Discover renowned names and fresh talent every time!
Each year we offer a short bio and photo of our featured performers, sorted alphabetically by first name. Enjoy reading about the stellar artists we are presenting in 2026!
Ranee Lee
“Montreal’s Queen of Jazz” was last seen on the MJF stage in 2017. Last month, Ranee appeared at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, part of her celebration of more than 50 years as a jazz star ... [Continue reading →]
SHOUT! The Band
When SHOUT! The Band takes the stage, you know it’s party time. THIS 12-piece brass band blends New Orleans-style jazz and popular music with contemporary electronic textures. It was formed in 2019 as a small busking brass group ... [Continue reading →]
Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet
Pianist Steve Holt has come full circle regarding Juno nominations. His first album in 1983 received a nomination and now his latest album, “Impact,” has received a 2026 nomination for Jazz Album of the Year (Group.) Born in ... [Continue reading →]
Steve Taetz
Steve Taetz is a Canadian crooner. He delivers songs that are summer festival-friendly, with vintage-style swing and soul. Steve focuses on the American Songbook and jazz standards, writing and recording traditional-pop and swing originals. He has co-published songs ... [Continue reading →]
Suzie Vinnick
Singer, guitarist and songwriter Suzie Vinnick has won numerous awards and nominations for her seven solo albums, including three Juno nominations. A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara region of Ontario, she has been touring blues and folk ... [Continue reading →]
The Eighth Street Orchestra
Jazz is a family affair for The Eighth Street Orchestra. Founded in Owen Sound, Ontario by banjo player Gary Murphy, the band included his wife and three children. It was a busking band playing New Orleans and early ... [Continue reading →]
The Honey Judges
Dancers who love swing music will enjoy this performance. The Honey Judges is a fivepiece band that specializes in playing songs by Johnny Hodges and Duke Ellington. Leader Tom Richards, a trombonist from Toronto, also contributes original numbers ... [Continue reading →]
The Tap Room Gang
The story of The Tap Room Gang goes back a century. Leader Sean McCarthy, from Newmarket, Ontario, acquired a bass saxophone in August 2024 and formed a band to perform the music of Adrian Rollini, a jazz pioneer from ... [Continue reading →]