Behind the Ghibli Band, with Isabel Leong

Isabel Leong talks about her popular big band, the Ghibli Jazz Orchestra, which plays its own arrangements of music from Studio Ghibli film scores. Isabel is a guitarist, teacher, and arranger who has led the Ghibli Jazz Orchestra to sell thousands of tickets at The Pearl, the Hollywood Theatre, and more venues in partnership with Infidels Jazz. She emerged as a small group leader this year, forming the band ISBN with Sofia Avelino on vocals, Bella Fedrigo on bass, and Nick Wise on saxophone. Additionally, Isabel is a director on the board of the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society; she is in the middle of a two-year term.

Isabel Leong and the Ghibli Jazz Orchestra play the Chan Centre Oct. 24 as part of VanJazz '26.

https://youtu.be/rwVU_Tg96pc

Ghibli Jazz Orchestra: the sudden but inevitable rise

Isabel Leong at the centre of our scene’s biggest movement

Rhythm ChangesWill Chernoff

Isabel Leong on the Ghibli Jazz Orchestra

An interview with Isabel and with bandmate Andrés Coronado

Rhythm ChangesWill Chernoff

Isabel has also been a contributing writer to Rhythm Changes in the past.