Thanks to our photographer Duncan McNairnay for capturing these wonderful shots from last night’s sold out Ron Sexsmith concert. What a memorable night!

An incredible line-up of artists is set to perform at the 2012 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival. From June 14-23, downtown Winnipeg will be abuzz with 10 days of outstanding music featuring the best local, national and international artists.

R&B crackerjack Janelle Monáe, jazz master Ramsey Lewis, indie icons The Hold Steady, Stax soul legend Booker T. Jones, and vocalist Gretchen Parlato are among the nearly 100 performances announced today.

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Jazz Winnipeg is happy to announce the addition of two more world-class concerts to an already jam-packed concert season.

Blue Note recording artists The Robert Glasper Experiment, and saxophonist Jimmy Greene have been scheduled to play Winnipeg as a part of a busy winter concert season that already includes Raul Midón, Ron Sexsmith, The Al Simmons Band, Anna-Lisa Kirby, and the 2011-2012 edition of the Nu Sounds Series!

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UPCOMING SHOWS FEATURE RAUL MIDÓN, RON SEXSMITH, AL SIMMONS, NU SOUNDS SERIES

Jazz Winnipeg is thrilled to announce the next round of shows for the 2011-2012 Concert Season.

The exciting line-up includes the return of 2010 festival hit, Raul Midón, one of our country’s greatest songwriting talents, Ron Sexsmith, Juno-Award-winner Al Simmons like you’ve never seen before, Anna-Lisa Kirby Sings Leonard Cohen plus the 2011-2012 edition of the Nu Sounds Series!

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Jazz Winnipeg is pleased to announce the first three concerts of the 2011-2012 Concert Season! Los Angeles’ Dam-Funk, one of the sleeper hits of this year’s festival – along with Canadian stars Jesse Cook and Jill Barber – will kick off the season, with more concerts to be announced soon!

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After 10 days of outstanding music at packed theatres, clubs, and outdoor stages in downtown Winnipeg, the 2011 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival closed Saturday night with a slate of sensational shows. Boasting world-class performances from the best jazz, blues and urban artists in the business, the festival kicked off on June 16.

Final attendance and calculations are still underway but preliminary estimates show the 22nd annual festival was a huge success with 25 sold out performances.

“This was my eighth year with Jazz Winnipeg and, in spite of an inevitable challenge or two, it seems to have been one of our most successful. We enjoyed great music, great weather and great audiences,” said Paul Nolin, Executive Producer.

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CHINA FORBES TO UNDERGO VOCAL SURGERY, TAKE LEAVE OF ABSENCE

It is with great concern we announce the news that singer China Forbes must take an extended leave of absence of at least one year to undergo surgery on her vocal cords. China had initially discovered the injury to her voice earlier this year, and it was hoped that extreme vocal rest would heal her. But after careful consultation and on the advice from multiple specialists, she has made the difficult decision to move forward with surgery.

For the band’s performances in Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, San Francisco and Cupertino Pink Martini will be joined by the dazzlingly talented Lucy Woodward.

An exceptional talent born in London and raised in New York City, Lucy Woodward is already a veteran of the music business. Lucy’s Atlantic Records 2003 debut album allowed her to tour internationally, as well as garner her significant press exposure including a spot on The Tonight Show. An award-winning songwriter, Lucy has written and recorded songs for several film soundtracks including most recently the Golden Globe-winning “The Blind Side.” Lucy’s second album, Lucy Woodward Is…Hot & Bothered garnered high praise from critics: “A steamy, string-kissed slice of retro British pop by a versatile singer/songwriter” proclaimed USA Today, while Billboard described how “Lucy’s a ball, equally appreciable for fans of melodic sing-along baubles and highbrow aficionados of finely honed musical composition. A sonic turnstile that flips through dreamy pop, jazz and bluesy bebop”.  Last year, Lucy signed with the legendary jazz label Verve Records, and recently released her third album, titled Hooked!

Check out some pictures from our fabulous Festival Preview Show on Tuesday night! Thanks to Wynton and the band for starting the 2011 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival off right, and thanks to our terrific photographer Kaz Zysk – great shots!