Monday Roundup #289

Community notes:

• Shout out to Chris Banks, who is taking over as the booker at The Rex. One of the friendliest folks around, Chris can be found in all kinds of jazz scenarios, from the more straight-up trad stuff, to kickin' it with the weirdos — which should bode well for his new role.

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Concert announcements:

Justin Orok presents (feat. Simone Hope with Anna Atkinson/Tiffany Wu/Audrey Mae/Ryan Dugre/Justin Orok) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-04 (Tuesday – early). [more info]

Blank Hellscape (CUTE / not a band / Greydini) / Osler Records 2026-08-04 (Tuesday). $15.37, all ages. [tickets + more info]

Peripheral Vision (The Adjacence [Karen Ng/Lina Allemano/Nick Fraser plus special guest Brodie West]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-04 (Tuesday). [more info]

Free Improvisation Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Max Stover/Andrew Frost/Nick Fraser) / Water to Wine 2026-08-06 (Thursday). $PWYC. [more info]

More Noise Please x Coward Patrol present: A Fundraiser for Severe Exposure (feat. Secrétaire Particulière / Fossils / Twin Mask / Iradiated Sac / Harmpit / Miracle Blade) / BSMT254 2026-08-06 (Thursday). $17.31. [tickets + more info]

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Sounds of the Maghreb [Maryem Tollar/Hassan El Hadi/Fethi Nadjem/Naghmeh Farahmand] / Lorraine Klaasen / Indanga Dance / Rhythm Section) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-07 (Friday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Oval Window Records: Dual Album Release Celebration (feat. Steve Sladkowski & Joe Sorbara / NOPE [Richard Marsella & Joe Sorbara] / The Lollipop People) / The Rex 2026-08-07 (Friday – 11 p.m.)

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Aron Nitunga / Girma Woldemichael feat. Melat Mengesha / Boblée Cirque Danse / Jonathan Nvita / ILAM / ZahraMoves / Keïla) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-08 (Saturday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-09 (Sunday – noon). [more info]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Nick Flanagan / Del Stephen / Jessie Ecklerlin / Harold's Snack Shack) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-09 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). [FB event]

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Toronto Burundi Drummers / Boblée Danse Cirque / Soul, Folk & Sun feat. Kunle, Ṣẹwà, Dipo / Zale Seck) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-09 (Sunday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Diane Roblin’s Life Force [Diane Roblin/George Koller/Tim Shia/John Johnson/Alex Dean/John MacLeod] / The Rex 2026-08-15 (Saturday – 2 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Jazz Rat Mondays (feat. Patrick Smith/Anthony D'Allesandro/Max Simpson/Ernesto Cervini) / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-27 (Monday). $pwyc

Colin Fisher/George Koller/Jeff Luciani/Diane Roblin / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-27 (Monday). [FB event]

Solitary Shrew Presents: A fundraiser for Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction (feat. Ever Since We Met / Public Library) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-28 (Tuesday – early). $20/pwyc. [more info]

Agnes [live studio recording!] [Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski] / Annette Studios 2026-07-28 (Tuesday). $20 or pwyc

Zevon (Blunderspublik / Dorky & Best [Germaine Liu feat. Karen Ng/Heather Saumer/Mark Zurawinski]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday – early). $pwyc. [more info]

Madeleine Ertel/Dan Fortin/Juliuss Jahn/Nick Fraser / The Emmet Ray 2025-07-29 (Wednesday)

Kathryn Merriam with Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday). [more info]

Summer Music in the Garden ["a program of 16th and 17th century music"] (feat. Arparla and Elixir Baroque Ensemble) / Toronto Music Garden 2025-07-30 (Thursday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Ghost Quartet [Brent Tanemura/Brodie West/Reg Schwager] / Water to Wine 2025-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc, 19+. [more info]

lightsweetcrude presents: An Evening of Visual Music (feat. David Sait / Del Stephen / Jason Steidman) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]

Ian Sinclair Quartet [Ian Sinclair/Harley Card/Mark Godfrey/Nick Fraser with special guest Alex Samaras] / The Emmet Ray 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $15. [more info]

Body Help [Colin Fisher/Josh Cole/Kieran Adams with special guest Hugh Marsh] / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $10. [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Stephen Parkinson/Allison Cameron/Karen Ng / Owen Kurtz & Callon Murphy) / United Unlimited 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc

Patrick Smith Quartet [Patrick Smith/Jen Lo/Julian Anderson Bowes/Angelica Zavala] / The Rex 2026-07-31 (Friday – 5 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

Imaginary Lines Quartet [Walter Gershon/Jonathan Kay/Brandon Davis/Joe Sorbara] (Walter Gershon & Reagan Mitchell) / The Emmet Ray 2026-07-31 (Friday – 7 p.m.). $15. [more info]

All-Set! Presents (feat. Tania Gill/Jake Oelrichs/Mike Smith) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday – early). [more info]

Exit Points #74 (feat. Ankita/Turk Himself/Adam Dilouya/Brianna Maltais / MJ C./R Grunwald/Connor Kurtz/Stefanie Proulx / "switchemups") / Array Space 2026-07-31 (Friday). $20 (advance)/$25 (door). [more info]

The Ryan Driver Sextet With Thom Gill As Ryan Driver [Thom Gill/Martin Arnold/Rob Clutton/Nick Fraser/Brodie West/Michael Davidson] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday). [more info]

The Passport Sessions (feat. K2 [Kayla Milmine & Jonathan Kay] / Imaginary Lines Quartet [Walter Gershon/Joe Sorbara/Jonathan Kay/Brandon Davis) / Gerrard Art Space 2026-08-01 (Saturday). $20/pwyc (snacks included). [FB event]

C'est la fête [album release show!with special guests special guests Bill Bisset, Karen Ng and Mark Hundevad] / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-08-01 (Saturday). $25/pwyw. [more info]

Dave Clark presents (feat. Eiyn Sof / Jessica Spurrell) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-02 (Sunday – early). [more info]

Adjacent Spheres (feat. Michael Davidson/Angelica Zavala/Michael Herring/Miles Cakebread-Kraus) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-02 (Sunday). [more info]

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It happened this week...

• ...on Recorded on July 27, 2023, at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng's Monthly).

Karen Ng/Philippe Melanson/Joe Moffett/Sandy Ewen - [1st piece, excerpt 1]

• ... on July 30, 2023 at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge).

Jim Lewis/Jean Martin/Andrew Downing - [1st piece, excerpt]

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]