September 19th: Crimson & Blue
Paul Fabb and Susan Lepin make up the duo, ‘Crimson & Blue’. With Paul’s captivating guitar and vocals, complemented by Susan’s soulful vocals, the duo delivers a mesmerizing blend of jazz, blues, and contemporary music. Paul, originally from Brazil, is not only a skilled guitarist, but also a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, and songwriter. Susan has decades of experience, including leading a blues band in San Francisco and performing as a soloist with the Marcus Mosely Chorale. Together, they create magical harmonies that leave a lasting impression.
September 26th: The Dog Ears
The Dog Ears is composed of four experienced, Vancouver-based musicians with a wide range of musical backgrounds and influences.
The band plays a mixture of Jazz Standards, Swing, R & B and Blues.
October 10th: The Lesley Branton Trio
The Lesley Branton Trio brings fresh interpretations of jazz standards within an acoustic framework. Based in Vancouver, this trio features Lesley Branton (vocals), Jason De Couto (piano) and Steve Smith (bass). Jason de Couto is a professional Vancouver, B.C. musician focused primarily on piano and keyboards. He works with a variety of musicians, ensembles, and multi-disciplinary artists in an array of styles and genres. He holds degrees from UBC, SFU and Capilano University, and is currently also an elementary school music teacher for the North Vancouver School District. Composer/Bandleader Steve Smith has had the privilege and the honour of recording with some of the best musicians in New York and Vancouver. The Lesley Branton Trio plays a variety of jazz standards and Bossa Novas which are as diverse as their audiences.
October 24th: ‘Groove X2’
Join Jim Hopson & Jason Decouto
Known for his baby-faced charm and old-world charisma, Jim’s velvety-smooth trombone & vocal stylings run the gamut from heart-rending to show-stopping! Jim is a prolific composer/arranger, JUNO Award nominated session player, and one of BC’s most in-demand working musicians.
Jason de Couto is a Vancouver based musician focused primarily on piano and keyboards. He works with a variety of musicians, ensembles, and multi-disciplinary artists in an array of styles and genres. He holds degrees from UBC, SFU and Capilano University, and is currently also a music teacher working in the Richmond and Vancouver School Districts.
November 7th: The Lesley Branton Trio
The Lesley Branton Trio brings fresh interpretations of jazz standards within an acoustic framework. Based in Vancouver, this trio features Lesley Branton (vocals), Andrew Skepasts (guitar) and Steve Smith (bass). Andrew Skepasts is a guitarist and composer based in Vancouver, Canada. He is a recent graduate of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music located in New York City, where he studied on scholarship. As an up and coming musician, you can find Andrew playing at various venues throughout the Vancouver area. Composer/Bandleader Steve Smith has had the privilege and the honour of recording with some of the best musicians in New York and Vancouver. The Lesley Branton Trio plays a variety of jazz standards and Bossa Novas which are as diverse as their audiences.
November 21st: Van Django Trio
music is well-rooted in the gypsy jazz of 1930’s Paris France. Since the
group’s formation in 1998, they have toured extensively in Canada as
well as international forays to the US, Europe and China.
The group has had repeat performances at Djangofest Northwest
(DFNW) in 2008-2016 sharing the stage with gypsy jazz luminaries such
as the John Jorgenson Quintet, the legendary gypsy jazz guitarist
Romane and many others.
The group have released 4 CD’s: “Tiptoe Trip”, “Waltz in the Shape of a
Tree”, “Hotel Europe” and a Christmas CD with special guests titled,
“Cool Yule”. They have been well received and played on many radio
stations including; CBC, RDI, Espace Musique, NPR and Lyric FM in
Ireland CD.
