Jazz Collective Celebrates Early New Year’s

live jazz, Canada

Mark DeJong/Simon Fisk Collective
Tuesday, December 29 8-11pm
Communitea, Canmore

Jazz Music, Storytelling Performed in the Rockies

Canmore’s Communitea presents an evening of jazz in a pre-New Year’s party on Tuesday, December 29 from 8-11pm. Featured artists for the evening are the Mark DeJong/Simon Fisk Collective with special guest Samantha Whelan Kotkas.

The Collective gathers from points far and wide, with Saskatoon based saxophonist Mark DeJong joining Calgarians Fisk (bass/cello) and Aaron Young (guitar), New Yorker Jerome Jennings (drums) and Samantha Whelan Kotkas (narrative, vocal). The ensemble will perform freeform jazz and jazz standards with singing and narrative provided by Kotkas.

The Collective first performed as a unit during the Vic Lewis Band Festival at Canmore Collegiate High School in November, deciding at the time they’d pursue further performance opportunities.
Storybook Theatre’s Samantha Whelan Kotkas is a trumpet player and storyteller who has released a CD featuring Rocky Mountain fairy tales set to jazz rhythms.

DeJong latest recording project, The Unknown, is nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award (2009). He’s released a two albums with his Outer Bridge Ensemble band (as well as numerous studio collaborations) and is a sessional music instructor at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Simon Fisk is one of the busiest players on the Western Canadian scene. The recording artist has released numerous projects under his own name as well as contributing to countless studio collaborations, and is the owner of Plunge Records, a label that also specializes in live internet broadcasts.

DeJong and Fisk have recorded for CBC and toured together in the fall of 2008. The musicians will also collaborate at the 2010 Expo event in Shanghai.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door
For more info or to purchase in advance, call 403 678-6818