Duos to quintets, IronFest III offers up fresh jazz juxtapositions, November 3 to 5 at IronWorks
One-off combo nights span local and international names, from Josh Zubot and François Houle to Jay Clayton and Kate Gentile
IronFest III takes place at Ironworks from November 3 to 5, presented by Coastal Jazz, in association with the DTES Heart of the City Festival and Music on Main
FRESH, IMAGINATIVE COLLABS and juxtapositions: they’re the lifeblood of the best new jazz. They’re also the driving forces of a trio of programs at IronFest this week, where local and international join forces to see what happens at the atmospheric IronWorks space.
Highlights include the first night’s appearance by violinist-composer Josh Zubot’s string quintet, bringing together sibling violinist/violist Jesse Zubot along with Meredith Bates on violin, Peggy Lee on cello, and James Meger on bass. They fill out a fun double bill with experimental SICKBOSS, guitarist Cole Schmidt’s project with cellist Le, JP Carter on trumpet/FX, James Meger on bass/FX, Dan Gaucher on drums/FX, and Josh Zubot back on violin/FX.
We’re also, well, jazzed about the mashups on the second night: think Vancouver trumpet sensation Feven Kidane combining forces with veteran guitarist Tony Wilson; or Turkish-born, U.S.-based violinist Eylem Basaldi (of Snarky Puppy and Banda Magda) teaming up with Vancouver guitarist Gordon Grdina and bass master Torsten Müller. Rounding out the program is a dream team of clarinet innovator François Houle, U.K. pianist Alexander Hawkins, and buzzed-about American drum improviser Kate Gentile.
You can read about the third program, which includes American jazz-singing legend Jay Clayton, here, in the series coproduced by Coastal Jazz & Blues, the Modulus Festival, and the Downtown Heart of the City Festival.
Related Articles
Together, groups perform Niel Golden’s Hindustani-driven premiere, as well as Moshe Denburg’s Ani Ma-amin and Farshid Samandari’s Asheghaneh
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society will present the artists in a variety of festival events, including public talks, workshops, performances, and more
Standing O, as British pianist launches concert series with a carefully considered performance that moves from youthful playfulness to fatalistic angst
Event’s 47th annual edition will open with Côte d’Ivoire singer Dobet Gnahoré, and close with JUNO and Polaris prize-winner Jeremy Dutcher
Roots-and-blues musician playing the Kay Meek Arts Centre on May 17 has strummed alongside Vieux Farka Touré in Mali, toured England by bicycle, and more
Concert’s focal point is Josquin des Prez’s late-1490s chanson “Nymphes des bois”, an elegy to composer Johannes Ockeghem
Joined by trumpet player Jens Lindemann and pianist Ian Parker, ensemble will perform Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
Acclaimed English pianist will perform 12 Schubert piano sonatas over the course of four concerts at the Vancouver Playhouse, starting May 11
Melissa Dunphy and Grammy-nominee Kile Smith take audiences on a musical journey in Earth and Aether: the archaeology of soul and sky
Vocalist Shruti Ramani sings for the band that draws upon the raga
The performance features Métis soprano Melody Courage, pianist Jesse Plessis, and cellist Ariel Carrabré, and more
Multi-part project explores Filipinx composer and ethnomusicologist’s pioneering work through photographs, objects, scores, and more
Inventive trio brings genre-bending sound and characteristic improvisations to the stage in copresentation with the Rickshaw Theatre
The choral conductor wraps up 38 years of leadership with wide-ranging concerts of Canadian commissions and new works for 2024-25
Vancouver Improvised Arts Society event will feature several talented musicians, including Brooklyn-based Apache experimental violinist Laura Ortman
Festivals, music, dance, poetry, and more as artists honour Asian culture with a luminous May events calendar
Vancouver-raised, New York-based musician returns to the Christ Church Cathedral after a sold-out performance of Book 1 last spring
International lineup includes all-female Norwegian brass ensemble tenThing and soprano-conductor Barbara Hannigan
New York–based musicians to harmonize the sounds of Eastern and Western instruments in Vancouver debut at the Annex
Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre hosts a birthday ode to the iconic musical theatre composer with tracks from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and more
In Western Front and Roundhouse copresentation, José Maceda’s work blends traditional bamboo instruments and dozens of voices