lawrence Peryer
April 4, 2026

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on the Montreal jazz collective Bellbird.Bellbird formed during pandemic park jams and has since become one of the more compelling voices in Canada's avant-garde jazz scene. The quartet consists of Claire Devlinon tenor sax, Allison Burik on alto sax and bass clarinet, Eli Davidovici on bass, and Mili ...

Hugo Blouin: Jazz Sérieux, Jazz Fun

by Katchie Cartwright
March 16, 2026

Growing up in southern Québec, not far from the US border, Hugo Blouin studied music from an early age in school. Both parents were writers, so creative work came naturally. “It was normal to do art," as he put it. As a bassist, Blouin describes himself as an “auto-didact," but he studied piano in primary and ...

Mike Bruzzese

Born: October 31, 1996

An active figure in Montreal’s vibrant music scene, Mike performs regularly both as a bandleader and a sideman. He has also appeared at prominent jazz venues across Canada. His performance and recording credits include collaborations with acclaimed artists such as Louis Hayes, Lenny White, Ben Solomon, Davis Whitfield, Miki Yamanaka, Emilio Modeste, Adam Arruda, Terry Clarke, André White, Kevin Dean, Ira Coleman, Caity Gyorgy, and Laura Anglade, among many others.

Mike assembled a talented quartet for his debut album, Even When I’m Dreaming. It features Gentiane MG, Ira Coleman on bass, Michel Lambert on drums, and special guest vocalist Caity Gyorgy. Through this project, Mike continues to find new ways to bring his music to life.

John Sweenie

Born: March, 1988

Already known for high-energy and risk-embracing performances, Canadian tenor saxophonist and composer John Sweenie builds his music from that same forward motion—using the urgency of the bandstand as the engine for a language rooted in the bebop lineage while drawing from modern jazz and indie-rock aesthetics. In his work, strong melodic design and elastic rhythm become the means through which he pushes harmonic language to its edge, not as effect, but as a natural extension of that drive.

From the bandstand to the page, that same approach shapes Sweenie’s work: he writes music that frames both individual and collective improvisation, allowing spontaneity to unfold within a clear structural arc. His projects have received support from major arts organizations, and he is the recipient of national awards recognizing his artistic excellence. 

Patrick Watson

Marie-Soleil Lambert

Marie-Soleil Lambert is a Montreal-based jazz vocalist, composer, bassist and artist.  Passionate about art, creation, storytelling, scat improvisation and writing, she is enthusiastic about life and music.

Displaying her growth as a musician and a composer, Marie-Soleil takes the reins of her sextet Sun Fantasia formed in 2022 and has released her debut album, ‘’Free Spirit’’ in January 2023. A second album, entitled ''Anastasia'', has been released on November the 5th 2025. Craving to set a new sound in jazz, the composer infuses her music with influences from other musicians, such as Chick Corea, Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa and with different styles to create something original and personal. With hints of modern jazz music and even a drop of progressive rock, Sun Fantasia transports you to a musical and artistic universe that stands out for its narrative and fantastical dimension. Each piece is a painting, and the works are a pure representation of art; they are sophisticated, unique, and surprising, yet well balanced between spontaneity and precise writing techniques.