Winnipeg International Jazz Festival Announces 2015 Lineup

TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival's 2015 lineup announcement heralds the warmer weather and summer is officially on the horizon.

Now celebrating its 26th year, Winnipeg’s largest downtown music festival will feature nearly 100 performers taking over various city stages, June 11-21. Drawing thousands of concert goers, the live music spans just about every genre, from jazz standards to R&B, hardbop to hip hop, roots and blues to indie rock and electronic pop, latin jazz, and just about everything in between.

“We’ve struck a great balance of modern and traditional jazz, legends and upandcomers, accented by forwardthinking artists from the broader music landscape,” said executive producer Paul Nolin in a release. “There’s something for everyone.”

This year's fest boasts over 40 Manitoba acts in the clubs and theatres and on the outdoor stage. Jazz Fest kicks things off in the heart of the Exchange District with a free opening weekend at Old Market Square, June 11-14. The Cube will feature a diverse line-up, including jazz and soul on Thursday, Latin Jazz on Friday, the wildly popular indie night on Saturday, and closing out with a diverse Sunday night lineup.

The opening weekend local line-up includes funk festival fave Moses Mayes, New Orleans style funk and soul act Dirty Catfish Brass Band, Latin jazz acts Trio Bembe, Combo Latino, and Marco Castillo & Brazilian Beats, Mexican prog rockers The Mariachi Ghost, indie pop/rock outfit Federal Lights, electro pop act Vikings, pop singer/songwriter French Press, indie rockers Federal Lights, hip hop heroes The Lytics, R&B/soul troupe The Noble Thiefs, and more.

Other locals hitting the stages include JUNO-winning soul/pop group Chic Gamine, indie electronic duo Atlaas, yodeling western swinger Woody Holler and His Orchestra, roots trio Red Moon Road, crooner and pianist Doug Edmond, guitarist Keith Price, vocalists Monika Wall, Nadia Douglas, Amber Epp, and Grace Hrabi, roots/blues maven Little Miss Higgins, trumpeter extraordinaire Richard Gillis, and acclaimed drummer/composer/band leader Curtis Nowosad.

This year's international headliners include Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, blues legend Buddy Guy, funk/soul/R&B singer Charles Bradley, plus Theatre Series marquee names Mavis Staples, Otis Brown III, Kenny Barron, Fresh Hersch, and a World Premiere ensemble performance from legendary jazz chameleon Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland.

Jazz Fest's groundbreaking Club Series features songwriter/composer and Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett,  NYC soundscaper Son Lux, pop chanteuse Zola Jesus, punk act Deerhoof, and Mayer Hawthorne/Jake One collab, Tuxedo. 

You can also grab a little jazz with your lunch with free weekday noon hour concerts at Old Market Square, June 12-19, featuring the likes of The Heavyweights Brass Band, Gypsophilia, and fauxpasfunk.

For those looking to connect with festival artists to boost their music skills, Jazz Fest also offers free workshops. Taking place at the Platform Gallery in the Artspace building, the TD Jazz Labs will feature free sessions and talks by the likes of Fred Hersch, Otis Brown III, Duke Robillard Robo Botos, Steve Hill, and members of MonkeyJunk.

See the complete list of this year's performers at jazzwinnipeg.com