Rhythm Changes Podcast

Will Chernoff talks to Chris Fraser as a guest on the show he started over three years ago. Will's next music release, Queen's Park , is a digital EP featuring Thad Bailey-Mai, Nebyu Yohannes, Madeleine Elkins, and Miles Wong (release date: Nov. 8, 2024). Will returns as the emcee of IronFest at Ironworks, presented by Coastal Jazz, on November 1st and 2nd; learn more about the shows happening the...

David Lavoie & Carson Tworow talk about their jazz- and beat-influenced music as well as the effect of internet forces on artists' lives. David and Carson released their second album with Inner Ocean Records, Teardown , on Sep. 27, 2024. This is their second appearance on the show, the previous one being episode 14 ; they are the first returning guests. David plays guitar, bass, and trumpet am...

John Korsrud talks about composition, his formative years learning from Hugh Fraser, and his seven times going to Burning Man. John is a composer and trumpeter in Vancouver who is known for his Juno-nominated big band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, and for its parallel band Orquestra Goma Dura as well as his newer large ensemble called Absolute Unit. As a trumpeter, John also plays frequently with Ca...

Madeleine Elkins talks about teaching, touring, and physical vs. digital media. Madeleine is a guitarist, singer, and banjoist who is known for her work with Madelyn Read, Meredith Louise, and Maddisun among other various projects across the folk, indie, and jazz scenes in Vancouver. She also talks about growing up in New Westminster, her introduction to the guitar, her parents' differing tastes i...

I'm so proud to tell you that Chris Fraser is taking over as the host of this show, starting with the next episode.

Sapalo Shafooli talks about his deep engagement with Vancouver's local music scene through photography, video, and attendance at countless live shows – including the multi-stop, transit-powered nights he has referred to as jazz flights . Born in Zambia and raised primarily in Terrace, BC, Sapalo has been active in the jazz community since 2008 at the earliest. You can see his photography style on...

Feven Kidane talks about performing at and around the 2024 jazzfest with her own group as well as other ensembles. Feven is a multi-instrumentalist known for her projects with Gordy Li, Andromeda Monk, and many more of the rising generation locally. We also discuss family, upbringing, going to CapU's jazz program, and many more topics. At around the 1:00:00 mark, Feven and I begin to turn the tabl...

John Nicholson talks about the many gigs he played around jazzfest time, including with Kevin Romain's Salience Network, Biboye Onanuga, Queer as Funk, and more. John is a saxophonist who spent time in the Toronto scene during his educational journey, going there for graduate studies after completing CapU's jazz program. He moved back to Vancouver after covid started and has been active here again...

Jenny Xu , Ben Feldman , & Kofi Shepsu talk about playing together in their New York-based trio called Friendship since 2018, NYC jazz stories, their two albums to-date ( Project Sock Retrieval and Ghost Stories ), and the recording session and gigs that they just came to Vancouver for. Jenny is a pianist originally from Surrey. She and Friendship's bassist Ben, who is from Seattle, are a marr...

Mili Hong & Eli Davidovici talk about touring as part of their band Bellbird with Claire Devlin and Allison Burik, the other Vancouver engagements in their 2024 jazzfest experience, and their move to Montreal. Mili and Eli are a drums-bass team who are arguably the eminent Vancouver jazz rhythm section of my generation going back to the mid-2010s. Become a member for free today at rhythmchange...

Biboye Onanuga talks about his performances at the 2024 Vancouver International Jazz Festival with Feven Kidane, Odario, and his own quartet. Biboye is a drummer and composer based in Edmonton who co-organizes a weekly series called New Standards at The Common in his home city. Biboye's longstanding band, Good Information , blends hip-hop and jazz influences. Before the jazzfest, he was best known...

Réjean Marois talks about directing his vocal jazz ensemble called the Marois Vocal Project, his touring years based out of Québec as a trombone player and arranger, falling in love with Vancouver, and more. Best known as the director of the Capilano University jazz program's NiteCap ensemble, Réjean was one of the program's most renowned faculty across three decades. He retired in 2018 and lives...

Ben MacRae talks about coordinating the Jazz Vespers services at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church in downtown Vancouver, his background in New Orleans-style jazz from the Fraser Valley to the city, and how he has found his voice en route to graduate studies at Vancouver School of Theology. Ben is a woodwind player best known for his work as a clarinetist under the Grand Slam Jazz Band moniker. Fr...

Jeff Gammon talks about his move back to his home city of Calgary after a decade of performing in Vancouver and touring while based out of here. Jeff is a bassist who plays in groups like Last Ark Out, Kevin Romain's Salience Network, Only a Visitor, the Itamar Erez Quartet, the David Sikula Trio, and many more. Fri, Jun 21 @ 4:00pm FREE admission: join me for a book talk by author and recent podc...

Sarah Stevenson talks about her first year at McGill University's jazz program as a vocalist and her upbringing in Nanaimo, including studies at Wellington Secondary School's jazz program. I heard Sarah play in Nanaimo at the Vault Cafe and spoke with her at her family's home the next day. This episode is the first on-the-road session I've ever conducted! My second album Maybe Eventually is out no...

Jon McCaslin talks about publishing about jazz drums at Four on the Floor for 15 years and counting, as well as his performing and recorded work as a professional drummer based in Calgary. Jon has an album called Sunalta on Cellar Music featuring his original compositions with Brad Turner, Phil Dwyer, Tilden Webb, and Jodi Proznick. My second album Maybe Eventually is out now on CD; buy now at che...

Justin Juan talks about the start of his career as a professional keyboardist, developing his craft as a beatmaker with his first release still to be determined, his passion for cooking, and the bands he's played in. Justin is finishing his studies at Capilano University's jazz program this year and has played or subbed with Star Captains, Potatohead People, Meredith Louise, Michelle Escudero, the...

Kate Hammett-Vaughan talks about her decades of singing and teaching in the Vancouver jazz community. Kate moved from Nova Scotia to BC in 1979, was present at the founding of our jazz festival, and has recorded over a dozen albums as a leader. Her best-known groups have included a quintet and trio under her own name, a duo with Bill Coon, and Garbo's Hat with Paul Blaney and Graham Ord. Kate pass...

Wynston Minckler talks about playing upright and electric bass professionally on the Vancouver music scene for over a decade now. Wynston's name appears on the gig list more than almost anyone else as a side performer. His main project as a bandleader has been a trio with Mary Ancheta and Nick James, playing the music of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Just announced: the second annual jazz night at t...

Rachel Therrien talks about the show she played in Vancouver at Frankie's Jazz Club on April 14, 2024 as well as the upcoming release of her album CAPI on April 26. Rachel is a New York-based trumpet player who has also lived in Montreal and studied in Cuba, now touring widely and maintaining bands in multiple territories. She is perhaps best known to Vancouver in recent years as an original membe...

David Caballero talks about playing bass with Arvind Ramdas, Atley King, Brad Turner, and many more of the Vancouver jazz scene's most active performers. David emerged quickly after arriving at Capilano University as one of our leading lights on bass, and his debut on record was Atley's album Unconditional released in 2023. His next performances this weekend are at Frankie's for the Daniel Hersog...

Harmeet Kaur Virdee talks about her upbringing, education, and values as a bass player; her journey as an arts administrator in her early twenties, including work with the VSO School of Music and the Ostara Project; and her music, currently in a band with Ru Ha, Noah Franche-Nolan, & Karl DeJong. Harmeet started a series in May 2023 called Surrey Jazz Nights that features groups of high school...

Chris Wong talks about his new book Journeys to the Bandstand: Thirty Jazz Lives in Vancouver . Chris is an author, lifelong music fan, and veteran of music journalism. He wrote about our jazz community for outlets including the Vancouver Courier , the Georgia Straight , and many more, especially during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Learn about and buy the book here . I wrote the blurb on the ba...

Jessica Heaven talks about her multi-disciplinary life as a vocalist (or a singer – she feels a distinction!), dancer going back her entire life, theatre and film actor, and a member of the leadership team with the Women in Jazz Association of BC since that non-profit's inception. Through the association, she has been involved in the Sister Jazz Orchestra and with media around the scene as well. H...

I went live on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 to post-game Jazz at the Bolt 2024 — hundreds of happy folks, due to the music by dozens of musicians, underwritten by months of hard work from Cory, Tim, and the team. I enjoyed every minute of the music at the Shadbolt and at Frankie’s, and your company. I feel lucky to have been involved and to have had a window into this unique event. My personal thanks to:...