Muzewest Concerts will be hosting a masterclass featuring JUNO Award winning saxophonist Allison Au and The Leading Ladies Little Big Band!
Allison Au is a Juno-award winning Jazz Saxophonist, Composer and Arranger. Born to a Chinese father and Jewish mother, and raised in the multicultural metropolis of Toronto, Allison found music as a young child. Exposed to a wide array of musical styles, she was captivated by the unhinged freedom of Jazz. Jazz became Allison’s lab for self-expression, exploration, and musical experimentation. Her work weaves a mosaic of influences into a seamless and soulful sound, a concoction steeped in the tradition of Jazz but skillfully laced with elements of Classical, Pop, R&B/hip hop, Latin, and world music. Au earned her first Juno nomination for her debut album, “The Sky Was Pale Blue, then Grey” in 2013, and in 2016 seized the Juno for "Best Jazz Album of The Year: Group" for “Forest Grove.” In 2019, she garnered another Juno nomination for "Best Jazz Album of the Year: Group" for "Wander Wonder."
The Leading Ladies Little Big Band is an all-female, 10-piece jazz band based out of Vancouver, BC and directed by Casey Thomas-Burns. Founded in 2019, this dynamic group of young women met while studying music at university. After performing their first show together as a part of a school concert series, 'The Ladies' have stuck together ever since. This band mixes the beloved classics of the big band era with modern-day compositions and focuses on featuring original music and arrangements by local and emerging composers. The band has most recently performed at the West Coast Big Band Festival and the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival and regularly performs at swing dances, vespers, and other events throughout the Lower Mainland.
In addition to being a performing ensemble, The Leading Ladies recently launched their community outreach program "LADIES' NIGHT: Jazz Jams for Women" in the Spring of 2022. Femme-identifying and non-binary musicians of all ages and skill levels are invited to come and jam with the members of the band in a safe, female-led environment that focuses on learning and community building for the next generation of women in jazz.
Allison Au Jazz Masterclass
When: Sat, 1 April 2023, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: Frankie's Jazz Club (755 Beatty Street Vancouver, BC)