Calgary and all that’s jazz
Emma Voelpel, Contributor
Although the city echoes with the sound of country music, Calgary also has a jazz scene that is steadily on the rise.
When most people think of Calgary culture, they think of cowboys, horses, and, of course, the Stampede.
The city—so affectionately nicknamed ‘Cow-Town’—has made a name for itself, with Western culture being the backbone of the community and the economy.
However, despite the popular belief that Calgary is country music-oriented, the city has much more to offer.
The festival
Every year, JazzYYC, Calgary’s jazz collaborative, puts on events that rekindle the city’s love affair with different genres of music.
Last year, the collective presented over 450 musicians, with the majority of them being from Calgary or the surrounding area.
“We have a really energetic community here,” says Kodi Hutchinson, artistic director of JazzYYC.
In particular, their Canadian Festival that took place throughout the month of November showcased Canadian artists, displaying their talent and passion for music.
The festival featured a variety of musical acts, each representing a different branch of jazz music. Kicking off the five-day event was Juno and Grammy award-winning singer Alex Cuba, who performed an intimate set with his guitar at the Bell Music Centre.
The other five days saw bands performing different variations of jazz music like tango, funk, or swing. Musicians on the piano, bass, trumpet, and violin also play like it’s second nature to them. Together, their musicality captivated audiences, really encompassing just how much talent Canada has to offer.
With both ticketed and free shows, it was a buffet of music that reached all kinds of interests. The organisation also offered discounted tickets for those under 25 years old, providing options for those who wish to dabble in different musical genres that they may have never heard of.
“I just want to try and get people to like this thing that I love,” says Hutchinson. “Our goal is to give a wide range of music that fits with, you know, that we would say falls under the umbrella of jazz.”
Other events the organisation puts on throughout the year include programming for International Jazz Day in April, as well as their Summer Festival in June.
JazzYYC’s lab band
Throughout Calgary’s history, there has been a distinct generational gap between those who take an interest in the art. Universities have slowly dissolved their music programs over the years, creating obstacles for up-and-coming musicians to explore music and jazz. The relationship this city has with the genre is distinctly different from other major cities in Canada.
However, over the past decade, the city has been experiencing a resurgence in the genre.
The jazz collaborative has been a pioneer in giving opportunities to younger generations to practice the music. Their youth lab bands—a joint initiative with the Mount Royal University Conservatory—provide education and experience for students to become both part of a jazz collective and to gain more knowledge about the art.
Izy Montanez, an alumni of the program, took on a front-of-house role for the recent Canadian Festival, seeing firsthand just how much of a crowd these events bring in and the conversations they bring up.
“Not only do we want to grow the awareness of the music, but the people,” says Montanez. “Jazz is a community, jazz is a conversation.”
The program has doubled in size over the past year and can be expected to grow even more in the years to come, with an abundance of players receiving scholarships across North America, displaying their musicality in other facets of music.
Alex Cuba playing the Bell Music Hall. Photo by Emma Voelpel
The future of the arts and jazz in Calgary
JazzYYC is only expected to become bigger as time goes on. More events and musicians can be expected in the future as the city itself expands.
Calgary hasn’t just seen an interest for jazz arise, but an interest in the arts as a whole. There’s been a growing demand in the city to make the arts more accessible and diverse.
The City of Calgary has been conducting major artistic infrastructure expansions including the Arts Commons and the Glenbow museum since earlier this year, completely revamping the downtown area.
“We’re one of the most diverse cities in Canada. We’re one of the fastest growing cities in Canada,” says Hutchinson.
With a growing city also comes spaces for developing communities. These projects could turn around Calgary’s downtown area. Creating a culture that could attract more people to take an interest in the arts.
Jazz isn’t just a single entity that you can easily categorise, it has many branches that have been evolving into other various genres of music for many years. It’s a form of music that isn’t contained by structure. It’s loose, improvised and doesn’t follow any rules.
The diversity of jazz reflects the diversity of Calgary, and the city is creating a space for the music that will only grow bigger with time.
