400th Island Jazz show

On August 7, Island Jazz presents its 400th live jazz show at Baba’s Lounge. Since 2016, Island Jazz has showcased the value of live improvisation and spontaneity in music. For nine seasons now, Island Jazz has presented weekly shows every Thursday night at Baba’s, featuring musicians from a variety of backgrounds performing original music, jazz standards, pop hits, and favourites from a wide range of genres and styles.

Island Jazz casts a pretty wide definition of jazz—the focus is on improvisation in any genre. Audiences hear music by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Pat Metheny, but also music by James Taylor, Tom Waits, Motown, The Beatles, Radiohead, Vulfpeck, Scary Pockets, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, Gene MacLellan, Billy Joel, and more. Musicians listen intently to each other live on stage, opening up the forms for organic improvisation.

Island Jazz provides opportunities for a wide variety of players—from regional jazz stars to local pros and emerging student musicians—to perform for an appreciative local audience in an intimate setting. Every show features a different group performing in a wide variety of styles—classic and modern jazz, but also R&B, soul, funk, rock, singer-songwriter, roots, gypsy, Latin jazz, and more.

Across 400 shows, Island Jazz has provided more than 2000 performance opportunities for PEI musicians, and has presented top-tier Canadian talent on tour. Notable guests include Chet and Jim Doxas; Michael Occhipinti from Ontario; Angela Verbrugge and Ashley Wey from BC; Chad Bell, Glen Deveau, Denis Surrette, and Joel Miller from NB; and Sam Wilson and Andrew Jackson from NS.

Baba’s Lounge has partnered with Island Jazz since the first Thursday in 2016. Baba’s has been an incubator of live music for over 30 years. 

“We are so happy that we can contribute to the jazz scene in Charlottetown,” says owner Ryan Abdallah. “[Island Jazz] is a celebration of the wonderful musical talent in PEI and Atlantic Canada.”

Featured local artists have included Ian Toms, Ken Fornetran, Dan Rowswell, Sean Ferris, Alan Dowling, Deryl Gallant, Kelley Mooney, Mark Haines, Groove Company, Sean Kemp, Jacob Reddin, Chris Corrigan, Lucia Dostal, Ceili Gallante, Liam Corcoran, Dan Doiron, Trio from Mars, Adam Hill, Paulina Hernandez, Jordan Taylor, Carlie Howell, and many more, along with numerous music university, college, and high school students.

Baba’s Lounge is located at 181 Great George Street in Charlottetown. Island Jazz at Baba’s starts just after 8 pm every Thursday night and runs until around 10:15 pm. For more information, visit @islandjazzpei on social media or call 902-388-6042.