The Lion’s share of the jazz

Don’t miss the Prohibition Swing Dance, and send the festival out right.

Now in its fourth year, Out Like a Lion was first created by JazzEast to shine another spotlight on local jazz artists outside of the summertime Halifax Jazz Festival. "We thought that jazz musicians deserved more opportunities for artistic expression," says artistic director Laura Healy, "and that Halifax audiences deserved to be more in tune with the innovative directions that these amazing musicians are taking the art form. Basically I wanted to create an event that generates the same kind of buzz and community vibe as the summer jazz festival to keep people inspired and send out the winter blues with a roar." Out Like a Lion started Wednesday, March 27 and continues through until Saturday, March 30—the perfect antidote to our less-than-perfect weather. "All of the musicians this year are from the local jazz community and there's a good representation of players from the younger generation who have been super busy on the scene as of late," says Healy. And when it comes to picking and choosing, it's just too hard, from Andrew Jackson playing with a string quartet and PANOS on Thursday, the non-traditional Mother of Girl and Tim Crofts & Doug Cameron's take on Thelonius Monk tunes on Friday, and the cherry on top, epic costumed swing night on Saturday, you're probably going to have to make a trifecta of it. But if there can be only one, Healy says Saturday is not to be missed. "All of the shows are going to be so different it's really hard to say, though the Prohibition Swing Dance is going to be a huge costumed dance party with a special '20s drink menu, performances by Gypsophilia and Jubilee Swing Orchestra, dance lessons and a competition, prizes and more surprises...it's also the festival's closing night celebration so it'll be quite the party."

Out Like A Lion

Saturday, March 30, 8pm
Olympic Community Hall, 2304 Hunter Street
$20/$16