We’re kicking off the 2012 edition of our fim series, Six Degrees of Jazz, with the classic Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night. Join us at the Broadway Theatre at 7pm on Tuesday, January 24 to experience this classic music flick on 35mm film.

We’re even giving away the first 250 tickets to this film! Click here to get yours.
The free tickets are sold out, but there are still 150+ available at the door on Tuesday.

Six Degrees of Jazz is organized in partnership with the Broadway Theatre, and is sponsored by St. John’s Music. Promotional support is provided by CFCR 90.5 FM.

We’re excited to announce a concert featuring blues musician Guy Davis at The Bassment on Tuesday, November 15 at 8pm. Tickets are $20 ($16 for students and SJS members) and are available online and from our box office.

Updating the rural blues tradition for the modern era, Guy Davis is a musician, composer, actor, director, writer and consummate performer. He’s got some Blind Willie McTell and some Fats Waller, some Buddy Guy and some Taj Mahal. He’s got some Zora Neale Hurston and some Garrison Keillor. But most importantly—Guy Davis is a bluesman. The blues permeate every corner of Davis’ creativity. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues and bringing them to as many ears as possible through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces.

This concert is presented by Elwood Flynn Ltd. and Ultimo Euromoda with support by our media sponsor CFCR 90.5 FM. Click here for more info.

Note: SJS Gold Cards are not valid for this performance.

You may have noticed a Bravo camera flitting around some of the concerts this year. That’s because our festival will be featured this week on Bravo’s Arts & Minds program!

Be sure to tune in Saturday at 4pm, Sunday at 5pm or Wednesday at 630pm (SK time) to catch interviews and concert footage from several of the artists who performed this year.

If you have SaskTel Max, you can catch Bravo on channel 73. (You’ll also find it on Shaw channel 28, and Bell channel 620.)

Every day people ask us which concerts are selling quickly. So we thought we’d give you the lowdown right here and now!

First up, if you want to see Holly Cole, I’d jump on that right away. There are just a handful of seats left for her early show at the Broadway Theatre, and even the late set is filling up fast.

In the Bessborough Gardens, Colin James is cruising towards a possible sellout, so I wouldn’t wait any longer if you want to catch his show on June 25.

The Sheepdogs and Jordan Cook are definitely giving Colin a good run for his money — it’s incredible to see the local support for the Canada Day double bill featuring these hometown acts!

Tegan and Sara tickets are also being snapped up quickly. This should come as no surprise given that they sold out TCU Place when they came to Saskatoon last year.

And although Macy Gray was the last show to go on sale, her opening night concert has an incredible amount of momentum, and may soon eclipse the other artists mentioned above.

Finally, tickets for a few shows in our smaller venues might soon run out, including The Lost Fingers, Colin Linden and the bill featuring Suzie Vinnick and Big Dave McLean.

Tickets for all of these concerts are available online, by phone or in person from the Festival Box Office.

Today we’re giving you an irresistible reason to buy your tickets before the line at the box office gets any longer.

The first 100 visitors to our box office today, Wednesday, June 15, will receive a delicious, free mini cupcake, courtesy of The Cupcake Corner.

Take it from me — these suckers are delicious. Like ooey, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. So be sure to drop by our box office in the lobby of the Delta Bessborough hotel (601 Spadina Cr. E). We’re open from 10AM to 5PM.

Rolling Stone magazine has just announced the final four bands in its Choose the Cover contest, and local rockers The Sheepdogs have made the cut!

We’re very proud to announce that The Sheepdogs will be performing on Canada Day at this year’s SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. They’ll be joined by another hometown favourite, Jordan Cook, for a July 1 double bill outdoors on the TD Mainstage.

Be sure to vote for The Sheepdogs and help get them on the cover of Rolling Stone! You can vote right on our website, where you can also get advance tickets to this and other fine Festival concerts.

This Tuesday, three more concerts for this year’s Jazz Festival will go on sale to the public. While we’re not officially announcing the shows until next week, we thought we’d celebrate the long weekend by giving you an sneak peek:

• New Orleans legend Aaron Neville will make a return to the Festival on Sunday, June 26, when he brings his soulful brand of R&B and gospel to the TD Mainstage, joined by his funky quintet and his brother Charles Neville.
• The Broadway Theatre will welcome one of the world’s great young jazz musicians on Monday, June 27, as bassist Christian McBride and his acoustic jazz quintet Inside Straight perform a collection of hard swing-to-bluesy groove tunes.
• On Saturday, July 2, a night of eclectic hip hop comes to the Bessborough Gardens, featuring Arrested Development‘s potent concoction of funk, rap, soul and jazz music, and the playful wordplay of De La Soul.

Ticket for these shows can be purchased online or from the fine folks at our Festival Box Office.

Photo: Christian McBride.

In just three short months we’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival! We’re excited to announce the first five concerts of what promises to be an exceptional lineup.

As the Festival’s marquee venue, the TD Mainstage in the Bessborough Gardens will play host to a musically diverse program including these spectacular artists:

• Regina-born blues guitarist Colin James comes home to Saskatchewan to play the Festival on Saturday, June 25.
• Reunited for the first time since 1992, the original lineup of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones will perform their extraordinary music on Tuesday, June 28.
• Indie folk-rock duo Tegan and Sara will draw the Festival to a close on Sunday, July 3, in their first visit to Saskatoon since their sold-out concert at TCU place in January, 2010.

Across the river in the intimate confines of the Broadway Theatre, you’ll find a unique lineup, of which the following are only two of the highlights:

• The legendary pianist Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band will recreate the magic of their classic 1974 album _Sun Goddess_ on Friday, June 24.
• Iconic Canadian vocalist Holly Cole will thrill Saskatoon audiences with her smoky, sultry voice and ironic humour when she performs two concerts on Wednesday, June 29.

Tickets for these concerts go on sale Thursday, March 31. Click here for box office information.

As you may know, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. We hope you’re as excited about this as we are, because we’re calling on you once again to help us put this wonderful event together this summer!

We’re now accepting applications from anyone who is interested in volunteering for this year’s Festival, which runs from June 24 to July 3, 2011.

Volunteering at the Festival is a great way to get involved in your community, meet new people, enjoy incredible live music and perhaps even meet a famous artist or two.

Volunteer applications and full details are available here on our website, or from the our office at 601 Spadina Crescent East, Suite 701.

The application deadline is March 31, 2011.

If you have any questions about the application process, you can get in touch with Deneen at 306.652.1421 or deneen@saskjazz.com.

If you still need a gift for the music lover in your life, we just received a fresh shipment of Saskatchewan Jazz Festival Gift Certificates!

These handy vouchers can be used for any event we produce, whether during the annual festival or throughout the year, or even on Festival merchandise.
You can purchase them online in $25, $50 and $100 denominations, or in any amount you like when purchased by phone or in person at the Festival Box Office.

Click here to purchase gift certificates online, or contact the box office for more information.

Holiday Mailing Dates: If you want your gift certificate to arrive before Dec. 25, we recommend ordering by Dec. 20 for delivery in Saskatoon, or Dec. 17 for delivery elsewhere in Saskatchewan. Please note that these are guidelines and not a guarantee — no refunds will be available for certificates delayed in the mail.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Gift certificates expire on August 31, 2012.
• Valid only at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival box office.
• Valid only for for events and merchandise produced by SJF.
• Certificates are non-refundable.
• Original certificate must be presented at the time of redemption.
• SJF is not responsible for lost or stolen certificates.