The beautiful Baldachin Ballroom is the place to be on Sunday, October 19 at 7:30 pm for the final concert of MJF 2014. Join us for the captivating musical collaboration of Grace Hrabi Duo appearing as part of our Closing Event including A Tribute to Blossom Dearie with special guest Brian Browne.
Whether staring at a blank page in her journal, or quietly piecing together a melody at her ever-so-slightly out of tune piano, vocalist Grace Hrabi is an old soul who finds pure joy in the creative process. Her sweet and emotional stories have been shaped by the people who have come into her life and what is left behind when they go. Her rich & dulcet voice will sing a song that your ears will hear and your heart will understand. Grace Hrabi’s original music, although heavily influenced by her jazz background and formal training, is not defined by it. Instead, she approaches each new composition with an open mind (and ears) and lets it come to life naturally. The result is compositions that fuse the most beautiful and exhilarating aspects of jazz, folk, blues and pop. With a performance style inspired by both the past and present (Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Barber, Norah Jones) Grace Hrabi is sure to leave audiences on the edge of their seats. Since graduating in 2008 from the Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba with a BA in Jazz Vocal Performance she has been a regular face on the music scene in Winnipeg. She currently resides in Ottawa where she is quickly making her way onto the scene at such venues as Vineyards, Pressed, Mooney’s Bay Bistro, Zolas Restaurant and the Brookstreet Hotel. Grace’s debut album “Afraid of Heights” was released June 2014 and is available online or from Grace. For more information and music samples: www.gracehrabi.com.
Grace will be joined by Deyo Rafailovich.
Guitarist Deyo Rafailovich hails from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the ethnic conflict in his country would make his family flee to Canada, never to return. His Balkan heritage and various influences he absorbed while constantly on the move are easily heard in his very unique and eclectic guitar and compositional style. His self-produced debut trio record Balkan Folk Tales, therefore, is heavily influenced by the traditional folk sounds of his native region, albeit in an acoustic jazz trio format.
Rafailovich studied Jazz Performance at the University of Manitoba and has performed as a sideman in various settings at numerous outdoor festivals and bar shows, several times being recorded by CBC. His two year residence with Montreal based Eastern-European gypsy band Les Gitans de Sarajevo resulted in a Juno nomination for their album “En Voyage”.