With a name that nods to marquee status and mentorship in equal measure, it should be no surprise that the Leading Ladies Little Big Band has taken the Canadian jazz scene by storm since its formation in 2019.
Comprised of 10 of the Lower Mainland’s finest emerging instrumentalists, the Leading Ladies will be in the qathet region on Friday, June 2, for school workshops and an evening concert presented by Townsite Jazz Festival Society. The appearance comes hot on the heels of a sold-out show at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver earlier this month, and an ongoing BC tour.
“Casey Thomas-Burns, the band leader and music arranger, contacted me six months ago, enquiring about bringing her group to our jazz festival,” said Townsite Jazz Festival Society artistic director Paul Cummings.
While the 2023 festival lineup had already been set, the society was beginning to expand to offer satellite events outside of the festival timeline, and Cummings knew the Leading Ladies could be a great fit.
“In addition to the public concert being presented by the jazz society, they will be performing for 400 school kids during the daytime,” said Cummings. “Having 10 talented female musicians will leave such a positive impression on the Brooks Secondary School community. I can’t wait to see that.”
The Leading Ladies met while studying in Capilano University’s prestigious Jazz Studies program and played their first show together as part of a school concert series. Education remains a big part of not only their artistic identity, but also their outreach initiatives.
In Vancouver, they hold monthly Ladies Night jam sessions, geared toward cis and trans women, as well as nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centres on the experiences of women.
“The Ladies Night program came about via a number of conversations we found ourselves having at rehearsal,” explained Thomas-Burns. “We would commonly exchange sentiments such as, ‘I wish there was a jam that felt comfortable’ or ‘I wish there was a jam where I wouldn’t feel silly asking questions.’ We realized that, due to the unique nature of our group, we had the ability to create this space ourselves.”
Members of the ensemble are involved in the music industry in a variety of different ways, and Thomas-Burns said she and her colleagues hope to illustrate some ways that senior students can keep music in their lives going forward.
“We hope that the students at Brooks Secondary School are left feeling uplifted and motivated by our performance,” said Thomas-Burns. “We aim to showcase a variety of musical styles in the set, but we also try to showcase how important the feeling of community is when it comes to making music, and how, if you are interested in making music, there is always a place for you.”
The qathet Fiddlers and Brooks Vocal Jazz Ensemble will open for the Leading Ladies during their public performance at the Max Cameron Theatre at 7:30 pm on Friday, June 2. Attendees can expect a mix of big band classics and modern original compositions inspired by the big band tradition.
Tickets are available at townsitejazz.com and at the door. For more information on the Leading Ladies, go to leadingladieslittlebigband.com.
