What is the best Canadian jazz of the last 10 years?

May 1, 2023 4:04 PM

Canadian* jazz, 2013-2023, hit me.

*using the CRTC CanCon MAPL system: 2+ of Music, Artist, Production, Lyrics.

posted by Shepherd to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

You'll have to check by album and track, but Alex Pangman's catalogue is worth checking out in depth. "If We Never Meet Again" (2020) is full-on CanCon if I'm reading the credits right.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:07 PM on May 1, 2023

Response by poster: Not to threadsit but the MAPL thing isn't intended to give people homework -- if you're pretty sure the artist is born / resides in Canada, that's good enough for me for now!
posted by Shepherd at 5:13 PM on May 1, 2023

I live in Buffalo and regularly listen to CJRT 91.1 (jazz.fm) from Toronto. Since you I've in Kingston, you almost surely already know about them, but they play a ton of Canadian artists (probably more than they need to to meet their CanCon requirements), so you could listen to them and and hear tons of great stuff. But some people I like (you could really pick out anything they've done:

Singers: Emilie-Claire Barlow, Diana Panto, Laila Biali, Elizabeth Shepherd (her album with Michael Occipinti is great)

Allison Au: alto saxophonist. Her album "The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey" is my favorite of hers, and just meets your year cutoff.

Larnell Lewis (drummer for Snarky Pupy, but also put ootu two records of his own recently)

Rich Brown (bass player in many Toronto bands. His album "Abeng" is great)

Eric St-Laurent: He's a guitarist mainly, and he varies styles from album to album

Jodi Proznik (bass): her album "Foundations" is a bit older than 10 years, but fantastic.
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:36 PM on May 1, 2023 [3 favorites]

Not sure if diehards consider him jazz or not, but I honestly believe Canadian-American saxophonist Colin Stetson is among the greatest of all time. He's an absolute marvel and I often wonder what Coltrane, Coleman, Cherry, Kirk, Mobley, and others would think of his playing. (All live, no effects pedals or loopers.)
posted by dobbs at 6:49 PM on May 1, 2023 [4 favorites]

BADBADNOTGOOD
Felicity Williams
posted by box at 5:11 AM on May 2, 2023 [1 favorite]

I am outside your 10 year period but Maynard Ferguson has a rich Canadian jazz background - as a Canadian Jazz Trumpeter and band leader. He passed away in 2006. I was fortunate to see him in concert a few times. Look him up and be ready to jam
posted by Upon Further Review at 9:21 AM on May 2, 2023