In Memory of Rob Williams
The great trombonist Rob Williams, a Swing Shift family member for almost 25 years, has passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Anyone that knew Rob knows that not only was he a respected and influential trombone player, but one of the most wonderful human beings one could meet. A devoted family man, he was funny, intelligent, personable and the biggest energy in any room he entered.
TD Niagara Jazz Festival
The TD Niagara Jazz Festival is a new and exciting jazz festival dedicated to celebrating the art form of jazz in the Niagara Region. The festival inspires, educates and develops future jazz audiences for generations to come while combining live jazz with a Niagara experience – food, wine, culture and natural wonders. The not-for-profit three day festival takes place throughout the Niagara Region and for 2018 kicked off at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre with... guess-who? The SwingShift Big Band!
On this occasion we featured vocalist Christopher Alan Graves.
Artsfest Waterdown - with Matt Dusk
Welcome to ArtsFest 2018 – a celebration of the arts in all its forms, in historic Waterdown, Ontario. Nestled between Burlington and Hamilton on top of the Niagara Escarpment, Waterdown is one of the fastest growing communities in Ontario, and in its historic downtown core are some of the oldest buildings in the province, with great restaurants, cafes, and shops – the perfect place to hold an upscale, family-friendly festival featuring jazz, classical, folk & world music, fine art exhibits, dozens of artisan vendors, and all kinds of arts activities. There is something for everyone who appreciates arts & culture. For 2018, it was an exciting appearance at the Gallery Stage for us with dynamic vocalist Matt Dusk - on Saturday, August 18th. It was our second appearance at the Artsfest - more to come!
West End Jazz
Our good friend Oliver Vadas has developed a brilliant concert series at the Bronte Harbour Banquet Centre - Compass Restaurant in Oakville, Ontario. We opened the 2018 series on March 17th - with our "Blue Eyes meets Basie" show featuring Cal Dodd. We hope you enjoyed it! If you missed it, watch for more West End Shows coming up.
Swing Shift Big Band also kicked off the 2017 series, which featured these great performers:
June Garber
Bruce Cassidy's Hotfoot Orchestra
Alex Pangman
