Let’s Hear It for Yaletown 2025: HOT JAZZ
Experience the magic of talented local Canadian musicians as they fill the sun-dappled outdoor square with exhilarating live performances. From toe-tapping rhythms to swinging melodies, immerse yourself in the vibrant music, ranging from New Orleans trad jazz, Django’s hot club jazz, old-timey swing to soulful gospel.
Presented by Vancity Hot Jazz Society (VHJS) and the Yaletown Business Improvement Association (YBIA), these six exciting weeks of live hot jazz celebrate Canadian talent and the local communities that make it all possible!
📅 When: June 4 – July 11, 2025 | Wednesday, Thursday & Friday (+ Canada Day Speical)
🕒 Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
📍 Where: Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown (next to Roundhouse Station)
💃 Let’s Dance: Dance lessons at 6:15pm
🎟️ Cost: FREE!
BEN MACRAE’S GRAND SLAM
WED, June 04, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Ben MacRae, a fixture on the Vancouver trad jazz scene, is a reedsman who stands in the line of great hot jazz musicians. Enthusiastic, full of energy, and often poignant, Ben brings a delightful mixture of trad jazz, crowd work, and musical expertise to the forefront with his band, Grand Slam.
www.macraemusicalservices.com
TOM ARNTZEN & THE AVIATORS
THU, June 05, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Tom Arntzen, a singer, keyboardist, composer and producer, creates a joyous pastiche of soulful, swinging music from the Great American Songbook. His influences include Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra. He has released three critically acclaimed albums of original music.
www.tomarntzen.com
TIM SARS QUINTET
FRI, June 06, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Tim Sars leads his band with a warm, deep and lyrical baritone saxophone tone. The band embraces the sound of trad jazz, New Orleans street beat, and fun-loving originals. Tim’s joined by friends Jocelyn Waugh on trumpet, Wynston Minckler on bass, Alex Flock on guitar and Seth Kitamura on drums. timsarscom.wordpress.com
Instagram: @sarsanian
WHITE ROCK RHYTHM KINGS
WED, June 11, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Casey Tolhurst, Scott Robertson and Don Ogilvie lead this trad jazz rhythm section which features rotating front line musicians. Scott also leads Swing Patrol and his own trio. Casey and Don are founding members of the original Vancouver Hot Jazz Club. Glen Tremblay will play trumpet and vocals.
www.scottondrums.com
THE LAWLESS FIRM
THU, June 12, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
The Lawless Firm plays from the American Songbook of the 1930s and 1940s with a sprinkling of French period pieces. The sound is reminiscent of Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club of France. Guitars, (Michael Dunn, Don Ogilvie) violin (Edgar Bridwell) and bass (Joe Bourchier) back chanteuse Eleanore.
lawlessfirm.ca
BRAD SHIGETA’S SWINGTIME BAND
FRI, June 13, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Trombonist and band leader Brad Shigeta has performed and recorded worldwide with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center and many other big bands for five decades. He is musical director for Edmonton’s Stardust and Lindy Harvest and worked regularly with Frankie Manning in New York.
bradshigeta.com
CASEY THOMAS-BURNS SWING BAND
WED, June 18, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Casey Thomas-Burns, a trombonist, vocalist and bandleader delivers a vibrant performance of hot jazz favourites and hidden gems. The founder and director of 10-woman jazz band ‘The Leading Ladies,’ Casey has been described by Juno-nominated bassist Jodi Proznick as “the future of arts leadership”.
www.caseythomasburns.ca
TERMINAL CITY BRASS BAND
THU, June 19, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
The Terminal City Brass Band plays a full-on range from Trad to Funk and anything else that crosses their minds. Apart from their numerous individual music projects, these close friends, together since 2016, now come together and play regularly out of the love for the sound they create.
www.facebook.com/Tcbrassband
LACHE CERCEL & THE ROMA JAZZ ENSEMBLE
THU, July 17, 2025 (rescheduled date)
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
World renowned violinist and composer Lache Cercel is one of the creators, with Don Ogilvie, of Roma Jazz. With Don, Kyle Hagen, Paul Townsend and Laura Crema, Lache seeks to create dialogue between musical cultures and to provide an experience of peace, joy, healing and harmony.
www.facebook.com/lacheandthecrew
JOCELYN WAUGH HOT 4
WED, June 25, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Jocelyn Waugh is one of the most in-demand trumpet players in Vancouver. A versatile entertainer, she plays a wide variety of styles from Jazz, Mariachi, Funk and R&B to improvised and ‘new music.’ A Capilano University Jazz Studies graduate, her work includes film and commercials.
Instagram: @jocelynwaugh
DJANGOESQUE WITH DON OGILVIE
WED, July 16, 2025 (rescheduled date)
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
In 2009, brothers Kenny and Don Ogilvie brought Djangoesque to a swing dance at the urging of Joel Schwarz and later the Vancity Hot Jazz Society. The response was beyond enthusiastic and they have been delighting dancers and listeners alike ever since with their Django Reinhardt inspired music.
COMPANY B JAZZ BAND
FRI, June 27, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Company B Jazz Band features 3-part vocal harmony in vintage style, delivering a dynamic performance that sends audiences back to the dance halls of the Swing Era and Roaring ‘20s speakeasies. These talented musicians have played music festivals and renowned venues across the globe.
www.companybjazz.com
JOE ABBOTT SWING TEAM
TUE, July 01, 2025 🍁CANADA DAY SPECIAL🍁
*3:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Joe Abbott is a clarinet player, sax player and singer. He is a familiar face in Vancouver’s traditional Jazz and swing scene, known for his bombastic and bluesy melodies and deep love of the swinging eighth note. You can find Joe and his all star band smiling and pumping out rhythm all over town.
joeabbott.bandcamp.com
BROTHERS ARNTZEN
WED, July 02, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
The Brothers Arntzen play joyful, hard-swinging jazz. Raised in the traditional New Orleans style of jazz by their grandfather, legendary Vancouver clarinetist Lloyd Arntzen, Evan and Arnt now live in New York and tour extensively to share their deep love of early jazz, blues and swing.
brothersarntzen.bandcamp.com
DEAN THIESSEN & THE GOOD APPLES
THU, July 03, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Dean Thiessen’s personal projects include Stranger Friends, DM Electric Ko, and Stranger Friends Orchestra. Since moving to Vancouver in 2013 Dean has played countless swing dances and pulls from the sounds of Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and just a dash of Red Garland.
deanthiessen.com
Instagram: @deanedwardthiessen
CHECO TOHOMASO & THE VOC SWEET SOUL GOSPEL CHOIR
FRI, July 04, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Music Director Checo Tohomaso has played and sung for Motown legend Marvin Gaye, The Commodores and Lionel Ritchie. His choir’s toe-tapping mix of Soul, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Hawaiian, Calypso, and Reggae brings people together to deliver a message of peace, hope and healing through singing.
www.facebook.com/VOCSoulGospelChoir
NOAH GOTFRIT QUARTET
WED, July 09, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Double bassist Noah Gotfrit leads a quartet of local jazz luminaries to swing out for ya’ll. The music will focus on traditional swing era dance repertoire from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Illinois Jaquet and also feature some of Noah’s originals.
soundcloud.com/user-334915086
BONNIE NORTHGRAVES QUINTET
THU, July 10, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Bonnie is a trumpet player, vocalist, pianist, and composer who combines smokey, rich, and explorative singing with lyrically intriguing, evolved and playful trumpet playing to recall New Orleans’ early jazz styles. She is a musical powerhouse that is exciting, joyful and chock full of personality.
www.bonnienorthgraves.com
JOSH ROBERTS QUINTET
FRI, July 11, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Long a favourite with swing dancers, Josh Roberts brings a fresh take to 1930s and ’40s music. Influences for his band’s boisterous New Orleans-inflected horns and a swinging rhythm section include the Kansas City Six and Benny Goodman. Josh’s other projects range from duos to a 13-piece big band.
www.joshroberts.ca
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