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ALE NUNEZ - is a 2026 first time Juno Nominee for Best Vocal Jazz Album. A vocalist, songwriter
and bandleader rooted in jazz and soul and based in Toronto, Canada, Ale brings a musical sophistication to every performance, with a tone that is
uniquely her own and a true dedication to her artistry and the jazz tradition. An honours graduate of Humber College Bachelor of Music program,
Ale has established herself as an in-demand vocalist and musician, making her mark on music scenes near and far. She has spent time between Toronto
and New York City, and this fall she will be attending The Juilliard School for her masters in music, Jazz Studies.
You can often see her perform at venues across the GTA such as The Rex and The Jazz Bistro. She has sung with some of the best musicians of Toronto
and New York City, including Neil Swainson, Terry Clarke, Adam Arruda, Peter Bernstein and more. Ale was featured in JazzFM91s 2024 Discover Women
in Jazz series and the 2024 TD Markham Jazz Festival. More recently, Ale performed at the Toronto Jazz Festival 2025 and Port Hope Jazz Festival 2025.
Ale was one of five finalists in the 2025 Ella Fitzgerald International Jazz Vocal Competition by The Blues Alley Jazz Society. Ale recently made her
debut in Vancouver with Cory Weeds and the Nightcrawlers, Peter Bernstein and Neil Swainson in late 2025. Ales debut album Blue Room with Cellar
Music featuring Peter Bernstein and Neil Swainson will be released in August 2026.
Ale debut Under the Lemon Tree, was recently nominated for a 2026 Juno Award - Best Vocal Jazz Album and is available on all streaming platforms.
It was also one of the top 25 Jazz releases in 2025 as selected by JazzFM 91.1 Dani Elwell.
DON BUCHANAN - has been part of the Grey
Bruce music scene for close to 50 years. He has enjoyed playing many styles but his main focus has been in Jazz and Big Band performance and being the
accompanist for the many fine vocalists in the Grey Bruce area. He has composed and arranged for local Big Bands, Jazz groups, Choirs and The Georgian
Bay Symphony. He has contributed many original works for the Owen Sound Little Theatre as well as performing as a musical director. For 35 years, Don
is still active as the organist and co/director of music at St. Marys Church in Owen Sound and continues to perform engagements around the area.
ANDY HARASYMCZUK - guitarist, has been playing with many of Canadas top jazz players for over 25 years in groups ranging from duos
to Big Bands. He has also acted as impresario for the Millpond Centre for the Arts as well as the Gibson Centre for the Arts, and has been the booker
for many occasions. Andy is the owner of the Modern Conservatory of Music in Alliston, Ontario where he boasts and incredible cast of instructors and
student alumni who have gone on to study in some of Canadas finest Colleges, and Universities.
JACK McFADDEN - double bass, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and studied with Joe Gurney in Hamilton, Gurney Titmarsh and Thomas
Monohan in Toronto, Warren Benfield in Michigan, and David Holland in New York. Early musical experiences in Hamilton were with Marshall Olchowy, Bruce
Harvey, and the late Brian Harris. He won a scholarship to the Congress of Strings, in Michigan in the Summer of 1966, and moved to Toronto that Fall,
beginning to work immediately. He won scholarships to the National Youth Orchestra in 1967 and 1968, joined the National Ballet as principal bass, and
frequently worked in pit-bands for shows at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and O Keefe Centre. In between tours, he played jazz. For a year, he worked six
nights a week with Jimmy Namaro and Gord Carley at the Westbury Hotel. He did a lot of work with leader Harvey Silver in a band that included both Trump
and Teddy Davidson. Now living near Owen Sound, Ontario, he continues to play with local and touring bands, in jazz festivals, and biweekly with a jazz
band led by Ted Roberts at a pub in Markham. He was the resident bassist with Bob DeAngeliss Champagne Symphony, recently playing with that big band
in their triumphant Benny Goodman Tribute at Carnegie Hall in New York. Jack has worked with conductors such as Josef Krips, Lukas Foss, and Neville
Marriner, and jazz greats like Milt Jackson, Chuck Mangione, Thad Jones, and Mel Tormé. He was fortunate to win a Juno award a few years back and enjoys
helping out with the Georgian Bay symphony with John Barnum, and the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony with Norman Reintamm. Some of his favourite work is church
jobs, oratorios with choir, soloists, and small orchestra, like the Cellar Singers. He lives a quiet life on Townsend Lake, near Markdale, with his two
poodles, Mika and Sadie.
STEVE WOOD - drums, a librarian by day and musician by night. A classically trained percussion, Stephen has played locally with several
groups including the Noodle Factory Jazz Project, Lighthouse Swing Band, Bobby Dean Blackburn, Southampton Jazz Club, the Stephen Wood duo, and the Blue
Water Jazz Collective. He has been fortunate to play with Tyler Yarema, Vern Dorge, John MacMurchy, Roberta Hunt, Drew Jurecka, and Steve Kennedy, and
has shared the stage with groups such as Sloan, David Wilcox, Arkells, Tokyo Police Club, Our Lady Peace, Said the Whale, and Dan Mangan.
CHARLIE BELL - saxophone, clarinet. Born in Kitchener On studied with Mike Bergauer and Larry Moser before moving to London On to
attend the UWO Faculty of Music studying clarinet with Phil Murphy and graduating with a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education. His first
teaching job was at Walkerton District High School where he taught music for seven years and then became Supervisor of Music for the Bruce County
Board of Education whereupon he moved to Southampton On with his wife Debbie and 4 children. Charlies first paying gig was at age 15 performing with
OPUS 2, a popular 9 pc commercial jazz-rock-fusion band. During that same time, he was performing as principal clarinet for the Kitchener-Waterloo
Junior Symphony. While working for the Bruce County Board of Ed. Charlie directed the Stardust Big Band for 25 years performing for many dances
in the area and beyond, including the Royal York Hotel, Palais Royale and Lastman Square. The band also produced 2 CDs. Charlies jazz trio followed
next with band mates Jack McFadden and Andy Harasymczuk. In addition to sideman work in several local band, he performed regularly with legendary bluesman
Bobby Dean Blackburn for 10 years. His jazz trio continues to perform throughout Bruce and Grey as well as the Southampton Jazz Club which features a
prominent Canadian Jazz or Blues musician once a month. This spring he launched a new band, "CB1020 and the Jump Jive Gents", an 8-pc band performing
jump swing, jump blues, R&B and soul music and now the house band for "Loft 1020" a new performance venue in Port Elgin.
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