Jazzin' the Holidays with the Alison Young Quartet

 Alison Young (saxophones), Chris Banks (double bass), Jeff McLeod *TBC (piano), Al Webster (drums)

Thank you Margaret Laing for Donating the Piano Tuning for this concert !

Thank you to The Blue Pearl Foundation for generously sponsoring this concert and to the Ottawa Community Foundation for their ongoing support!

"Wearing  gleaming red stilettos and a black orchid over her left ear, she played  with endless creativity and flair. From Hank Crawford-esque to Dexter  Gordon-meets-Herschel Evans,  to Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Sonny Stitt territory." – Ted Panken,  DownBeat Magazine

Born and raised in Ottawa, Alison Young is a JUNO-nominated and Maple Blues award winning saxophonist and composer. Young discovered jazz at an early age, gravitating towards the exuberance of Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderley, who continue to influence her to this day. As well  as being featured in the National Youth Jazz Ensemble at the Ottawa Jazz Festival in 2001 and 2002, she began playing professionally as a  teenager, developing an affinity for blues and  R&B as well as jazz. Since moving to Toronto in the early 2000s, to study music at the University of Toronto, Alison has been an active presence on the Toronto music scene, and has toured internationally as a sideperson with various artists.

Alison has been leading her own band in various formations since 2012, composing and arranging for duo through to septet. The Alison Young Quintet has played the main stages of the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, the Markham Jazz Festival and the Niagara Jazz Festival.  Seeking to combine her love of hard bop, soul and New Orleans-style  funk, Alison recorded an album of mostly originals in 2017, putting an emphasis on energy and drive, but also prioritising  elegant, singable melodies. The late great Canadian jazz star Guido Basso joined her quintet on two songs, lending his lyrical sound to the album. The Alison Young Quintet's debut album, So Here We Are, was released in November of 2018, and was nominated for a 2019 JUNO in the Solo Jazz Instrumental Album of the Year category.

"Alison Young is a rising star in Toronto and beyond. One of the most versatile musicians in Canada!" – Jaymz Bee – Jazz FM 91

As a sideman, Alison is versatile and in-demand, at home on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, in a wide range of genres. In 2017, Alison was chosen as one of the 'Best 35 Canadian Jazz Artists  under 35' by the CBC. Later that year, she was featured in Pat LaCroix  and Ted O'Reilly's book, "Toronto Jazz Treasures" alongside many of her  musical heroes. In the summer of 2019, Alison toured across Canada accompanying iconic pop star Corey Hart, and was featured on his single "Dreaming Time Again". In 2021 and 2022, Alison was awarded "Horn Player Of The Year" at the Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national blues awards program.

"Alison Young takes musical chances and has something to say." – The WholeNote

alisonyoungmusic.com 

Tickets for the in-person concert include access to the livestream which may be re-watched any time after the original airdate.

Tickets are non-refundable