Hosts

Ross Porter

Friday, 08 April 2011 07:05

Photo: Don Dixon

Host of Music To Listen To Jazz By, Saturdays 9AM to 11AM, President and Chief Executive Officer of JAZZ.FM91 since July of 2004, Ross Porter is acknowledged by jazz lovers from coast-to-coast as Canada’s preeminent jazz broadcaster.

Perhaps best-known to jazz aficionados for his lengthy and distinguished career as a broadcaster and producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s national radio network for many years, Ross Porter more recently developed, launched, and spearheaded programming for Canada’s national jazz channel COOL-TV, also managing day-to-day operations at CanWest’s 24-hour jazz station, COOL-FM and COOL Recordings.

Over past years, he amassed considerable credentials as a producer for widely-lauded network radio documentaries on jazz greats including Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker and many others. He also produced critically-acclaimed television documentaries on legends such as Oscar Peterson, Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, George Harrison, Brian Wilson, and Diana Krall.

Known for his impeccable taste in music, his unique delivery, and his matchless ability to articulate the colorful jazz landscape for radio listening audiences across the country as executive producer and host of CBC Radio’s highly successful daily “After Hours” jazz show, Ross Porter also shared his passion and unique understanding of the jazz genre with international air travelers as the host of Air Canada’s in-flight audio jazz channel for several years. His lengthy list of background credentials also includes stints as a respected print journalist, both as a music columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and as a jazz reviewer for The National Post. His book the Essential Jazz Recordings was published by McClelland and Stewart and recently went into its second pressing. It is a consistent best seller in the music section of books stores.

Winner of numerous honours throughout his illustrious career, Ross Porter was accorded the 2000 CanWest Award for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Jazz’ by friend and mentor Izzy Asper. The prestigious National Jazz Awards named him ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ in both 2002 and 2004. In the spring of 2009 Porter was nominated, by the Jazz Journalists Association, for the Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Broadcasting.

His interest in music is diverse. Porter worked in the Cultural Industries in Manitoba and helped to develop the careers of Fred Penner and the Crash Test Dummies. As a radio a radio producer and host at CBC he was helpful in assisting in the careers of Holly Cole, Diana Krall, Jane Bunnett and numerous others.

Porter was a member of the Oscar Peterson National Committee, which commissioned Canadian artist Ruth Abernethy, to create a commemorative statue at Canada's National Arts Centre. In June 2010, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh unveiled the sculpture in Ottawa.

Jamie Cullum

Tuesday, 08 November 2011 11:56

Jamie Cullum's willingness to defy convention has served him well during his lifelong pursuit of musical fulfillment.  He began playing piano and guitar at the age of eight; in his mid teens, Cullum was in & out of rock bands playing guitar, drums and piano; he was also the drummer in a hip-hop combo, eventually finding his way back to jazz through the samples used in his favorite hip-hop recordings; and Cullum spent the end of his teen years living in Paris, where he honed his skills performing in local jazz clubs before going on to become the biggest-selling British jazz artist of all time.  Cullum has won an enviable reputation as a magnetic live performer, playing freewheeling concerts that emphasize spontaneity and improvisation—and which rarely employ a set list.

Jamie is the host of the Jamie Cullum BBC Radio Show which can be heard Saturday's at 11am and again on Monday's at 9pm.

John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey

Tuesday, 08 November 2011 12:09

John Pizzarelli, the world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer, was called “Hip with a wink” by Town & Country, “madly creative” by the Los Angeles Times and “the genial genius of the guitar” by The Toronto Star. When he performs with his wife, singer/actress Jessica Molaskey, and his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, they were labeled “the First Family of Cool” by the San Francisco Chronicle and “the von Trapps on Martinis” by The New Yorker. According to The New York Times, “the Pizzarelli-Molaskey duo are as good as it gets in any entertainment medium.”

Jessica Molaskey is a veteran of a dozen Broadway shows: A Man of No Importance at Lincoln Center written by Terrance McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Parade (directed by Hal Prince), Dream, Tommy, Crazy For You, Les Miserables, City of Angels, Chess, Cats and Oklahoma! and she has performed off Broadway and regionally in dozens of productions.

Jessica has premiered music written by Ricky Ian Gordon, Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, and Stephen Sondheim and John Bucchino. She has written songs for almost a dozen recordings including “Greed”, part of a commission for Audra McDonald’s Seven Deadly Sins at Carnegie Hall and Cradle and all which will be part of Ms. McDonalds newest c.d. coming out in the fall.

John and Jessica are the hosts of Radio Deluxe which airs Sunday's at 9am

Terry McElligott

Tuesday, 08 April 2008 07:09

Photo: Frank Nagy

Host of Midday Jazz, 10AM to 2PM weekdays, Terry has always had a fondness for new ideas in music, and was turned on to jazz early in life by hearing it on radio, presented in ways that made jazz approachable. That led him to a media career that included long stretches in radio. He began his broadcasting life by doing a jazz show, and spent many years in both established and alternative radio formats. Around the end of the last century he was brought on-board at JAZZ.FM91 to help build what was, at the time, a brand new, untried radio station.

Today, JAZZ.FM91 has a large audience with a loyal supporter base but Terry is always ready to welcome new listeners who are just discovering the wonderful art form that is jazz.

Brad Barker

Tuesday, 08 April 2008 07:13

Photo: Frank Nagy

Growing up in Nova Scotia, Brad attended St. Francis Xavier University getting his Degree in Jazz Studies as a bass major. This led to a 10 year career as a professional musician, spending 6 years recording and touring with The Pursuit of Happiness.

Brad then moved on and studied broadcasting at Humber College, which soon turned into securing various jobs at Toronto radio stations. When the opportunity to work at JAZZ.FM91 came Brad’s way in 2001 he jumped at it. Being Operations Manager and Music Director at one of the few 24 hour-a-day jazz radio stations in the world and the chance to work with JAZZ.FM91’s members and volunteers makes for a unique and very rewarding experience.

Brad is the host of Afternoon Drive, heard weekdays 2PM to 6PM.

Juliet Dunn

Wednesday, 28 September 2011 13:39

Juliet Dunn is an energetic eclectic Renaissance woman. She hails from the UK, is half Jamaican, and grew up in Vancouver BC before moving to Paris, France for 13 years. The Shaw Festival brought her to Ontario in 2002 where she performed as an actress and singer for 2 seasons. She now resides in the Niagara region.

Her many talents and interests have found her fronting her own jazz and cabaret ensembles, guest starring with the Niagara Symphony, playing the lead role in a French movie , traveling to over 40 countries around the globe, releasing a disco CD of one of her own songwriting adventures in Europe, performing and touring with children's theatre, working at the infamous 'New Morning' Jazz club in Paris for 4 years, volunteering for non-profit organizations in her community, teaching acting camps for youth, booking acts for the Niagara region, teaching Zumba, and now broadcasting…

This vibrant young lady never ceases to amaze!

She is currently co-producing the 'Twilight Jazz Series' in Niagara bringing live jazz ensembles together every Thursday night, and is absolutely thrilled to have recently joined the team here at Jazz FM.

Jaymz Bee

Tuesday, 08 April 2008 07:21

Photo: Graham Kennedy

Jaymz Bee was born in North Bay, Ontario and made a bee-line for Toronto at the age of 18. He has had a colourful career as a nightclub owner, art gallery curator, best-selling author (Cocktail Parties for Dummies) and band leader. From 1985-94 Bee was leader and vocalist for the rock-funk-jazz-circus known as Look People. After many European and North American tours, Bee moved on to form The Royal Jelly Orchestra, a band that has released eight CDs, toured North American and continues to perform at award shows, charity galas, private events, jazz festivals and theatres.

Jaymz has hosted and produced television and radio for various networks for the past two decades. He has immersed himself in all things jazz since moving to JAZZ.FM91 in 2003. He produces events for the station such as JAZZ LIVES and The Sound Of Jazz Concert Series, as well as being the creator and host of the JAZZ.FM91 Jazz Safaris.

Jaymz Bee can be heard weekdays, from 7AM to 9AM on Wake Up! …With Heather Bambrick, and Saturdays from 6PM to 8PM on Jazz In The City.

Heather Bambrick

Tuesday, 08 April 2008 07:24

Photo: Frank Nagy

Heather Bambrick, winner of the National Jazz Award for Vocalist of the Year and Broadcaster of the Year, is in demand as a performer, educator, and host. She has performed and/or recorded with numerous international artists, including Phil Nimmons, Kenny Wheeler, Gene DiNovi, Guido Basso, Darmon Meader, Peter Appleyard, John Lamb, Carol Welsman, Jackie Richardson, Denzal Sinclaire, The Caliban Quartet, Rudy Webb, and the late Rob McConnell.

Heather was a founding member of the Beehive Singers, whose debut recording won them a Jazz Report Awards for Best Vocal Group. Both of Heather’s solo CDs (It’s About Time, and Those Were The Days) were nominated for Best Jazz Recording at the East Coast Music Awards.

Heather’s voice has been heard throughout North America on radio and television commercials, in animation series (Disney, PBS, Comedy Network), as well as on film and television soundtracks. Since 2001, Heather has firmly entrenched herself in the world of broadcasting, producing and hosting “Sing, Sing, Sing” which eventually became the highly popular “Sunday Afternoon Jazz” and now as the host of “Wake Up … with Heather Bambrick. Heather has twice been honoured as Broadcaster of the Year awards at the National Jazz Awards.

The native Newfoundlander is a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, and is currently on faculty at Humber College and is busy as a clinician and adjudicator at music festivals across Canada.

Hear Heather weekday mornings from 6:00 – 10:00 on “Wake Up … with Heather Bambrick”.

John Devenish

Wednesday, 28 September 2011 13:48

John enjoys communicating. He has a wide variety of stage, film and television experience. He's also worked for many years in different aspects of social and developmental services.

John loves jazz and also has an extensive background in classical radio. His passion for the arts and other cultural activities, provides him with a strong understanding of the makeup of Toronto’s diverse artistic community.

Share your evenings from 6PM to 9PM, Monday to Friday, with John Devenish our new Dinner Jazz host on JAZZ.FM91.

Walter Venafro

Tuesday, 08 April 2008 07:16

Photo: Frank Nagy

Born and raised in Toronto, Walter became interested in broadcasting when he received a transistor radio for Christmas at the age of 10. During recess, Walter would go to his perfect spot, sit and listen to the various on-air hosts, up and down the dial, fascinated by the voices and music.

Walter has worked at several radio stations around Toronto, co-produced documentaries for television, was a casting agent for film and television, has been a DJ at some of the city's top hotspots, and has done promotions and publicity for numerous award winning Canadian musicians. All the while Walter has also been very busy as a voice actor, and realtor, helping people buy and sell homes.

Walter brings you Saturday Afternoon Jazz from noon to 4PM.

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