Thursday August 1, 7:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Mingjia (pronounced MING-jee-yah) is a vocalist, improviser, composer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, & active contributor to the ever-growing Toronto arts scene.
Recognized for her technical & stylistic versatility as a vocalist & her fresh sound as a composer, Mingjia has performed with, composed for & recorded with a plethora of musical groups. These include her own group the Tortoise Orchestra, as well as James Fernando, the science of what ?, David Occhipinti, Juliet Palmer, GREX (led by Alex Samaras), Pleasurecraft, SonuSkapos Jazz Orchestra, Obsolete Vernacular, Makes Shapes, Celeste, Andi, & more. She has performed at various venues and festivals across Canada, China & the United States, & has produced 2 releases as a band leader. Feel Seen, her most recent EP, is described by the WholeNote as “beautiful, mature and exceptionally coherent”.
A graduate & the Oscar Peterson Prize recipient of Humber College’s Bachelor of Jazz and Contemporary Music program, Mingjia has had the incredible good fortune of studying with some of Canada’s most innovative artists, such as Christine Duncan, Geoff Young, Shannon Gunn, Alex Samaras, & David Occhipinti. She has been commissioned by Grammy-Award-Winning Ensemble Roomful of Teeth through the American Composer’s Forum.
Pomes
Pomes blends the naturalistic folk sounds of the east coast of canada with the progressive, industrial sounds of toronto, pomes’ sound is an infusion of country/folk, jazz, and math-rock.
Samson Wrote
Samson Wrote is Sam Boer, an unorthodox multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter from Guelph, Ontario. He performs acoustic-based experimental folk-rock that swings from quiet confidences to full-bodied roars. He shares stories of intimate moments, always rooted in the human voice, while incorporating such diverse instruments as the synthesizer, snare drum, glockenspiel, recorders, and the acoustic guitar. The Samson Wrote debut LP, “Pigeon,” is released on February 22nd, 2019.
