A sure sign of summer being in full swing, the Halifax Jazz Festival is (arguably) the biggest music fest of the season, a set of concerts offering some of the brightest and fastest-ascending names in music. It’s brouhahas on the waterfront as big stars take the stage for open-air, seaside shows; it’s a summer sunset […]
halifax jazz festival
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5 can’t-miss events happening at 2021 Halifax Jazz Festival
Well Halifax, if you’re looking for the true source of this scorching summer heatwave, we have a theory: It’s the white-hot lineup Jazz Fest continues to serve as the seasonal staple rolls on. This humidity, though? We’ll blame god/the sky/our horoscope for that. Below we’re breaking down the must-see events of the festival’s second week—all […]
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Jazz Fest: Sheila E.
On Friday, this city has a rare chance to see a living legend: The great Sheila E. Sheila Escovedo, queen of all things percussion, has had more extraordinary experiences in her life than seem possible to fit into her 61 years. From first stepping on stage with her father, famed musician Pete Escovedo, at age […]
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Jazz Fest: Mdou Moctar
You think you know how African music sounds: You still know the words to K’naan’s last hit and your record collection includes Mumford and Son’s Johannesburg EP. Drips of the continent’s varied music land on your eardrums, but what you don’t know, yet, is that there’s an African rock star whose loose, noodling guitar is […]
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Jazz Fest: Bernice
Without jazz, there’d be no Bernice. All five members completed undergrad degrees in jazz performance at different schools, but ended up forming a band that leans more toward minimalistic pop. “After school, I didn’t quite feel like [jazz] was my path forward in music and started really focusing on writing my own songs,” says Robin […]
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Jazz Fest: Exco Levi
F or one of Canada’s most decorated reggae musicians, it’s all about singing for the people. “Reggae music—all the music that we do—we sing songs of unification and liberation,” says Exco Levi, the stage name of Wayne Ford Levi. Born in Jamaica, the musician is now based out of Brampton, Ontario and is coming to […]
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Jazz Fest: Pondercast’s Laurie Brown
Laurie Brown & Joshua Van Tassel Saturday, July 13, 2pm Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Road free Pondercast Live Saturday July 13, 9pm The Carleton, 1685 Argyle Street $25 I t’s about to get meta at Halifax Jazz Festival. That’s because Laurie Brown is bringing a live show of her podcast Pondercast to an […]
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Best Music Festival
Gold Winner Halifax Jazz Festival Silver Winner Halifax Pop Explosion Bronze Winner In the Dead Of Winter Halifax Jazz Festival continues to sock dingers year after year, following up last year’s Anderson.Paak blowout with the likes of Chaka Khan, The War on Drugs and Daniel Caesar. “We strive to offer a genre-diverse lineup that is […]
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Jazz Fest: Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar w/Charlotte Day Wilson Sunday, July 15, 8:30pm Waterfront Stage $32-$38 Love, loss, faith, desire and determination—hear it all when Daniel Caesar takes to the Halifax Jazz Festival stage on July 15. Closing out a year which saw the release of his successful debut album Freudian, the singer will serenade audiences with the soulful […]
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Jazz Fest: Land of Talk
Land of Talk Thursday, July 12, 7pm St. Matthew’s United Church $35 Elizabeth Powell doesn’t have it all figured out, but she sure is trying. The frontperson of acclaimed indie outfit Land of Talk has just returned from a morning run when she answers the phone, full of energy and new revelations. “I had another […]
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Jazz Fest: Charlotte Day Wilson
Charlotte Day Wilson w/Daniel Caesar Sunday, July 15, 8:30pm Waterfront Stage $32-$38 Charlotte Day Wilson wants you to feel something—but she also acknowledges just how hard it can be to feel anything at all. The self-made R&B singer and producer—now back in her native Toronto after a stint living, studying and fronting local smooth-talkers The […]
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Jazz Fest: Jeri Brown
Jeri Brown Friday, July 13, 11:15pm The Carleton $20 Jeri Brown’s singing is effortless. But make no mistake: Her position as one of jazz music’s most acclaimed contemporary vocalists is the product of decades of hard work. “It is essential that the story is clear,” says Brown, who seems to hold her story with a […]