CURRENT SEASON

When jazz aficionado Israel Asper dreamed up the Izzy Asper Jazz Performances 25 years ago, he wanted Winnipeggers to experience the best and brightest jazz artists right here in Winnipeg. To mark our 25th anniversary, we are paying special tribute to Izzy Asper, community builder, jazz aficionado, and visionary creator of this series. In the hour prior to our two November shows, we are celebrating in Roaring Twenties style in the Berney Theatre lobby. There will be music, food, and libations, so dress up in your glamourous garb and toast our next 25!

Our season opens on November 16 and 17 with Montreal-based vocalist Susie Arioli. Known for her vintage styling, signature snare drum, and playful wit, Arioli has generated a dedicated following, rave reviews, and a host of awards, including the Oscar Peterson Prize and two Félix Awards, over the last three decades. Arioli’s brand new album, Embraceable, has led critic Frédéric Cardin to observe that “a Susie album is like returning to the roots of a happiness that is never forgotten or fades away.” This feel-good concert is the perfect way to mark Izzy Asper’s vision, and the joy of hearing great live jazz!

On March 22, we are thrilled to present GRAMMY-nominated reed sensation Anat Cohen with Quartetinho, her quartet of virtuosic Brazilian multi-instrumentalists. Cohen has won hearts and minds the world over with her expressive virtuosity and delightful stage presence. Critics and readers polls consistently name her as the top clarinetist, and the New York Times has called her playing “a revelation.” We’ll be gathering at the wonderful new Desautels Concert Hall for one show only. This concert is a rare opportunity to hear history in the making—a subscription assures you of a seat!

Our season closes on May 17 and 18 with Jane Bunnett and Maqueque. An abiding passion for Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies drives internationally-acclaimed musician and five-time Juno Award winner Jane Bunnett. Just over ten years ago, after countless visits to Cuba, she set about to mentor and record the brilliant young female musicians she was meeting there. In short order, that project became Maqueque, a sizzling all-woman band which has already hit DownBeat’s top ten list of jazz groups. The Berney Theatre will be electric with the irrepressible life and energy of genuine Afro-Cuban jazz.

This is a season you can’t afford to miss! You may purchase single tickets to any of these concerts, but we hope you’ll consider a subscription to the whole season. A subscription offers you the best value, and it will assure you a seat for our show at the Desautels Concert Hall. Scroll down for ticket pricing and a purchase link, or call Shira at 204-477-7534.

(We’ll be joining forces with Jazz Winnipeg again this season for an evening show at the Fort Garry Hotel. More news on that later this fall.)

Thanks for helping us keep the spirit of jazz alive!

Charlene Diehl, Producer
Derrick Gardner, Artistic Advisor
Izzy Asper Jazz Performances

CHARLENE DIEHL started playing the piano before she learned to read, and music and books have been twin passions throughout her life. She was associated editor of dig! magazine through its 13-year run, and has been the Producer of the Izzy Asper Jazz Performances since 2019, when she took over the reins from Bev Aronovitch. She is also a writer, editor, former English professor, and the long-time Director of Plume Winnipeg (formerly the Winnipeg International Writers Festival).

DERRICK GARDNER is an internationally-acclaimed trumpeter and composer whose performing credits include stints with the Count Basie Band and Harry Connick Jr.’s Big Band. He has performed and toured with a who’s-who of jazz, and appears on over 40 recordings, including several featuring his own bands. Recent recordings include Still I Rise! with the Big dig! Band, Pan Africa with the Jazz Prophets, and Septology with the Canadian Jazz Collective. He was hired in 2011 as the Babs Asper Chair in Jazz Trumpet at the University of Manitoba, and in 2021 returned to his hometown of Chicago where he is the Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University.

• Susie Arioli Quartet, Saturday, November 16, 8pm & Sunday, November 17, 2pm (Berney Theatre)

• Anat Cohen Quartetinho, Saturday, March 22, 8pm (Desautels Concert Hall)

• Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, Saturday, May 17, 8pm & Sunday, May 18, 2pm (Berney Theatre)