Florian Hoefner from St. John's, NFLD, Nick Fraser from Montreal and Andrew Downing from Toronto gather in Calgary to perform music from their JUNO-nominated album, Desert Bloom.  

Born and raised in Germany and trained in New York, jazz pianist and composer, Florian Hoefner, draws from a myriad of influences that cumulate in his unique brand of modern jazz. Praised as a “composer-bandleader of insightful resolve” by the New York Times and a “harmonically daring pianist […] reaching toward new sonic territory” by Downbeat Magazine, Florian Hoefner has made his mark as an inventive creator and performer of exciting contemporary Jazz.

Since 2018, Hoefner has been working with his new Canadian trio with Andrew Downing on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. Their award-winning debut album “First Spring,” was released in September 2019 on Alma Records / Universal. The album that focuses on Hoefner’s arrangements of folk tunes from around the world was nominated for a 2021 Juno in the category Jazz Album of the Year: Group and won “Instrumental Recording of the Year” and “Jazz Recording of the Year” at the 2020 East Coast Music Awards in Atlantic Canada. Now the three are presenting their follow-up album, “Desert Bloom” (release: June 3rd, Alma Records). The new program includes 7 new original compositions that showcase Hoefner’s hallmark lyricism and knack for suspenseful dramaturgy, and 2 new arrangements of pieces out of the contemporary Indie Rock and Bluegrass world.

JUNO-nominated vocalist Heather Bambrick prides herself on being an entertainer through and through.  From her skillful, effortless interaction with audiences to the variety and breadth of her material, Heather approaches every aspect of her performances with the goal of leaving audiences feeling far better after her shows than before they arrived.  This is why her concerts have been described as what happens when “Ella Fitzgerald meets Carol Burnett at a Newfoundland kitchen party!

Heather’s solo recordings have each received East Coast Music Award nominations for Jazz Recording of the Year, and her 2017 release You’ll Never Know was nominated for a JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. She is an award-winning broadcaster, hosting and producing shows on JAZZ.FM91 in Toronto, and is the co-founder of JAZZCAST, a 24-hour internet-based Jazz station out of Toronto.

Bassist, composer, educator and producer Jodi Proznick radiates joy through her music. Recently nominated for a JUNO award for her work as the founder and co-leader of The Ostara Project-- an all-star, all-female jazz ensemble-- Jodi's versatility and virtuosity is expressed in an incredible diversity of projects, from Raagaverse, an Indo-fusion jazz group, to the Vancouver Chinese Music ensemble. With credits as a side person on over 4O albums, Jodi is one of the busiest musicians on the Canadian jazz scene. In addition to three JUNO nominations, she was named Jazz Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2019 and was a recipient of the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Awards in 2022.

Heather and Jodi are joined by an outstanding rhythm section featuring Calgary's own Jon McCaslin on drums and and Jon Day on piano.

A JUNO-award winning jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger, Allison Au refuses to be defined. Her work weaves a mosaic of influences into a seamless and soulful sound, a concoction steeped in the tradition of jazz but skillfully laced with elements of classical, pop,R&B/hip hop, Latin, and world music.

Jodi Proznick is a celebrated and beloved jazz bassist, composer, educator and producer. In 2019, she was named Jazz Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and has been nominated for three JUNO Awards. She was a recipient of the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Awards in 2022.

Mili Hong is becoming an important member of Canada’s jazz scene through her playing in a variety of projects including Eli Davidovici and The Watermill Project. Mili's versatility as an artist extends her reach to other genres: she has been involved in several alternative rock projects, including Moondle and Corey Gulkin.

A rare opportunity to hear two powerhouse musicians in a unique and intimate setting: Christine Jensen and Ingrid Jensen up-close and personal at BJP!

Women Band Directors International: Alberta Chapter and BJP are collaborating to bring you Christine and Ingrid Jensen for an evening of outstanding jazz. Normally, these world-class musicians perform together on a big stage with a large ensemble. This summer, they were featured artists with Quebec’s =Jazz Orchestra on the TD stage at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. For this one night, they will perform along with a local rhythm section for an audience of 50 jazz fans in what promises to be an unforgettable evening.

Ingrid Jensen is Dean of Jazz Arts; Jazz Trumpet at the Manhattan school of music. She has been acclaimed one of the most gifted trumpeters of her generation and is a member of the all-star jazz ensemble, Artemis.

Christine Jensen is Professor of Jazz Studies and & Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music. She is a renowned composer and a sought-after conductor with two Juno award wins for her orchestral recordings: Habitat (2014) and Treelines (2011).

Rounding out the performance will be the outstanding rhythm section of Aretha Tillotson on bass, Kristian Alexandrov on piano and Tyler Hornby on drums.