Predicting the jazz Western Canadian Music Awards: 2023
4 nominees I'm highlighting from the other categories, plus 5 in Jazz Artist of the Year
The Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs) are presented at an annual conference called BreakOut West; this year's edition will happen in Kelowna from October 11 to 15, 2023.
As you may have seen, I've already struck out on predicting the Polaris Music Prize winner this year: Witch Prophet's Gateway Experience project didn't even make the Polaris short list.
So why not make more predictions while I'm on a roll? What are awards if not an excuse to (re-)visit some good music made by people in our orbit?
The WCMAs are voted on by music industry association members from the western Canadian provinces. I'm not a member of Music BC, so I'm a neutral observer without a vote.
We did this last year and my predictions were short of clairvoyant. I enjoyed it though, and since I'm unlikely to pony up the time and cash to attend BreakOut West, it's a way to participate.
We won't know the winners until October but have already seen nominees excitedly posting about it. This year there are four nominees I'm highlighting from the other categories, and then there are all five nominees in Jazz Artist of the Year.
From the other categories: the 2023 jazz-related WCMAs
From the source, from the top:
Katie Tupper for BreakOut Artist of the Year
Prediction: NO
Other nominees: Boslen, Leith Ross, Mariel Buckley, Mauvey
Did you hear Katie's evening set at Ocean Artworks for the jazzfest, with Alvin Brendan, Ben Millman, and Trent Otter in the band? I'd be happy to see the neo-soul singer win. I think Mauvey will, though. Katie is also up for R&B Artist of the Year and may win that instead.
Will et Seeka for Children’s Artist of the Year
Prediction: WIN
Other nominees: Beppie, Ginalina, Ira Pettle, Mom Bop
Will's Jams, who is one-half of this partnership, isn't a jazz artist but is a past Rhythm Changes Podcast guest – which totally counts! He talks about the Will et Seeka project in the episode.
Blue Moon Marquee for Indigenous Artist of the Year
Prediction: NO
Other nominees: Celeigh Cardinal, Jayli Wolf, Piqsiq, Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Blue Moon Marquee are a blues and swing band, fronted by a duo, who count Jerry Cook, Paul Pigat, and Bonnie Northgraves among the musicians on their 2022 album Scream, Holler & Howl. You can hear them next weekend at my favourite little folk festival around, the Mission Folk Music Festival. I just think Snotty Nose will win, and with a wary eye to striking out twice, I note that they made the Polaris short list as well.
Jasmine Jazz for Instrumental Artist of the Year
Prediction: WIN
Other nominees: Adam Dobres, Elise Boeur & Adam Iredale-Gray, Glen Gillis, Hello Moth
Jasmine Jazz is a collaborative project that brings together Jodi Proznick, Bill Coon, James Danderfer, and Liam MacDonald with the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, featuring Jirong Huang on erhu, Zhongxi Wu on suona, and Sarah Yusha Tan on guzheng. I also know and like Adam, Elise, and Adam(!) from the field but this project is certainly compelling enough to win. If it gets a wider release onto Bandcamp and/or streaming, I plan to review it – I have my copy of Jasmine Jazz on CD right now.
Jazz Artist of the Year
We've already covered the current projects of four of the five nominees: not too shabby!
Chris Andrew (Alberta)
Will Chernoff
Jocelyn Gould (Manitoba)
Will Chernoff
Melody Diachun (BC)
Lavender Sutton
Up and Over Trio (Alberta)
This swinging Edmonton trio record featuring Chris Andrew again, Rubim de Toledo, and Jamie Cooper is the one that Rhythm Changes didn't cover. It came out on the MacEwan University-affiliated Bent River Records, who also put out Jim Head's Prismatic.
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (Manitoba)
Jacob Chung
Debriefing the jazz field
Beyond the playing being good, Chris Andrew's album has a track with a million streams on Spotify thanks to a single playlist add, putting him leagues ahead of the field in terms of that awful word 'traction'. Because this is a non-jazz crowd at BreakOut West, that might matter a bit too much for my liking.
Jocelyn Gould is the biggest star of the five. I like her album Golden Hour more than her Juno-winning one Elegant Traveler, probably because I'm a huge fan of Rodney Whitaker on bass and just feel my way through his role on the record.
It'd be awesome if Melody won! Her all-Sting songs project is recorded very nicely at Monarch by Dave Sikula with playing from Dave Restivo, Michael Occhipinti, Melody's husband Doug Stephenson, and Tony Ferraro.
The Up and Over Trio is... fine I suppose?
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra project is the largest in scope and would be a fine pick, for all the reasons Jacob Chung said in his Rhythm Changes review. The thing is, I predicted they'd win last year, and they didn't. Are they the Amanda Tosoff of the jazz WCMAs? Not quite, because there's no Caity Gyorgy looking to repeat.
Now I must choose. Regardless of whom I want to win, Jocelyn is who I think will win.
So to recap:
Predictions
- Katie Tupper for BreakOut Artist of the Year:
nowon! - Will et Seeka for Children’s Artist of the Year:
winlost to Beppie - Blue Moon Marquee for Indigenous Artist of the Year:
nowon! - Jasmine Jazz for Instrumental Artist of the Year: won!
- Jazz Artist of the Year:
Jocelyn GouldMelody Diachun!
There are also the following other people I want to note: musica intima for Classical Artist / Ensemble of the Year (won!), Ruby Singh for Global Artist of the Year (won!), Dee Daniels for Spiritual Artist of the Year (lost to Stirling John) and looking-to-repeat Sheldon Zaharko for the Audio Engineering Award.
