Hailing from the lower west side of Montreal, Otis – Ali delivers old school blues in an old school way, and never fails to entertain… Having shared stage and studio with some of the greatest blues musicians of our times, such as Junior watson, Fred Kaplan, Richard Innes, Larry Taylor, Johnny Dyer, Lazy Lester, Piano willie etc.

Youtube video: “Bharath & His Rhythm Four – Caraquet en Bleu”

Maclean’s quartet heavily features one of Canada’s most provocative improvising trumpet players — BROWNMAN ALI — an internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning jazz iconoclast who has been heralded as “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpet player” by New York City’s Village Voice and is best known globally as the last trumpet player to play in the legendary jazz-hip-hop group GURU’s JAZZMATAZZ. For this show, Ali & Maclean stand shoulder-to-shoulder with 2 of Canada’s top-tier 20-somethings: BEN DUFF on upright bass, and JACKSON HAYNES on drums (in for Jacob Wutzke).

Come witness these four in full flight, this performance will feature deeply exploratory, hard-swinging modern-jazz audiences will not want to miss.

Musicians:
Nick Maclean – piano
Brownman Ali – trumpet
Ben Duff – bass
Jackson Haynes – drums

Youtube video: “Road Warrior”

“A definite musical voice” (Guitar International) and a player of “fluid lyricism” (DownBeat), Canadian guitarist and composer Alex Goodman moved to New York City in 2012, where he became recognized as “among the most promising talents of his jazz generation” (JazzTimes) and “one of New York’s most vital guitarists” (Jazziz). In 2014, he won First Prize and the Public’s Choice Award at the International Guitar Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Since then, he has contributed to and been featured on numerous Grammy-nominated recordings, as well as projects recognized by Canada’s JUNO Awards and the German Jazz Prize. Over the past decade, he has established a distinct presence, bringing together his work as a guitarist, composer, bandleader, and active sideman.

Alex Goodman – guitar
Chris Cheek – saxophone
Martin Nevin – bass
Adam Arruda – drums

Youtube video: “No Man’s Land”