See you there: Jazz at the Bolt 2026
here's where you might bump into me
It's time for Jazz at the Bolt, my third time working on the annual festival at Cellar. Here's where you might bump into me:
- tonight (Friday night), Frankie's emceeing both the 8pm show and the After Dark
- tomorrow (Saturday), at the Shadbolt throughout the day. I play a set in the Madeleine Elkins Trio, alongside Kevin Romain, in Room 102 starting at 3:30pm.
- Sunday at the Shadbolt throughout the day.
I can't promise to be downtown for any other events there, like the Saturday night After Dark jam or the District Bar after-party on Monday evening. But I could make a last-minute appearance I guess. I recommend you consider going to those if you play.
To see who's playing, go directly to the schedule page at jazzatthebolt.com/schedule. (I formatted it in the "gig list style"). That said, I'll leave you with a some personal recommendations of local sets at the festival, to pick just three per day:
Saturday
Saturday, 11:30 AM - Room 102, Nathan Lintott Quintet w/ Hugh Penner, Josh Krushel, David Caballero, & Karl DeJong. The trombonist's set opens the festival and is one of the four student scholarship-winners' presentations, but he and the band are basically a pro group of younger players.
Saturday, 6:00 PM - Studio Theatre, Bill Coon Double Quartet. Jazz-quartet-meets-string-quartet. This group put out an album on Cellar called Departure several years ago; I haven't heard them in almost a decade. Bill was also a shining light at the festival last year playing solo guitar.
Saturday, 7:45 PM - Room 103, Biboye Onanuga Quartet w/ Nebyu Yohannes, Suin Park, & Dan Howard. The Edmonton drummer has been well-covered here, including Rhythm Changes Podcast episodes both with me and with Chris Fraser. Every time he comes to play, his lineup and sound is slightly different for each show.
Sunday
Sunday, 12:00 PM - Studio Theatre, Ardeshir Quintet w/ Julian Borkowski, Winston Matsushita, David Caballero, & Graham Villette. It's fun to see young, local players get marquee spots to lead their bands at the festival this year. (Ardeshir also has a connection with his fellow saxophonist Ralph Moore, who is the big headliner later the same day.)
Sunday, 2:00 PM - Studio Theatre, Arvind Ramdas Quintet w/ Spencer Drody, Tamas Balai, Noah Franche-Nolan, & David Caballero. Speaking of young marquee spots, Arvind has an album coming soon on Cellar with this lineup, but I imagine that hearing them live is always how they'd want you to get to know them.
Sunday, 5:30pm - Room 102, Jennifer Scott & Rene Worst w/ Bernie Arai play Carla Bley & Steve Swallow. Jen and Rene were booked under this concept for an Infidels Jazz show at Zameen around last year's jazzfest time, and they had to cancel. I've been waiting to hear it ever since.
