We continue to creep closer and closer to the 2015 edition of the TD Halifax Jazz Festival and with each passing day more and more exciting news creeps up out of nowhere. With all of that being said, this year’s Rising Stars program is filled to the brim with enough talent to make Simon Cowell blush.
THE 2015 TD HALIFAX JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES STINGRAY RISING STARS PROGRAM FINALISTS
(Halifax, NS) The 2015 TD Halifax Jazz Festival is proud to partner with leading business-to-business multi-platform music provider Stingray Music, to present the Stingray Rising Stars Program again this year, July 8-12. The Stingray Rising Stars program offers cash awards and showcase opportunities to emerging Canadian artists. Last year, at the 2014 TD Halifax Jazz Festival, the award was presented to Roxy & the Underground Soul Sound. Winning the award made the release of their debut record possible. The recognition also raised their profile and garnered the band showcases at Nova Scotia Music Week, in addition to playing multiple festivals and shows across Canada.
Stingray Music is committed to putting Canadian musicians on the map! That is why they created the Stingray Rising Stars Program. Launched in 1998 as Galaxie Rising Star, this original program sets out to discover, encourage, promote and champion new up-and-coming Canadian artists.
“As a Canadian company and member of the music community, Stingray Music is committed to promoting local talent. We are thrilled to be renewing our support of the TD Halifax Jazz Festival, an event where every year we discover immense talents,” said Mathieu Péloquin, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications for Stingray. “Since 1998, the Stingray Rising Star Program has benefited close to a thousand Canadian musicians in every genre. We are honoured to be part of the journey of so many wonderful artists!”
Drop by the Main Stage (Lower Water Street & Salter Street) every afternoon, July 8-12, to listen to music by shortlisted artists for the 2015 Stingray Rising Stars program at the TD Halifax Halifax Jazz Festival. This year’s lineup includes:
Pram Trio, 3:00 PM Wednesday, July 8 (Toronto | contemporary jazz) This ensemble combines elements of the traditional jazz piano trio with contemporary styles of music beyond the jazz genre. With a strong focus on collective improvisation, Pram Trio creates an experience that appeals to listeners both familiar and unfamiliar with jazz.
Anteater, 3:00 PM Thursday, July 9 (Halifax | jazz) A band almost as intriguing as the strange mammal of the same name. Anteater “exists interdimensionally” bringing together some of Halifax’s most exciting young players to make personality-filled, imaginative music. Original, explosive and exploratory, Anteater is producing a fresh, and refreshing, brand of jazz.
Alana Yorke, 4:00 PM Friday, July 10 (Halifax | alternative/dream pop) With dream-like vocals and a minimalist piano style, Alana Yorke combines irresistible hooks and captivating rhythms to draw listeners into her hypnotic and beautiful world. Armed with a strong musical vision, Yorke steers her songs between sparkly synth-pop, grand cinematic gestures, and stripped-down intimacy.
The New Bridge, 2:20 PM Saturday, July 11 (Halifax | jazz) The New Bridge creates intricate and heartfelt music that criss-crosses the territories of jazz, folk, chamber music, and rock. The six-piece ensemble includes three members of Gypsophilia—Adam Fine, Ross Burns and Nick Wilkinson—as well as Symphony Nova Scotia’s Principal Clarinetist Dominic Desautels, with Halifax mainstays Andrew Jackson on trombone and Doug Cameron on drums. Their unusual instrumentation allows for a wide range of possibilities for original compositions: sensitive and pastoral one moment, rough-edged and visceral the next.
Party Boots, 3:40 PM Sunday, July 12 (Halifax | pop/urban/world) The party this band is named after never stops. Diverse, energetic and highly adaptable, Party Boots has entertained tens of thousands of music lovers in both bars and major venues with its upbeat, worldly dance music and its knack for entertaining. Stitching pop, R&B, funk, and hip-hop influences together for a signature sound, where these Boots go, good times follow.
Through a two-tiered process of peer assessment and online voting, one act will receive $3,000 to jumpstart their careers. Online voting takes place at www.music.stingray.com until 6:00 PM Sunday, July 12, 2015. The winner will be announced later that evening at the Main Stage.
Visit the Stingray Music booth at the Main Stage to cast your vote!
