The Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society

History

1991

A committee was formed to organize a week long summer jazz festival in August under the auspices of the Kelowna School of the Arts. In 1996 the committee was incorporated as the Kelowna Jazz Society and presented some of Canada's top jazz performers including Tommy Banks, P.J Perry, Oliver Gannon, Campbell Ryga, Ross Taggert, and Brad Turner.

2001

The Society changed its name to Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society.

Concerts 2002

  1. April 25, 2002  A Tribute to Billie, Sarah, & Ella Ellen Churchill, Larry Crawford, & Just In Time at the Kelowna Performance Centre
  2. June 8, 2002  Ross Tagart, Larry Crawford, Pat McGibbon St Michael`s Church
  3. October 30, 2002  Michael Occhipinti Quartet Concert at the Kelowna Performance Centre

2002 Jazz & Blues Festival

  1. Aug 4  Al Mann Dixieland Band
  2. Aug 5  Ritmo Caliente, and Spacious Couch
  3. Aug 6  Ross Taggart
  4. Aug 7  Canadian Springs Jazz Showcase
  5. Aug 9  Jazz’s Talented Newcomers
  6. Aug 11 Parks Alive Blues Fest City Park

Plus live local jazz and blues acts at the Blue Gator Bar & Grill, Vintage Room Coast Capri Hotel, de Montreuil Restaurant,  Judge R. Beans Coffee House, Laughing Moon Restaurant, Lake Okanagan Resort, Minstrel Café, Pheasant & Quail, Vines at Quails Gate Winery, and the Teahouse.

Concerts 2003

  1. April 20, 2003 Mike Allen Trio at Bunches Bistro
  2. April 26, 2003 Chris Tarry Quartet Concert at the OUC - KLO Campus Theatre
  3. May 23, 2003 Charlie Musselwhite and Jim Burnes Co-sponsored - Show/Dance at the Performance Centre
  4. August 5, 2003 The Twisters  Festival - Feature Show/Dance at Bunches Bistro
  5. August 7, 2003 Sharon Minemoto Quintet Festival - Feature Concert at Bunches Bistro
  6. August 20, 2003 Sonny Rhodes Show/Dance at Bunches Bistro
  7. October 3, 2003 Karen Plato Trio Dinner show at Bunches Bistro
  8. November 2003 Russell Jackson Dinner/Danceat The Blue Gator

2003 Jazz & Blues Festival

August 1st - 10th in conjuction with the Kelowna Regatta featuring:

  1. Long John Baldry
  2. Big Mama Wilson
  3. Ricky & The Blue Cats
  4. Sherman Doucette & Tankful of Blues
  5. Darylectones
  6. Twisters
  7. Doctor Huffleupagus
  8. Harp Dog Brown
  9. Jazzmin’
  10. Just In Time
  11. Hugh Parsons
  12. Anna Webber Group
  13. Gary Gilbertson,
  14. Pat MacGibbon
  15. Soul Patch,
  16. Trevor Salloum Quartet
  17. Fred Gass Group
  18. Ellen Churchill
  19. Don Ross
  20. Neville Bowman
  21. Martin Lord
  22. Dogskin Suit
  23. Bob Gronowski
  24. Kali Penny
  25. Mike Kennedy
  26. Mike Magnusson
  27. Russ Macklem Quintet
  28. Bachtold Trio
  29. Sony Mojo
  30. Blues Tribe
  31. Cathhy Ann Wells
  32. Bill Tozer
  33. Vern Brant
  34. Mike Aliviano,
  35. Mike Garding
  36. Red Hot Boogie express

Plus live local jazz and blues acts at the Blue Gator, Coast Capri Hotel, Costellos On Abbott, Lakeside Resort, Laughing Moon, Gray Monk Winery, Lake Okanagan Resort, Summerhill Winery, Waterfront Park, Mulligans, Verve Coffee Bistro, DJ’s Restaurant, Minstrel Café, Doc Willoughbys, Pheasant & Quail, Bunches Bistro

Concerts 2004

  1. January 31, 2004 Double D Blues Blues Band at Bunches Bistro
  2. March 4, 2004 Crash Jazz Sextet Dinner show at Bunches Bistro
  3. April 24, 2004 Russell Jackson Blues Bando Dinner/Dance at Bunches Bistro
  4. May 13, 2004 Bill Coon JazzTrio Dinner show at Bunches Bistro
  5. May 18, 2004 Jake Langley Jazz Trio Dinner show at Bunches Bistro
  6. June 19, 2004 JW Jones Blues Band Dinner/Dance at Bunches Bistro
  7. June 30, 2004 Lonnie Smith and Crash Dinner show at Bunches Bistro
  8. July 30, 2004 Rhodes No-show Local Blues Band Dinner/Dance at Bunches Bistro
  9. October 22, 2004 Mike Allen Jazz Trio Dinner Show at Bunches Bistro
  10. November 27, 2004 Sonny Rhodes Blues Band Dinner Dance at Bunches Bistro

Concerts 2005

  1. February 26, 2005 Joani Taylor & B Murphy Trio Concert at OUC KLO Theatre
  2. March 19, 2005 The Twisters Blues Band Dinner Dance at Bunches Bistro
  3. April 16, 2005  Neufeld Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra Dinner Show at Bunches Bistro
  4. September 15 2005 Gary Comeau Blues Band at The Minstrel Cafe
  5. November 8, 2005 Amos Garrett Blues Band at The Minstrel Café
  6. November 26, 2005 Morgan Childs Jazz Quartet at Bunches Bistro
  7. December 10, 2005 Blues For Christmas Blues at Laurel Bldg

Concerts 2006

  1. February 21, 2006 Richard Underhill Jazz Sextet Dinner Show at Bunches Bistro
  2. March 17, 2006 Laila Biali Jazz Quartet at KCT Black Box
  3. May 5, 2006 Mike Allen Jazz Quartet at KCT Black Box
  4. September 25, 2006 Ricky & The Blues Cats at KCT
  5. September 25, 2006 Sonny Rhodes Blues Band  at KCT
  6. October 28, 2006 Suzan Wood-Young Quartet at RCA Atrium
  7. October 28, 2006 Elaina Cuevas Quintet at Mary Irwin Theatre
  8. November 4, 2006 Paul Morrison Quartet at RCA Atrium
  9. November 4, 2006 Stu Goldberg & Cassius Khan at Mary Irwin Theatre

Concerts 2007

  1. January 26, 2007 Dogskin Suit at Black Box  KCT
  2. January 28, 2007 Hugh Parsons Quartet at KCT
  3. January 28, 2007 Dr. Lonnie Smith at KCT
  4. February 9, 2007 Sherman Tank Doucette KCT
  5. February 9, 2007 Kenny Blues Boss Wayne at KCT
  6. March 29, 2007 Okanagan Swing Band at RCA Atrium
  7. March 29, 2007 David Fathead Newman at Mary Irwin Theatre

2007 Jazz & Blues Festival - none

Concert Series 2008

  1. August 28, 2008 Sinistrio at The Habitat
  2. September 18, 2008 Saul Berson at The Habitat
  3. October 3, 2008 Sharon Minemoto & Laura Crema at The Habitat

2008 Jazz & Blues Festival - none

Concert Series 2009

  1. March 6, 2009 Brandi Disterheft at The Habitat

Kelowna Jazz and Blues Festival 2009
July 4-5 at Kelowna Waterfront Park

  1. Mt. Boucherie Jazz Combo
  2. Trevor Salloum Quartet
  3. Pat MacGibbon Quartet
  4. Dean Singh's Serial Chiller
  5. Jacob Verburg Gypsy Jazz
  6. Olga Osipova Quartet
  7. Anna Jacyszyn and Boys
  8. Roberto Occhipinti Quartet
  9. Sherman Doucette & Tankful of Blues
  10. Downhome Dave & The Dynamite
  11. Poppa Dawg & Dogskin Suit
  12. Studebaker John & The Hawks
  13. Half A Quorum
  14. Cat Wells and Band
  15. Dan Engelland & The HooDoos

and across town July 3-10 at Vintner’s Poolside Grill, Bohemian Café, Blue Gator, Cabana Grill, Executive Boardroom, Minstrel Cafe & Bar, Memphis Blues BBQ House:

  1. Sherman Doucette
  2. Legacy
  3. Moni Funk
  4. Downhome Dave
  5. Scott Thielmann
  6. Half A Quorum
  7. Sherman Doucette
  8. Moni Funk Groovemachine
  9. Big Bad Bob Bachtold
  10. Devin Roth Trio
  11. Major Mambo Trevor Salloum
  12. Heather Blush & The Upper Cuts

2010 Concerts

  • April 3, 2010 Downhome Dave and the Dynamite with Danny McBride & Black Box
  • November 20, 2010 Mike Allen Quartet & Black Box
  • December 21, 2010 Ellen Churchill, Anna Jacyszyn, Neville Bowman Bernie Addington, Craig Thomson & Scott Gamble & Black Box

2010 Kelowna Jazz & Blues Festival

September 4th Kelowna City Park

  1. Amanda Morazain
  2. Trevor Salloum
  3. Suzan Wood-Young
  4. Anna Jacyszyn and Jazz Cafe
  5. Pyramid featuring Larry Crawford
  6. Down Home Dave & The Dymanite
  7. Dan Engelland & The Hoodoos
  8. Moni-Funk & The Groovemachine
  9. Cat Wells & The Smokin' Hot Blues Band
  10. Sherman Doucette & Tankful of Blues

2011 Concerts

  1. February 12, 2011 Romance and Dance All Star Jazz Group with Jazz Café and Special Guests Kelowna Community Theatre
  2. April 1, 2011 Steve Kozak and his West Coast All-Stars at the Black Box
  3. November 19, 2011 Ernesto Cervini Quartet at the Black Box – Kelowna Community Theatre

2011 Kelowna Jazz & Blues Festival
July 23, City Park

  1. Cactus Jazz Band
  2. Pyramid
  3. Duris Maxwell Quartet
  4. Bernie Addington Quartet
  5. Stu Goldberg
  6. Julie Masi
  7. Poppa Dawg
  8. Moni Funk
  9. Sherman Doucette
  10. Random Act

2015 Dinner Dance Concert

  1. November 14, 2015 Arsen Shomakov - MIssion Creek Golf Course

2019 Concerts

  1. January 26, 2019  Sherman Doucette and Kenny Blues Boss Wayne - Kelowna Forum
  2. April 8, 2019 Kirk MacDonail and Harold Mabern - Kelowna Forum
  3. May 30, 2019  Mark Hummel and the Golden State Lonestar Revue - Willow Park Hall Glenmore
  4. November 29, 2019 Nick McLean Quartet - Willow Park Hall Glenmore

2020 Concerts

All event for 2020 Cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic restrictions

2021 Concerts

To Be Announced

Constitution

The purpose of Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society is to:

  • nurture an appreciation for jazz and blues music in the Okanagan,
  • provide Okanagan residents and visitors more opportunities to hear and see high quality jazz and blues performers by holding jazz and blues concerts,
  • inform and educate the public about jazz and blues music,
  • encourage and develop Okanagan jazz and blues artists,
  • hold an annual jazz and blues festival in the Okanagan, and
  • do all such things as is necessary and conducive to the attainment of the above objects, or any of them.