Ottawa has an action-packed musical entertainment card this weekend. Here are just a handful of the shows local music lovers can check out in town.

THURSDAY
You don’t have to wait around for the jazzfest to hear great jazz. Tonight at the Centrepointe Theatre the SFJAZZ Collective — alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, trombonist Robin Eubanks, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland — take on the material of pop music icon Stevie Wonder.

SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE: MUSIC OF STEVIE WONDER
When: Thursday at 8 pm
Where: Centrepointe Theatre (101 Centrepointe Dr.)
Tickets: $57.50 / $50.50 at centrepointetheatre.com

FRIDAY
Catch Juno Award winner Fred Eaglesmith Friday night at the Shenkman Arts Centre as he tours in support of his 18th album, Cha Cha Cha.

Fred Eaglesmith Live
When: Friday at 8 p.m.
Where: Shenkman Arts Centre (245 Centrum Blvd.)
Tickets: $37.50 through the Shenkman Arts Centre Box Office

Read more on the Metro Ottawa website: Local Ottawa Events Ottawa full of music this weekend

Ottawa (Monday, October 4, 2010) – The Ottawa Jazz Festival is pleased to present renowned British jazz pianist John Taylor in concert with Ottawa’s double bassist John Geggie on Saturday, October 9, 7:30pm at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage.

“I am looking forward to this unique opportunity to play with John, who is one of most original and compelling jazz pianists these days. His work with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Peter Erskine and John Surman (to name but a handful of the artists he has worked with) is stunning and impassioned,” explains John Geggie.
“The opportunity to play with John presented itself and we will be definitely playing several of his compositions and those of Kenny Wheeler as well; we will be creating music in the moment and with great respect for the jazz tradition,” concludes Geggie.

Born in Manchester, UK, Taylor first came to the attention of the jazz world in 1969 when he partnered with saxophonists Alan Skidmore and John Surman. Over the past four decades Taylor formed and performed with groups including jazz greats such as Jan Garbarek, Enrico Rava, Gil Evans and Lee Konitz and Ralph Towner. Currently a member of Kenny Wheeler’s quartet and large ensemble, Taylor also performs in duo and quartet settings with John Surman – their recording of ‘Ambleside Days’ on the ahum label won critical acclaim.

Taylor celebrated his 60th birthday in 2002 with a Contemporary Music Network Tour which featured the Creative Jazz Orchestra playing his composition ‘The Green Man Suite’. In July 2002 he received the BBC Jazz Award for ‘Best New Work’ for this suite. Taylor has been a professor of Jazz Piano at the Cologne College of Music since 1993 and became a lecturer in jazz at York University in 2005.

General admission: $22 and Students: $15 (Students under 25 years of age with a valid i.d. ).

Tickets available:
Ottawa Jazz Festival office: 294 Albert, Suite 602, 613-241-2633 (Fourth Stage concert series is not available through the Jazz Festival website, only by phone)
Ottawa Festivals office (47 William Street, Ottawa)
Ticketmaster (613) 755-1111 or www.ticketmaster.ca

From its soggy start hours after Ottawa’s recent earthquake to its sweltering finish on Sunday night, the 30th TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival was the “most successful” edition of the event to date, its executive producer said Sunday night.

As reasons to be pleased, O’Grady cited the co-operative weather this summer compared with the rain that befell most of her 2009 edition, a 25-per-cent increase in pre-event passes sold compared with last year, and much positive feedback she’s received concerning the festival’s mix of shows.

That mix, which cost the festival more than $1 million, was jammed with extra shows compared with previous years, and its mainstage shows offered more pop- and funk-flavoured music than ever.

Read full atory on Ottawa Citizen website: Jazz festival blows its horn

The scattered showers and cool temperatures were a minor inconvenience for smooth-jazz master George Benson at Confederation Park on Wednesday. He’s such a pro, he made everyone feel like they were in a cushy seat in a posh casino instead of a damp lawnchair.

“It’s party time, people,” the good-natured musician said at one point. “The rain ain’t gonna get us.”

The 67-year-old singer-guitarist began with a couple of instrumental pieces, Collaboration and Weekend in L.A., that demonstrated his effortlessly fluid style on a hollow-body guitar. Cascades of notes tumbled from his fingers in the form of elegant melodies, showcasing a unique playing style that was flashy but, at the same time, restrained.

Full review on the Ottawa Citizen website: Benson hits the groove where jazz meets soul

Jensen’s orchestra returns to Ottawa on June 26, when it plays the 10:30 p.m. outdoor show in Confederation Park during the TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival.

Read more: Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra preaches to the converted

“TD sets a tremendous example for corporate Canada as they continue to support the nation’s major jazz festivals from coast to coast,” said the Ottawa Jazz Festival’s Executive Producer Catherine O’Grady.

“We are very thrilled to extend our partnership with the Ottawa Jazz Festival,” said Gary Dunne, Senior Vice President, Ontario North East region, TD Canada Trust. “Every year, this festival continues to build on the powerful momentum of star musicians and amazing audience and volunteer involvement. This partnership allows us to bring people and communities together through the enjoyment of music and we look forward to continuing to do so.”

“TD’s continuous support allows the Festival to grow and flourish,” explains O’Grady. “Multi-year commitments allow the Festival the opportunity to have a vision for the future and to execute its planning in a timely manner which often includes booking artists well in advance.”

The Ottawa Jazz Festival works very closely with TD as well as its fellow jazz festivals to encourage educational jazz programs for Canada’s youth, while continuing to share its ongoing commitment to the environment.

“We look forward to our continued relationship and TD’s exemplary commitment to music with optimism for a bright future,” added O’Grady.

“We’re excited to extend our partnership with these jazz festivals across Canada and we look forward to playing a bigger role in Victoria, Winnipeg and Montreal next year,” said Tim Hockey, President and CEO, TD Canada Trust. “TD has been supporting jazz in Canada for many years and in that time, millions of fans have enjoyed the performances of thousands of artists at these terrific festivals.”

“We are thrilled to have TD’s continued support at our festivals. Each festival has become the success it is because of our volunteers, community support and TD’s commitment to music,” said Patrick Taylor, Executive Producer & CEO, TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival. “And we’re very pleased to announce that with TD assuming the presenting sponsorship position of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and title sponsor of the Winnipeg and Victoria jazz festivals, it is now one of the biggest supporters of jazz music in the world.”

In addition to their commitment to music, the Canadian jazz festivals will continue to work closely with TD to educate their communities about the environment. In efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, Canadian jazz festivals have launched a range of eco-friendly initiatives like recycling programs, locally sourced organic food options, and sourcing renewable energy to power the stages.

“Music programs, festivals, and talented performers all contribute to keeping our communities culturally vibrant,” continued Hockey. “After years of sponsoring jazz festivals and youth outreach programs across Canada, we have seen firsthand how much music means to Canadians as both an expression of cultural identity and a source of enjoyment.”
About TD Music

TD Bank Financial Group is committed to supporting music across Canada. In addition to supporting eight major jazz festivals across the country over the last seven years, TD Bank Financial Group is committed to various programs and events including Opera Ontario, the Toronto Symphony, National Youth Orchestra and The Nathaniel Dett Chorale who performed during President Obama’s Inauguration. TD also supports a variety of local, regional and national programs across Canada promoting literacy, health, education and the environment.
About TD Bank Financial Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves approximately 17 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Insurance; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking through TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank Financial Group also ranks among the world’s leading online financial services firms, with more than 5.5 million online customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN$545 billion in assets on July 31, 2009. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol “TD” on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

As the festival moves into its second quarter, one of its busiest most exciting days was coming up on June 29, with more “can’t miss” shows in one day than anywhere else during the festival. And with two lunchtime “Jazz Matters” panels at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage kicking off on the same day—featuring journalists and authors including Mark Miller, Ashley Kahn, Ron Sweetman, Jesse Stewart and others—moderated by Ottawa’s own James Hale, there’s the opportunity to sit in on roundtable discussions about modern jazz piano and the seminal year of 1959, when artists including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus contributed breakthrough works or performances that would change the shape of jazz forever.

Read more of this in-depth coverage and reviews on the All About Jazz website: Ottawa Jazz Festival 2009

By Peter Hum, The Ottawa Citizen

The first and best word that the Ottawa International Jazz Festival’s executive producer has for her 2009 event is “super-sized.”

Catherine O’Grady has a point. The festival’s artistic budget has grown to nearly $1 million this year, up from about $650,000 last year, thanks to new grants and sponsorships. As a result, the festival, which runs from June 25 to July 5, will pack nine additional shows onto its Confederation Park stage this summer, so that all but one night will feature three concerts instead of the more usual two.

Read full story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Jazzfest goes super-sized