In another sign of the growing popularity of live jazz in Peterborough, only a handful of tickets remain for Juno award-winning Canadian jazz vocalist Molly Johnson’s upcoming concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.
The 7 p.m. concert on Sunday, April 26 is the main event of this year’s International Jazz Day Peterborough, which also features the “Dine with Jazz” series the evening before with eight local jazz musicians performing at four downtown Peterborough restaurants, followed by a concert by a jazz quartet.
With almost three weeks left before Johnson’s concert at the downtown venue, it is sure to sell out — which is also what happened last year when International Jazz Day Peterborough presented another Juno award-winning Canadian jazz vocalist, Holly Cole.
International Jazz Day Peterborough was first organized in 2015 by Peterborough jazz musicians including Craig Paterson and — except for a three-year hiatus during the pandemic — has been celebrated ever year since, with the goal of bringing together the community, local businesses, and jazz enthusiasts so that people can enjoy the diversity of the genre today.
Iconic American jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock first proposed International Jazz Day in 2011, after he was designated as a Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO subsequently proclaimed April 30th to be International Jazz Day beginning in 2012 and now, 14 years later, over 200 countries participate every year.
As for Johnson, she is one of Canada’s most acclaimed jazz vocalists, known for her rich and soulful voice and emotionally resonant interpretations of jazz, blues, and pop standards. Born in Toronto into a musical family in 1959, she performed as a child in musical theatre productions and sang in several bands in the 1980s and 1990s before launching her solo career in 2000 with her self-titled debut, which became one of the best-selling jazz recordings in Canadian history and established her as a leading figure in the country’s jazz scene.
VIDEO: “Still Believe In Love” – Molly Johnson
Beyond her recording success, Johnson has been a leading supporter of the arts and a champion of Canadian jazz. In 1993, she launched the Kumbaya Festival benefiting AIDS hospices and Canadians living with AIDS, contributing directly to the birth of Toronto’s Casey House. She is also a co-founder of the Kensington Market Jazz Festival in Toronto and has received numerous honours for her contributions to music, including a Governor General’s Award for lifetime artistic achievement and induction into the Order of Canada.
At her Market Hall concert, Johnson will be backed by a band consisting of Juno award-winning pianist Robi Botos, Juno award-winning bassist Mike Downes, and drummer David Direnzo.
Reserved seating tickets are $58 and are available at markethall.org.
If you don’t secure tickets for the Johnson concert, there are other opportunities to take in some jazz during the “Dine with Jazz” series, where selected downtown Peterborough restaurants host local jazz musicians from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
This year’s series will see Pete Woolidge and Mark Davidson performing at La Hacienda (190 Hunter St. W.), Ginny Simonds and Craig Paterson at Amandala’s (375 Water St.), Michael Monis and Paco Luviano at Agave (376 George St. N.), and Rob Phillips and Carling Stephen at The Black Horse Pub (452 George St. N.).
Reservations are recommended. Other than the cost of your dinner, there is no charge for the “Dine with Jazz” series. That’s also the case for a jazz concert taking place at The Black Horse following Rob Phillips and Carling Stephen’s performance.
The Curtis Cronkwright Quartet — featuring Chris Gale on saxophone, Nathan Hiltz on guitar, Duncan Hopkins on bass, and Peterborough’s own Curtis Cronkwright on drums — will take over the Black Horse stage from 9 p.m. until midnight. There is no cover charge for the concert.
Returning as sponsors of this year’s International Jazz Day Peterborough are LLF Lawyers, We Design Group, Alterna Savings, and McCosh Private Wealth Management, with kawarthaNOW as media sponsor, as well as the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
For more information about International Jazz Day Peterborough, visit www.facebook.com/internationaljazzdaypeterborough/.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be the longtime media sponsor of International Jazz Day Peterborough.
