Twilight Jazz & Blues Series Spring 2023
Welcome to the Spring 2023 edition of the Twilight Jazz and Blues Series: Niagara-on-the-Lake at Hare Wine Co.! Our Winter Series was a huge success, with many of the shows selling out. We're thrilled to bring you another round of award-winning jazz and blues musicians from Niagara, Hamilton, the GTA, New York, and beyond, performing in an intimate setting within our winery.
Prepare to be amazed by the Juno and International Jazz award-winning artists that will be gracing our stage. The Twilight Jazz and Blues Series has become known for showcasing world-class talent in a unique and intimate setting. As one of our attendees said, "We can't believe there are such amazing performances here". The Hare has quickly become a favourite venue for musicians too, with one artist saying, "You have such an amazing venue, we love playing here".
So join us for an unforgettable evening of music, wine, and fun. Our Spring 2023 Twilight Jazz and Blues Series takes place on the first and third Mondays of every month from January to June. Don't miss out on the remaining Winter 2023 edition dates on April 3, 17, and 30, and be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming Spring dates on May 15 and June 5. Book your tickets now and experience the magic of the Twilight Jazz and Blues Series at Hare Wine Co.
Every 1st and 3rd Monday is all Jazz baby!
Our Spring 2023 Twilight Jazz 5th edition dates:
April 3rd, April 17th, April 30th, May 15th,and June 5th!.
Single Tickets: From $39 + HST
MAWS $19 + HST (Musicians, Arts Workers & Students)
SERIES PASS: $169 + HST
April 3rd, April 17th, April 30th, May 15th,and June 5th!.
Single Tickets: From $39 + HST
MAWS $19 + HST (Musicians, Arts Workers & Students)
SERIES PASS: $169 + HST
Scroll down to learn about the shows here at The Hare.
Canadian Jazz Collective
'Septology - Canadian Tour'
CD Release Event
April 3rd, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
NEW RELEASE – SEPTOLOGY – “The Black Forest Session”: Original arrangements from some of Canada’s most acclaimed and accomplished jazz musicians in a newly formed septet collective configuration. CANADIAN JAZZ COLLECTIVE
ABOUT CANADIAN JAZZ COLLECTIVE (7-piece)
Derrick Gardner:
Performer, composer, and veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra and Harry Connick Jr. Big Bands, Derrick Gardner has worked with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Forster, and Tony Bennet to name only a few. Recently, Derrick put together his 18-piece Big dig! Band for the recording of Still I Rise (Impact Jazz) – a powerful, explosive album released in July 2020 that spent over thirty weeks on the JazzWeek Top 50 chart.
Derrick formed his own sextet, The Jazz Prophets, in 1991; it continues to be one of the primary vehicles for his distinctive, hard-driving music. The band’s three-man horn line – consisting of himself, tenor sax player Rob Dixon and Derrick’s brother, trombonist Vincent Gardner of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, has been together since the beginning. The Jazz Prophets have released three albums to date, and in 2009 they received the Independent Music Award’s Best Jazz Album Of The Year for their release Echoes Of Ethnicity. The Jazz Prophets’ albums boil with the long-standing collective’s sheer passion for the soulful, funky jazz sound of which Cannonball Adderly and Horace Silver built solid foundations with their 1950’s and 60’s ensembles.
Kirk MacDonald:
Two-time Juno Award winner and recipient of the Toronto Music Association’s Life Time Achievement Award, saxophonist/composer Kirk MacDonald is one of the most well-established Canadian jazz musicians of his generation. With over 100 compositions spanning sixteen CDs as a leader/co-leader, Kirk has led ensembles on tours across Canada, Spain, France, England, Germany, Italy, The US, Egypt, and India.
With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen, and the scope and depth of his catalogue are legendary. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards including one East Coast Music Award, two Jazz Report awards, the International Jazz Soloist award, and SOCAN’s Hagood Hardy Award for Composition. Kirk has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres, and critics describe him as “A powerhouse with mature style”.
Lorne Lofsky:
Over the course of a 40+ year career, Lofsky has played, toured, and recorded with some of the most prominent names in Jazz including Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Ed Bickert, Pat LaBarbera, Ray Brown, Joey DeFrancesco, and many others.
Born, raised, and based in Toronto, Canada, Lofsky’s career began when Oscar Peterson offered to produce his first record, It Could Happen To You (Pablo Records), in 1980. During the years that followed, Lofsky worked extensively in the Toronto area and toured with the likes of Pat LaBarbera, and fellow guitarist Ed Bickert. Bickert and Lofsky’s fruitful collaboration ran from 1983 through 1991 and produced two widely-acclaimed recordings including the well-known 1990 Concord release This Is New.
A master guitarist known for pianistic voicings and virtuosic skill, Lorne Lofsky is considered one of Canada’s great musical treasures. This Song Is New is his first recording as a leader in over two decades and signals an exciting new page in the guitarist’s illustrious career.
Virginia MacDonald:
Known for her lyrical and soulful clarinet playing, Virginia MacDonald has been described as a “powerful new voice in the Canadian scene” by Juno Award-winning bassist Mike Downes. Born and raised in Toronto, Virginia began playing clarinet at the age of seven. She has since established herself as a highly in-demand bandleader, side-woman, and composer, and regularly performs across Toronto and Canada with different iterations of her quartet and quintet. Virginia has performed in several Canadian and International jazz festivals including the Cambridge Jazz Festival, the Jaipur Jazz & Blues Festival, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, the TD Markham Jazz Festival, the TD Halifax Jazz Festival, the Beaches International Jazz Festival, the Kensington Market Jazz Festival, and the Cape Breton Jazz Festival. Virginia has had the opportunity to work internationally in the United States, India, and Europe.
Brian Dickinson:
Juno Award-winning pianist and composer Brian Dickinson has been a mainstay on the Canadian jazz scene for close to 40 years. His skills as a jazz pianist, composer and arranger have been heard on well over sixty recordings including over ten of his own releases as leader. As a sideman, Brian has performed and recorded with many of the greatest international players including: Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, Pat LaBarbera, Kirk MacDonald, Maria Schneider, Vince Mendoza, Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Donny McCaslin, Seamus Blake, Ron McClure, Bob Mintzer, Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell, Mike Murley, Tom Harrell, Lee Konitz, the Woody Herman Band, Cab Calloway, Nick Brignola, Sonny Greenwich, Eddie Daniels, Don Thompson, Jane Bunnett, and Dewey Redman. As well as touring Canada extensively, Brian has also toured the US, Europe and Asia.
Neil Swainson:
Four-time Juno Award winner & recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musician’s Association, Neil Swainson began working with Paul Horn in 1975, for two years. He also backed up such musicians as Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, and Sonny Stitt. In 1977, Neil moved to Toronto. He became very active in the local jazz scene, playing with Canadian greats: Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Peter Appleyard, and many others. He has played with many visiting jazz artists, to name a few: James Moody, George Coleman, Jay McShann, Tommy Flanagan, Lee Konitz, Joe Farrell, Slide Hampton, and Woody Shaw. Neil travelled and recorded with Woody Shaw, and Neil’s own recording, 49th Parallel, features Woody Shaw on trumpet and Joe Henderson on saxophone. In 1986 Neil began working with George Shearing. Together, they worked worldwide with many other great artists, such as Mel Tormé, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Robert Farnon, and Diana Krall. Neil has made numerous recordings with George Shearing, and with a number of other artists. Several of the recordings on which Neil plays have won Canada’s Juno Award. Neil continues to compose music and freelance extensively in the Toronto area.
Bernd Reiter:
Award-winning Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, who studied in Graz & New York & now lives in Paris, always delivers a rock-solid beat. He has worked with many international jazz stars such as Harold Mabern, Charles Davis, Don Menza, Kirk Lightsey, Ralph Lalama, Mundell Lowe, Cyrus Chestnut, Steve Grossman, Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, Grant Stewart, Joe Magnarelli, Andy McKee, Claudio Roditi, Dick Oatts, Gary Smulyan, Dusky Goykovich, John Marshall, Dmitry Baevsky, Jeb Patton, Joe Haider, Max Greger sen. & jr., Martin Weiss, Renato Chicco, Tony Lakatos, Heinz von Hermann, Rob Bargad, Gabor Bolla, Olivier Hutman, Al Porcino Big Band, Jazzfactory Orchestra, and many more.
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Lineup:
Derrick Gardner: Trumpet
Kirk MacDonald: Saxophone
Lorne Lofsky: Guitar
Virginia MacDonald: Clarinet
Brian Dickinson: Piano
Neil Swainson: Bass
Bernd Reiter: Drums
The Hare Wine Co. also offers delicious menu items to accompany your wine and jazz experience. We offer the following:
- Charcuterie board for $20 + HST
As well as your choice of a 12-inch pizza for $22 + HST
- Gourmet Duck Pizza for Two
- Pepperoni for Two
- Artisan Margarita Cheese for Two
Order in advance when you buy your tickets and save.
Duncan Hopkins Quartet
April 17th, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Duncan Hopkins is joined by 3 legendary jazz musicians: Guitarists Reg Schwager and Ted Quinlan along with drummer Ted Warren , for this CD Sneak Peek of ‘Who are you?’ a St. Catharines Suite paying Tribute to Kenny Wheeler.
Duncan Hopkins on Bass
British/Canadian double bassist, composer and arranger Duncan Hopkins has been working at the highest levels of jazz for almost thirty years. In that time he has worked with such luminaries as Norma Winstone, Bobo Stenson, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Scott Hamilton, Houston Person, Warren Vache, Ed Bickert, Mark Murphy, Peter Appleyard, Bruce Barth, Bobby Watson, Jeremy Pelt, Byron Stripling, Dianna Krall, Kenny Wheeler, Sam Rivers, Harry Allen and Edward Simon to name but a few. He can be seen on film in “Where the Truth Lies” featuring Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth. Read more.
Ted Quinlan on Guitar
Award-winning guitarist TED QUINLAN, respected as one of Canada’s elite guitar players, highly in demand as a jazz player, session musician, writer, and dedicated educator (he recently wrapped a 25-year tenure as head of the guitar program at Humber College), currently celebrates the critically-lauded release of his latest recording, “Absolutely Dreaming”. View Artist.
Reg Schwager on Guitar
Reg Schwager is one of Canada’s leading jazz guitarists. His reputation has led to him performing with internationally acclaimed jazz artists such as Mel Tormé, Pepper Adams, Hank Jones, Junior Mance, Jimmy McGriff and Zoot Sims, and such celebrated Canadian jazz musicians as Diana Krall, Rob McConnell, Peter Appleyard, Oliver Jones, Dave Young and Don Thompson. Recent highlights include television, concert and club performances in the US, Japan and the Bahamas with master jazz pianist George Shearing. Read more.
Ted Warren on Drums
Ted Warren has a solid reputation as a musical, versatile drummer. He fronts his own quartet, Ted’s Warren Commission, which released their debut CD, First Time Caller, to critical acclaim in 2004. He was the last drummer with Rob McConnell’s famed The Boss Brass and can be heard on six of their CD’s, including Velvet and Brass (with Mel Torme), From Lush to Lively (with Oliver Jones), Even Canadians Get The Blues, and The Boss Brass Plays the Jazz Classics. Read more.
The Hare Wine Co. also offers delicious menu items to accompany your wine and jazz experience. We offer the following:
- Charcuterie board for $20 + HST
As well as your choice of a 12-inch pizza for $22 + HST
- Gourmet Duck Pizza for Two
- Pepperoni for Two
- Artisan Margarita Cheese for Two
Order in advance when you buy your tickets and save.
Caity Gyorgy Quartet
2022 + 2023 Juno Winner !
April 30th, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Celebrating International Jazz Day
Lets Celebrate International Jazz Day with a Juno Winner !
An evening of swingin’ standards with fresh arrangements and lyrical delivery that will hook you into the story of each song.
Caity Gyorgy:
Caity Gyorgy (pronounced George) is a JUNO award winning Canadian vocalist who is known for singing bebop and swing music. She has performed at popular clubs and jazz festivals across Canada and the USA and has worked and recorded with incredible musicians and groups including Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Allison Au, Bryn Roberts and Postmodern Jukebox, to name a few.
In addition to performing, Caity is also an avid writer and composes songs in the style of the Great American Songbook. Her compositions have been sung by other vocalists around the world, and she was recently named the Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Jazz category for her song “Secret Safe”.
She has released several albums of original and standard music. On July 9th, 2021 she released “Now Pronouncing”, her JUNO winning EP of original music arranged for large ensemble on Brooklyn based label La Reserve. She released her debut full length LP “Featuring” on La Reserve on November 4th, 2022, and her next album “You’re Alike, You Two”, a collection of Jerome Kern songs performed with pianist Mark Limacher, will be released on July 21st, 2023.
Sanah Kadoura:
JUNO nominated Lebanese-Canadian drummer, composer, educator and producer Sanah Kadoura comes to the fore on her dynamic sophomore album Duality. A follow-up to 2018’s critically-acclaimed Hawk Eyes, Duality focuses thematically on the balance between light and dark. Musically, the album traverses the modern jazz idiom with hints of neo-soul and a strong musical influence from Kadoura’s motherland of Lebanon.
After living in New York City for a decade, Sanah Kadoura has quickly risen to prominence as a
first-call drummer and an inventive composer. Kadoura has a special approach to her playing, a rare musicality that infuses melody and nuance into each rhythmic refrain. Whereas Hawk Eyes intrigued and excited audiences about Kadoura’s sound, Duality cements the artist’s position as one of the forefront creative drummers and composers on the modern jazz scene, telling a story of hope and resilience. “As we all navigate through our own internal balance, this album is an offering of healing, guidance and love,” she shares. “We all have our own battles, and I think it’s easier for us as humans to connect with each other
through darkness, and find the light together.”
Sanah has produced, recorded or shared the stage with the legendary Kirk Lighstey (Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker), Philip Harper (Art Blakey), Ed Cherry (Dizzy Gillespie) Mark Whitfield (Herbie Hancock), Jon Baptiste, Joe Locke, Nicholas Payton, Frank Lacy (The Jazz Messengers), Mike Stern, Pat Bianchi, Joel Frahm,
Roy Hargrove, Jeremy Pelt, Johnny O’Neal, Marquis Hill, Jazzmeia Horn, Ronnie Foster, among many others.
Her recent album Hawk Eyes is available on all platforms, while Duality is set to release 3/3/23.
Anthony D’Alessandro:
Anthony D’Alessandro is a pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader based in Toronto, Ontario. His love of Oscar Peterson’s sense of swing, combined with his passion for the blues, gospel, and traditional jazz, has shaped his distinctively joyful and captivating style of playing. Anthony has performed in many of Ontario’s finest venues and festivals including the Toronto Summer Music Festival, the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, the Jazz Sudbury Festival, the Kensington Market Jazz Festival, the Brampton World of Jazz Festival, the Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar, the Home Smith Bar at the Old Mill Toronto, Hugh’s Room Live, Heliconian Hall and Lula Lounge.
Anthony’s music has also taken him throughout the United States and Europe including performances at the International Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa, the Snowbirds Extravaganza Festival in Lakeland, Florida and composition at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Casalmaggiore, Italy.
Anthony has shared the stage with Canadian jazz greats including Neil Swainson, Terry Clarke, Steve Wallace, Pat LaBarbara, Kevin Turcotte, Jackie Richardson, Ernesto Cervini, and Reg Schwager and acclaimed international artists including Joe Farnsworth, Benny Benack III and Alexander Claffy.
Anthony holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Piano Performance from the University of Toronto where he studied under Canadian jazz luminaries Steve Wallace, David Braid, Mark Eisenman and David Restivo. Anthony is a four-time recipient of the Noreen & Phil Nimmons Scholarship in Jazz Performance, the Suba Institute Award for Performance Excellence, the University of Toronto President’s Entrance Scholarship, the University of Toronto National Book Award and was a finalist for JAZZ.FM91’s 2016 Peter Appleyard Scholarship. Anthony is also a grant recipient from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association.
Thomas Hainbuch:
Thomas Hainbuch is a versatile young acoustic and electric bassist in Toronto, where he is emerging as an active part of the city’s jazz and creative music scene.
Since 2015, he has performed at several festivals such as the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Beaches Jazz Festival and the Kensington Market Jazz Festival, as well as at countless local venues such as the Rex, the Jazz Bistro, the Burdock, the Poetry Jazz Cafe and the Horseshoe Tavern.
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LINE UP:
Caity Gyorgy: Vocals
Sanah Kadoura: Drums
Anthony D’Alessandro : Piano
Thomas Hainbuch: Bass
The Hare Wine Co. also offers delicious menu items to accompany your wine and jazz experience. We offer the following:
- Charcuterie board for $20 + HST
As well as your choice of a 12-inch pizza for $22 + HST
- Gourmet Duck Pizza for Two
- Pepperoni for Two
- Artisan Margarita Cheese for Two
Order in advance when you buy your tickets and save.
Danielle Bassels Quartet
May 15th, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Audiences can expect a potent melange of jazz manouche, blues, folk and pop delivered with a powerfully unique contralto voice that packs solid heart punches. Think of Ella Fitzgerald sipping tea on a rollercoaster with the Mad Hatter, and you will know what a night of Denielle Bassels is like.
Denielle Bassels on Vocals
Toronto-born, Indie Swing chanteuse Denielle Bassels is a rising star on the Canadian jazz scene. Her music is a potent melange of jazz manouche, blues, folk and pop delivered with a powerfully unique contralto voice that packs solid heart punches, sure to “stop you in your tracks” – Juliet Dunn, Music Director, TD Niagara Jazz Festival. Think of Ella Fitzgerald sipping tea on a rollercoaster with the Mad Hatter, and you will know what a night of a Denielle Bassels concert is like. Read more.
Russ Boswell on Bass
Russ Boswell has performed with some of Canada’s top artists. He has toured extensively with David Wilcox, Corey Hart, Colm Wilkinson, Kevin Breit, Seals and Crofts, Ian Thomas, Marc Jordan, Julie Crochetière, Dianne Tell, The Parachute Club, Holly Cole and many more. Read more.
Jay Yoo on Guitar
Jay Yoo is a guitarist, composer, and arranger originally from South Korea, and now based and active in Toronto. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. Having studied with a number of renowned musicians such as Geoff Young, Mike Murley, and David Occhipinti, he is a versatile musician, active in a number of projects that explore multiple musical genres ranging from jazz, funk, rock and R&B to musical theatre. Read more.
Andrew Scott on Drums
Andrew Scott is a touring/recording drummer and percussionist based out of Toronto. He graduated from the University of North Texas with an undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies in 2014. During his degree he studied with world renowned drum set instructor Ed Soph. Andrew’s sense of time, taste and his professional attitude affords him the opportunity to play with many great artists across a multitude of musical genres.Recently entering the world of remote recording, Andrew has played drums for artists around the world in Russia, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Australia, England,and across North America. View Artist.
The Hare Wine Co. also offers delicious menu items to accompany your wine and jazz experience. We offer the following:
- Charcuterie board for $20 + HST
As well as your choice of a 12-inch pizza for $22 + HST
- Gourmet Duck Pizza for Two
- Pepperoni for Two
- Artisan Margarita Cheese for Two
Order in advance when you buy your tickets and save.
The Bentley Collective
'Sweet Rhythm + Blues'
June 5th, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Get ready to enjoy the sweet Rhythm and Blues of the Bentley Collective
Brooke Blackburn on Guitar and Vocals
Brooke Bentley Blackburn is the composer, singer, and guitar player behind The Bentley Collective. He has played with bands like Blackburn, Shakura S’Aida, and more. Performing for over thirty-five years, he has amassed a vast repertoire of original compositions. His solo album Songs was released in 2016. Read more.
Aubrey Dayle on Drums
At the age of 5 Aubrey started to study the accordion and piano. After completing his formal education at McGill University and Manhattan School of Music, in classical and jazz percussion,
Aubrey went on to perform in varied situations. He has toured with James ‘Blood’ Ulmer, Hassan Hakmoun (support act for Peter Gabriel), God Street wine, The John Popper Band, Sam Rivers, Ernest Ranglin and several other artists. Read more.
Roger Williams on Bass
Roger Williams is a Toronto-based, Jamaican born musician who calls on the music of his forefathers. From jazz, soul, R&B and the blues, to reggae and ska, it burns through the smoking bass lines of his upright and electric basses. A highly regarded sought after musician, he has toured extensively with many artists nationally and internationally. View Artist.
Paige Armstrong on Guitar
Born in Montreal and raised in Woodview (just outside of Peterborough). Paige began studying piano at the age of nine, took up the saxophone at the age of eleven and finally the guitar at 13.
Currently living in Toronto he enjoys playing Blues, Rock, Soul, Funk, Jazz and R&B. Paige has shared the stage with artists such as Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, Matt Schofield, Philip Sayce, Donna Gratis, Booker T and many more. Read more.
The Hare Wine Co. also offers delicious menu items to accompany your wine and jazz experience. We offer the following:
- Charcuterie board for $20 + HST
As well as your choice of a 12-inch pizza for $22 + HST
- Gourmet Duck Pizza for Two
- Pepperoni for Two
- Artisan Margarita Cheese for Two
Order in advance when you buy your tickets and save.
Book Your Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Package Today
Enjoy a selection of Niagara wines and artisan charcuterie lunch with The Hare Wine Co. by booking a one-on-one or large group reservation today. Niagara-on-the-Lake is the perfect destination for romantic getaways and groups looking to escape the 9-5 or the bustling city of Toronto for a weekend. Give us a call or reserve your tasting package online.
Contact Us
Daily: Open 10am–5pm
December 25 – Closed
The Hare Wine Co.
769 Niagara Stone Road,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
info@theharewineco.com
905.684.4994