The 38th edition of Toronto Jazz Festival is sweeping over the city for a 10-day celebration of electrifying Canadian and global acts, running from June 20 to 29 at venues around the city's downtown area. While being an important platform for jazz artists since its inaugural edition in 1987, the festival has evolved to also highlight artists working in indie, dance, blues and experimental music.
The festival offers a slate of free outdoor performances, along with ticketed events for the headlining acts.
Information about the full schedule and where to find tickets can be found on Toronto Jazz Festival's website. Check out Exclaim!'s five must-see acts below.
Ghost-Note
Headed by percussion duo Robert "Sput" Searight and Nate Werth, this jazz fusion band hailing from Dallas, TX, knows how to groove. From the rhythm section, which never lets the music's momentum drag, to punctuations of bright bursts from the brass section, the energy brought by Ghost-Note will be sure to get you out of your seat when they perform at the Rex Hotel on June 28.
Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
You can catch the Hollywood star headlining Toronto Jazz Festival this year with a performance at Massey Hall on June 28. Goldblum's most recent release with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Still Blooming, arrived this past April and snagged features from the actor/musician's powerhouse Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, along with Scarlett Johansson and Maiya Sykes.
Thanya Iyer
The Montreal artist's feathery voice opens her third album TIDE/TIED, released this past April, with the affecting, simple lines, "I am here now / In my body." The following 11 tracks invite listeners to embody a similar presence, drawing them into Iyer's sublime soundscapes and mesmerizing compositions as she freely floats through jazz, pop and folk influences. Catch her at the OLG Village Stage on June 29.
Lavender Town
The Exclaim! Class of 2025 alums will be one of the many local talents performing at the festival this year as part of the Sounds Like Toronto Series. Coming off the release of their self-titled debut album in February, they'll be bringing their future-forward mix of jazz, video game music, and lo-fi hip-hop to the OLG Village Stage on June 27.
Mavis Staples
Don't miss the R&B and gospel icon performing at the Elgin Theatre on June 23. She's been singing since 1950, getting her start alongside her siblings in the Staple Singers, and the past decade of her career has seen her lend her talent to features on songs by artists including Hozier, Gorillaz and Run the Jewels.