Oct. 19, 2024: Show 1
Autorickshaw & Brassworks
With Orillia Youth
Show Programme
Brassworks
Africa ………………….............……...............… Paich/Porcaro
Circle of Life …………………….........… Elton John arr. Au
Waltzing Matilda ……….............. MacPherson/Patterson
Copacabana …………………..…..... Manilow/Pattison
Aaj Ki Raat …………………...................… Burman arr. Charlton
(featuring Autorickshaw)
Autorickshaw
The Trouble with Hari …………..... Paich/Porcaro
A Night in Tunisia …………………......... Gillespie/Hendricks
So the Journey Goes …...……….. Suba Sankaran
Me and Julio Down
By the Schoolyard ………………....... Simon/S. Sankaran/T. Sankaran/Hanley
Amber/Caravan ………………….....…. Bell/Ellington/Tizol/Mills
Intermission
One on One ………………................................... Neihaus
Hallelujah I Love Her So ………...… Charles arr. Taylor
(Orillia All-Star Jazz Band under the direction of Dylan Bell)
Three Little Birds ………...……................….. Marley arr. Bell/Sankaran
Stand By Me …………………...…........................ King arr. Bell/Sankaran
(Orillia All-Star Vocal Ensemble under the direction of Suba Sankaran)
Chaiyya Chaiyya …………………............. Rahman arr. Bell/Sankaran
Orillia All-Star Jazz Band
This group is comprised of the most talented young musicians from Orillia’s three high schools, Orillia Secondary School, Twin Lakes Secondary School, and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. They met for three special rehearsals and participated in a workshop with Mr. Dylan Bell. This collaboration has been an exciting and positive experience for all.
Alto Saxophone – Terren Low, Ben Basso
Tenor Saxophone – Faith King, Daisy Mihills
Baritone Saxophone – Brycen Fomenko
Trumpet – Brooke Hodges, Abbey Howard, Lincoln Berrenger,
Damien Baker
Trombone – Madison Carey, Kartikk Chhabra, Logan Feltham,
Noah Simons
Piano – Grace Liu
Bass – Joshua Young
Drums – Oliver Sawatzky, Journey Henderson-Herbert
Orillia All-Star Vocal Ensemble
This group brings together singers from Orillia’s three high schools, Orillia Secondary School, Twin Lakes Secondary School, and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. These students have been rehearsing at their respective schools and participated together in a workshop with members of Autorickshaw. They are excited to be performing today!
Tracy Barton, Anastasia Baillie, Selema Bauman, Taylor Bolen, Jude Bryant, Calleigh Bush, Madison Carey, Kaeya Chhabra, Kartik Chhabra, Cheyanne Cichelly, Ava Collins, Eric Dalziel, Elora DeWolfsmith, Sophie DeWolfsmith, Ivy Dionne, Aspen Donaldson, Lenna Elliott, Halleigh Fournier, Abbygail Gaudette, Leah Guller, Journey Henderson-Herbert, Noah Hewitt, Abbey Howard, Enya Keppo, Travis Lalonde, Grace Liu, Sophia Marges, Ian McCracken, Aubrey McNutt, Ella Miller-Mugford, Rachel Newbery, Gavin Richardson, Ava Shami, Catherine Sherwood, Sothea Sum, Luke Sweet, Pixie Thompson, Erica Volgman, Zoey Walink, Void Wright
Autorickshaw
Autorickshaw’s music lies on the cultural cutting edge, as pop, jazz, funk and folk easily rub shoulders with the music of India. Formed in 2003, Autorickshaw is one of the most intriguing acts on the world music and jazz landscapes, garnering 2004 and 2007 JUNO nominations for World Music Album of the Year, the John Lennon Songwriting Competition Grand Prize in World Music and numerous other national and international awards. Their sound showcases the sultry, sophisticated vocals of Suba Sankaran, anchored by the melodic bass-lines & beatboxing of Dylan Bell over a bed of intricate Indian percussion by Ed Hanley. The group’s diverse repertoire and range of Eastern and Western elements could only come from musicians with deep roots in both traditions.
Brassworks
Brassworks brings a talented group of Orillia’s finest music experts together. The band is passionate about collaborating to perform jazz repertoire and brass ensemble music. Brassworks has performed at various venues in Orillia, Wasaga Beach, Toronto, and New Jersey, and often features special guest soloists. The band places importance on providing opportunities for Orillia’s youth musicians.
Trumpet – Kevin Metcalf, Robin Watson, Colin Druery
Trombone – Curtis Metcalf, Laura Christie
Piano – Danny McErlain
Bass – Josh Young
Drums – Darrin Cranney
Brassworks is pleased to welcome a guest saxophone section from the 4th Street Jazz Project this evening.
4th Street Jazz Project Guest Musicians
Alto Saxophone – Kirsten Smith, Lori Anderson
Tenor Saxophone – Susy Lee, Steve Weinberg
Flute – Susy Lee
Oct. 19, 2024: Show 2
Caity Gyorgy & Thompson
Egbo-Egbo Trio
With Dance Choreography by Vicki St. Denys
Caity Gyorgy
Vocals…………………………Caity Gyorgy
Piano………………………....…Anthony D'Alessandro
Bass………...……………...........Thomas Hainbuch
Drums………………….….....Jacob Wutzke
Caity Gyorgy (pronounced George) is a 2 time JUNO award winning Canadian vocalist known for singing bebop and swing music. She has performed at jazz clubs and festivals across Canada, Mexico, Japan and the USA and has worked and recorded with incredible musicians including Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Bryn Roberts and Joe LaBarbera, to name a few.
In addition to being a performer, Caity is an avid writer and composes songs in the style of the Great American Songbook. Her compositions have been sung by other vocalists around the world, and have won multiple awards including the Grand Prize in the jazz category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She is also a sought after clinician and is currently on faculty as a vocal jazz instructor at the Yukon Summer Music Camp in Whitehorse, Yukon and the Interprovincial Music Camp in McKellar, Ontario.
She is currently signed to Brooklyn label La Reserve Records and has released several albums of original and standard music with them including her two JUNO award winning albums "Now Pronouncing" and "Featuring" and her JUNO nominated album with pianist Mark Limacher titled "You’re Alike, You Two”.
Her upcoming album "Hello! How Are You?" features Caity accompanied by her regular piano trio and will be released on August 9th, 2024.
Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio
With Dance Choreography by Vicki St. Denys
Piano………………………............…Thomson Egbo Egbo
Drums………………………............Jeff Halischuk
Bass…………………………................Randall Hall
Choreography…………Vicki St. Denys
(In collaboration with the dancers)
Dancer……………………………. Jeff Lapira
Dancer……………………….....… Molly Tiernan
Dancer……………………….……. Nadia Dardano
Dancer………………………..…… Olivia Okinkwo
Dancer……………………..……… Shona Kiyama
Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Thompson Egbo-Egbo is a pianist with a gift for memorable but harmonically complex compositions that have at their core a deep, abiding groove. A rambunctious and free spirit was channeled in a creative direction with piano lessons an inner-city music school. After graduating from high school, Egbo-Egbo earned a degree in Music from Humber College and studied electronic production and design at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After college, Egbo-Egbo found performance work in the clubs and lounges of Toronto. An ever popular performer, many solo engagements turned in to long-term residencies at venues like The Shangri-La Hotel & Jacob’s Steakhouse. In 2014, Egbo-Egbo released ‘Short Stories’, a collection of original solo piano compositions inspired by his residency performances. Four years later, Egbo-Egbo issued ‘A New Standard’ for eOne, which sought to redefine the concept of the jazz standard, and included original takes on Radiohead, Bob Dylan and Laura Mvula tunes. The album was recorded in a trio format, with Randall Hall on bass, and Jeff Halischuk on drums, marking a departure from the solo playing for which Egbo-Egbo had become known. ‘A New Standard’ was well received by critics and audiences alike, with Canadian Beats magazine calling it ‘a brilliant display of creativity, keen diversity and expert arranging.’ The album’s release was the beginning of a busy year of touring, including sold out appearances at The Rex Hotel, the Poetry Jazz Cafe in Toronto and Artword Artbar in Hamilton. The end of the year saw the inclusion of the album on JazzFM’s Music Director’s Top 20 of 2018, landing at #6, among records by Kamasi Washington and John Scofield. For ‘The Offering’, Egbo-Egbo has returned to the trio format. If ‘A New Standard’ sought to change the conversation, ‘The Offering’ seeks to create a new dialogue about what we expect from a ‘jazz’ trio. Whereas ‘A New Standard’ was recorded and then performed, many of the tracks on ‘The Offering’ were written on stage, and put to tape after they’d been fleshed out live. This adds a presence and muscular tone to the album. The recording process itself was an attempt to capture the essence of the trio live – the element that has been attracting an ever growing audience to the trio’s concerts. With the exception of the Pat Metheny penned ‘Question and Answer’ and the traditional standard ‘Beautiful Love’, the rest of the tunes are written by Egbo-Egbo or co-written with the trio.
Jeff Halischuk is a Humber College graduate based out of Toronto. He can be seen performing throughout the GTA, and has toured throughout Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe. Performance credits include Johnny Reid, Gord Sinclair, Sean Jones, Lily Frost, and many others. He is a member of the Egbo Trio and JVs Boogaloo squad.
Randall Hall has been playing bass for over 30 years and with Thompson Egbo-Egbo for the last 15. He has been mentored by Bobby Edwards (Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry) and Alex Lifeson (Rush). Randall has performed and shared the stage with a bunch of spectacular international artists in a variety of genres. Examples include Ace of Base, Arrested Development, Judy Mowatt (Bob Marley), Maceo Parker (James Brown), Kelly Rowland (Destiny's Child), and Junior Tucker. Randall is a graduate of the esteemed Humber College music program.
Vicki St. Denys, MA has served as the Director of the Dance Program since 2014. She joined TMU (formerly Ryerson) in 1991 and was the resident choreographer for well over a decade. A leader in the field of jazz dance, Vicki’s research, choreography and teaching are grounded in its roots and relationship to jazz music. Vicki has toured nationally and internationally as a performer, teacher and choreographer for numerous companies and with a broad array of productions. Her choreography has been featured on television, film, theatre, opera and motion capture projects. From 2000-2007, Vicki was a member of the dance faculty at the prestigious The Banff Centre for the Arts, she was subsequently the choreographer for the Opera as Theatre Program and for the Citadel Theatre program. She has served as an assessor for the Canada Council for the Arts/Dance Division, Fall for Dance North’s (FFDN), International Presenters Program Artistic Advisory Committee, and the World Dance Alliance. Since her appointment as Director of the Dance Program, Vicki has dedicated herself to increasing the profile of the program by expanding the curriculum and training, including more Canadian and international guest artists and by partnering with major arts organizations such as FFDN. Through her efforts, Ryerson dancers have shared the stage with world renowned dance companies at the FFDN Festival at Meridian Hall and taken part in the worldwide Cunningham centennial celebrations - demonstrating that Ryerson is home to Canada’s leading BFA dance program. Vicki is a recipient of the Dean’s Teaching Award for 2020.
Jeffrey Lapira (He/Him) is a Filipino-Canadian artist born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, with a practice in dance performance, collaborative making and contemporary street aesthetics. He is expected to graduate in Spring 2025 with a BFA in Dance Performance from Toronto Metropolitan University. During his undergraduate training, he has interpreted works by Hanna Kiel, Valerie Calam and Vicki St. Deny. He has been featured in various programs by Fall For Dance North and the Common Ground Festival. This past summer, Jeffrey performed with company Frog in Hand in SUMMER DANCES: A Mixed Bill and with Human Body Expression in BODY in South Korea as part of the Seoul International Dance Festival. Jeffrey is absolutely thrilled to perform with the Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio as part of the electrifying Orillia Jazz Fest. He can't wait to bring his passion and energy to this incredible event!
Molly Tiernan (she/her) is an emerging performer, artist, and choreographer, based in Toronto, Ontario. Since the age of three, Tiernan has trained across numerous dance genres from ballet to Irish dance, ultimately finding her primary passion within Jazz. In June 2024, Tiernan achieved her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), completing their four year, prestigious dance program. Tiernan has trained under established Canadian and International teachers/choreographers including Vicki St.Denys, Anisa Tejpar, Raoul Wilke, Robert Glumbeck, Tanya Evidente, and Miha Matevzic. She has performed original pieces choreographed by Guillaume Côté, Vicki St.Denys, and Rodney Diverlus. In 2023, Tiernan’s choreography was showcased at INFLORESCENCE, produced by Fall For Dance North. This October, see Molly Tiernan in Doctor Bird Productions' Jekyll and Hyde The Musical in Concert. Having danced in the Orillia Jazz Festival 2023, with World Jazz Asylum featuring Lance Anderson, Tiernan is very excited to perform at the Orillia Jazz Festival 2024.
Nadia Dardano (she/ her) is a performer, choreographer, creator, and instructor based in the Ontario region. Nadia’s curriculum spans an array of styles, including Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, partner work, floorwork, Street-styles, and West African styles. Her love for street style dance has led her to perform in local based programs such as Footnotes, Kode Red Company, and Doomsday. Nadia has graced the stage in numerous productions under the guidance of esteemed choreographers like Raoul Piley, Susie Burpee, Alysa Pires, Alyssa Martin, Vicki St-Denys, Esie Mensah, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbeck and Fran Chudnoff. Beyond dance, she immerses herself in acting, singing, directing, and fine art practices. Nadia is a 2025 graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University in the performance dance program. With her choreographic eye she has presented work on local stages such as Fever After Dark 2024 and has won numerous awards at local dance competitions. Her credits extend to dancing at the Canadian Walk of Fame 2023, and local performance programs such as Night Shift Citadel.
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Olivia Okonkwo (she/her) is a biracial Nigerian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, with a creative practice based in dance creation, performance and choreography. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Olivia currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.
Graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University’s (formerly Ryerson) BFA Performance Dance program in 2024, Olivia has trained in various dance disciplines under the direction of Tanya Evidente, Vicki St.Denys, Louis Laberge-Côté, and other renowned dance educators. She has performed in both stage and film works by Robert Glumbek and Roberto Campanella (ProArteDanza), Kaitlyn Seibold, Vicki St. Denys, Guillaume Côté (Côté Danse), and several others. In recognition of her artistry, versatility, technical proficiency, diligence, and collaborative spirit, Olivia was a recipient of the Karen Green in Memoriam Scholarship at the ProArteDanza 2023 Summer Intensive Program. As an emerging choreographer, Olivia’s works have been debuted with Fall for Dance North and TO Live’s: Innovative Ballet Theatre.
Olivia’s passion for dance and movement is a driving force, allowing her to further develop her artistry as a mover, performer and a creator.
Shona Kiyama (木山晶南) is a Japanese-Canadian movement artist from what is colonially considered Burnaby, BC. Known for her versatility and dedication, Shona’s movement vocabulary spans various styles such as contemporary, tap, concert and vernacular jazz, ballet, street styles, modern (Limon and Graham), West African, and musical theater. She has performed works by Guillaume Côté, Daileidys Carrazana, Alysa Pires, Hanna Kiel, Vicki St. Denys, Zoe Kwan, Matt Cady, Heather Laura Gray, and Sean Smith, among others. She graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Performance Dance Program with honours in 2024, and has since worked with Kaeja d’Dance as their Development Officer and Community & Outreach Coordinator. Most recently, she performed with Malpaso Dance Company as a part of Fall For Dance North’s signature programme Homecoming. Shona is excited to return to the Orillia Jazz Festival stage and share her passion for dance and music with the city!