Welcome to our Media Page. Here you will find the latest press releases and high resolution photos. For more information, to arrange an interview or for any additional assistance, please contact Laura Treffers, Media Liasion, at the coordinates listed below.
Press Release / Communiqué de presse – Although our website is entirely in English we are pleased to provide this press release in French; please click here. Malgré le fait que le site web ne soit disponible qu’en anglais, nous sommes fiers de fournir le présent communiqué de presse en français et d’accueillir les francophones amateurs de jazz de tous les coins de la région à Merrickville; veuillez cliquer ici.
ANNOUNCING LINEUP FOR SIXTH ANNUAL MERRICKVILLE’S JAZZ FEST
OCTOBER 13 – 16, 2016
Merrickville, Ontario, September 28, 2016 – Join us for the sixth annual Merrickville’s Jazz Fest (MJF) taking place from October 13 to 16 and showcasing a terrific lineup of musical talent from Québec City, Toronto, Montréal, and the Ottawa-Gatineau region. This year the event will feature 15 excellent groups who together represent a wide array of exciting Jazz subgenres.
The festival kicks off with a Grand Opening celebration on Thursday October 13 at 7:30 pm in the Baldachin Ballroom. The event is held each year in recognition of MJF’s sponsors and supporters and this year features the high-powered, funk-infused jazz of ERU-ERA, an exciting and unique new group that showcases some of Ottawa’s best young musicians. The evening is free for sponsors and advance ticket holders.
Friday October 14 starts off with the Massie Johnson Combo. This group has been together for eight years and does a masterful job of blending jazz classics with their own contemporary jazz-funk rhythms. Friday afternoon continues with the Carlos Alberto Santana Jazz Quintet. This accomplished quintet plays an innovative combination of Latin American rhythms blended with North American jazz, and has become one of the most well-recognized Latin jazz groups in the National Capital Region. The internationally acclaimed Michael Hanna and Friends take us into the evening hours with Michael Hanna’s soul stirring vocals while the Main Street Market Band closes off the first full day of the festival with their upbeat and creative integration of world beat and jazz.
Saturday October 15 marks the busiest day of the festival with two special didactic presentations and five exciting concerts! The first performers of the day are the Chris Maskell Trio, a group of young talented musicians from Ottawa and Montreal who play exceptionally creative pieces and showcase compositions by each individual band member. Following this concert is the first of our special presentations, a drum clinic hosted by the internationally acclaimed Mark Kelso. Kelso, the resident head of percussion at Humber College in Toronto, offers his masterful drum instruction to musicians at all levels as well as to anyone curious to know more about the jazz drummer’s role. Those who attend the clinic are sure to leave with a greater understanding of drumming concepts and techniques.
Listeners can catch a taste of New Orleans with the electrifying tunes of Red Hot Ramble, followed by the swingingly fun blues of the Nellotones, who claim influences ranging from Nina Simone to Eminem. As Saturday winds down you’ll want to keep your energy up for the final three events of the night. Shine On: The Universe of John Lennon, is an all-star group of musicians who perform beautiful jazz-infused interpretations of music by John Lennon/The Beatles, and boast over 20 JUNO Award nominations combined. Prior to the Shine On concert audiences will have the unique chance to attend a 45 minute pre-concert talk by the leader of the group, Michael Occhipinti, who offers an incredible depth of insight into the group’s creative process. Finally, Saturday night comes to a close with urban jazz and jazz standards performed by the soulful and energetic Rebecca Noelle backed by her excellent band. Rebecca Noelle has been performing for over 15 years and receiving a lot of local and international exposure and acclaim.
After a restful morning enjoying the sights of Merrickville, Sunday October 16 kicks off with the flowing instrumentals of Quebec City’s award-winning St-Roch Quartet. Next on the menu is the melodic contemporary jazz of the Mark Ferguson Quartet. Mark Ferguson is a keystone of the Ottawa jazz scene, and the quartet’s last album was recognized by the CBC as one of the ten outstanding jazz albums of the year. As the festival rolls to a close, Montreal’s Mira Choquette graces the stage with her classically beautiful jazz vocals. The Closing Event will be hard to resist – The Pharoahs Go To Soul Sckool are every bit the masters of soulful jazz and will have you grooving along with their stunning combinations of horns, guitar, keys, and vocals.
This year’s lineup has been carefully planned to allow for maximum fun without a rush to get from venue to venue. Visit historical venues, shop at unique artist boutiques, sample gourmet cuisine, and enjoy comfortable accommodations, all within a few minutes’ walk from every concert location. So come enjoy a weekend of jazz with us, where you can take your time exploring our beautiful heritage village while enjoying evenings full of performances by the most talented jazz artists in the region.
PROGRAMME – MERRICKVILLE’S JAZZ FEST 2016
THURSDAY OCTOBER 13
7:30 pm Grand Opening: ERU-ERA – Baldachin Inn Ballroom
FRIDAY OCTOBER 14
3:00 pm Massie Johnson Combo – St. Ann Catholic Church
4:30 pm Carlos Alberto Santana Jazz Quintet – Holy Trinity Anglican Church
6:30 pm Michael Hanna and Friends – Baldachin Inn Restaurant
8:30 pm Main Street Market Band – Goose & Gridiron Restaurant
SATURDAY OCTOBER 15
1:00 pm Chris Maskell Trio – St. Ann Catholic Church
2:00 pm Mark Kelso Drum Clinic – Merrickville Legion
2:30 pm Red Hot Ramble – Merrickville United Church
5:00 pm Nellotones – Goose & Gridiron Restaurant
6:30 to 7:15 pm Shine On Pre-concert Talk with Michael Occhipinti
7:30 pm Shine On: The Universe of John Lennon – Merrickville United Church
9:30 pm The Rebecca Noelle Quartet – Baldachin Inn Restaurant
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16
1:30 pm St-Roch Quartet – Holy Trinity Anglican Church
3:00 pm Mark Ferguson Quartet – Merrickville United Church
5:00 pm Mira Choquette – Baldachin Inn Restaurant
7:00 pm Closing Event: The Pharoahs Go To Soul Sckool – Baldachin Inn Ballroom
MJF director Peggy Holloway is delighted to invite audiences to attend this year’s festival. “Treat yourself to a weekend of exciting variety in both music and experience. We are thrilled that these musicians have chosen to join us for this year’s celebration of jazz in our community. The generous support of our local businesses helps to make the festival possible and we gratefully acknowledge here our Platinum Sponsors: The Baldachin Inn, The Blue Pearl Foundation, Cherry Picked, Merrickville Lion’s Club, Town and Country Chrysler Ltd. (TCTV), and our Gold Sponsors; Karen Oxorn Jazz Vocalist, Lark spur line Inc., Merrickville Storage Centre, A Touch of Whimsy and Yamaha Canada.”
For information on our programme, the artists, venues, tickets/passes and a complete list of this year’s sponsors please visit our website at merrickvillesjazzfest.com or find us on Facebook.
For additional information and interviews please contact:
Laura Treffers, Media Liaison, Merrickville’s Jazz Fest
Telephone: 613-213-7272
E-mail: media@merrickvillesjazzfest.com
Website: www.merrickvillesjazzfest.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MerrickvillesJazzFest/