Yardbird Suite

Yardbird Suite Official page of the YARDBIRD SUITE and Edmonton Jazz Society (EJS.) The Yardbird Suite - Edmonton In 1959 Yardbird Suite relocated to 9810 Jasper Avenue.
(428)

Operated entirely by volunteers, The Yardbird Suite, is the only facility of its kind in Canada. Every weekend between the middle of September and the end of June (with the break for the New Year) a new jazz experience unfolds in the Suite's casual and intimate atmosphere. In addition to an average of 75 concerts per performance season, the Yardbird currently hosts weekly Tuesday Night Sessions, s

ponsors the Littlebirds Big Band, and provides concert space to other organizations. Our programming has enabled local musicians to play with some of the world's luminaries of jazz. In partnership with the CBC and Radio-Canada, we have broadcasted nationally. In the past we have provided jazz appreciation courses, weekend workshops with visiting musicians and sponsored various bands. On March 23, 1957, the original Yardbird Suite opened on 10444 Whyte Avenue. Founding members included Terry Hawkeye, Zen and Ray Magus, Ron Repka, Gary Nelson, Ken Chaney and Neil Gunn. When the Steak Loft moved from its original location on Jasper Ave and 98th Street into a new building further west on Jasper, the Yardbird Suite moved into the vacated Steak Loft premises. The Yardbird Suite operated in that location pretty well as the present operation is run, with the exception of the fact that the volunteers in those days were all musicians and their wives and girlfriends. It ran most often five nights a week. In 1967 an old VW garage across from the old CP station on the south side (corner of 102 Street and 81 Avenue) became Yardbird Suite new location. In 1973 the EJS re-organized and staged concerts at the Captain's Cabin on 89 Avenue and 99 Street, Palm's Cafe and other locations. On September 13, 1984, with a crew of dedicated jazz volunteers, the Yardbird Suite re-opened in its current location (known at the time as Malone Warehouse) at 11 Tommy Banks Way.

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Cordâme: Fabula Femina. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our c...
06/03/2026

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Cordâme: Fabula Femina. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Coral Egan, voice
Marie Neige Lavigne, violin
Sheila Hannigan, cello
Jean Felix Mailloux, double bass
Eveline Grégoire-Rousseau, harp
Louis-Vincent Hamel, drums

PRIX OPUS Concert de l’anné (2025)

A vibrant tribute to poetesses from the Renaissance to the present day. Composer and bassist Jean Félix Mailloux has set to music the sublime stories by Gaspara Stampa, Louise Labé, Emily Dickinson, Catherine Pozzi and Louise De Vilmorin of timeless richness. Texts about love, life and death, wonder, joy and suffering. Cordâme’s musicians with the singer Coral Egan interpret these songs with great sensitivity. Rich orchestrations, dreamlike and touching poetry that will leave no one indifferent. A show at the crossroads of chamber music, lyrical singing and jazz, highlighting poetesses of great talent with accuracy and sensitivity.

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Kelly Hendrickson Swings Sinatra. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get tickets now through the link i...
06/02/2026

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Kelly Hendrickson Swings Sinatra. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Kelly Hendrickson, vocals
John Gray, bass
Jim Brenan, sax
Craig Brenan, trombone
Jamie Cooper, drums
Doug Burner, trumpet
Chris Andrew, piano

Experience the magic of Frank Sinatra with Kelly Hendrickson and Orchestra. Step back in time to the golden era of swing and jazz with an unforgettable evening dedicated to the legendary Frank Sinatra. Join us as acclaimed vocalist Kelly Hendrickson takes the stage with a full orchestra, bringing Ol' Blue Eyes' timeless classics to life. From "Fly me to the Moon" to "My Way," experience the charm, charisma, and musical mastery of Sinatra's greatest hits performed with stunning authenticity.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY Yardbird Suite Co-Presents a SOLD OUT Flamenco at Yardbird Suite. Doors 7pm. Music 7:30pm. Franci...
06/01/2026

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY Yardbird Suite Co-Presents a SOLD OUT Flamenco at Yardbird Suite.

Doors 7pm.
Music 7:30pm.

Francisco Orozco “Yiyi”, song/percussion
Claire Marchand, dance
Peter Mole, guitar
Jane Ogilvie, dance, piano
Rosanna Terracciano, dance

"WOW...simply, utterly. Such a rich and diverse production of flamenco components. We were enthralled. "

Following a sold-out 2025 tour, this vibrant Flamenco ensemble takes to the stage with returning special guests – Spanish Flamenco singer and percussionist Francisco Orozco “Yiyi” and Vancouver Flamenco guitarist Peter Mole – for an intimate evening of Flamenco dance, guitar, piano, and song. Catch the group's exciting new program on tour in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.

Flamenco dancers Claire Marchand, Jane Ogilvie, and Rosanna Terracciano have explored their own creative trajectories since meeting years ago as emerging dancers. Now, as established artists, each has played an integral role in establishing a Flamenco presence in Western Canada. Their paths have crossed as artists, colleagues, and friends in many ways over the years.

In 2023 they decided it was time to formally create a project where they would have the chance to collaborate. Their first project “Flamenco at the Yardbird” was presented to a sold out audience in 2024 with invited guests, Vancouver Flamenco guitarist and dance accompanist Peter Mole and Spanish singer Celedonio Garrido. In 2025 they returned to the Yardbird for two nights, with a new performance including returning guitarist Peter Mole and new guest Spanish singer/percussionist Francisco Orozco “Yiyi”, taking the show on the road to their hometowns of Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, to rave reviews.

Experience the mesmerizing interaction of soulful singing, intricate guitar, percussive footwork and expressive dance of the Flamenco “tablao”, with the special addition of flamenco piano. Expect the magical intensity, improvisation and inspiration that can only be felt in the live encounter of flamenco artists.

Band members

About the Artists
Francisco Orozco “Yiyi” (Song/Percussion) is from an Andalusian family. Born in Barcelona, he was introduced to Flamenco rhythms at the tender age of four and was trained by his father, Flamenco singer “Joselón de Jerez”. He began his professional career at the age of twelve and performs internationally.

Claire Marchand (Dance), known for her theatrical, singular style, has performed across Canada and internationally.

Peter Mole’s (Guitar) raw yet lyrical guitar style comes alive when accompanying dance. He recently released his debut album “La Luna y el Viento.”

Jane Ogilvie (Dance, Piano) is a 2023 recipient of the Edmonton Artist's Trust Fund Award for dance and a lifelong pianist.

Rosanna Terracciano (Dance), winner of the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, has been presented throughout Canada and Europe, including at the Bienal de Flamenco (Seville).

More about the artists at this link - https://flamencoshow.ca/2026-artists

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents FREE Tuesday Jam Hosted by Maude Fortier Quartet. Exhibit Opening 6pm.Doors 7pm. Music 8...
06/01/2026

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents FREE Tuesday Jam Hosted by Maude Fortier Quartet.

Exhibit Opening 6pm.
Doors 7pm.
Music 8pm.

Maude Fortier, alto sax
Juno Hamilton, bass
Julian Ferrer, drums
August McKinney, piano

The Maude Fortier Quartet is a young voice in Montreal dedicated to the preservation and promotion of jazz tradition. A conglomerate of like-minded individuals, the ensemble has begun making strides across its local scene; performing a mix of original music, as well as faithful renditions of compositions from jazz’s most notable figures.

Tuesday's Jam is FREE in celebration of the 6:00 p.m. Opening of Yardbird Suite Community Gallery's Light Vibrations by Leah Wilson, now on display until June 16 in the lobby during all shows.

Leah’s acrylic painting is described as a color field, abstract, cubisitic at times with a pinch of symbolism. Using vibrant & bright contrasting colors, cool & hot side by side, bending space with drips, seeking that smashed stained glass effect. Her purpose when painting is to achieve a visual journey that challenges our belief in the solid – and how in fact – everything is a vast space full of moving bits if you look close enough.

Recent works exhibit metallic elements, inspired by reflections, light on water, & color vibrations.

SUNDAY and MONDAY Yardbird Suite presents Littlebirds Big Bands. Doors 6:30pm. Music 7pm. Get tickets now through the li...
05/29/2026

SUNDAY and MONDAY Yardbird Suite presents Littlebirds Big Bands. Doors 6:30pm. Music 7pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

The Littlebirds Jazz Bands close out their season with two nights of outstanding big band jazz, featuring the Junior Big Band under the direction of Curtis Farley and the Senior Big Band led by Joel Gray.

Each ensemble will present a full set of music that reflects the progress, discipline, and artistic growth developed over the past year. The program draws from both classic and modern big band repertoire, offering a balanced and engaging evening that showcases the breadth of the jazz tradition alongside contemporary influences.

Audiences can expect tight ensemble playing, confident soloists, and a clear sense of musical identity emerging from each group. More than a concert, these performances represent the culmination of a season’s worth of rehearsal, study, and collaboration—highlighting not only technical achievement, but the diversity of talent and musical voice within the Littlebirds program.

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Valérie Lacombe's State of Garden and Shadow Album Release. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get ti...
05/28/2026

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Valérie Lacombe's State of Garden and Shadow Album Release. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Join Valérie on Saturday from 2pm to 4pm for her workshop where participants can get $6 off the ticket price to her show.

Tickets are $35 for the workshop and $33 for the show.

To register for the workshop and specially-priced show tickets, please email [email protected] with Lacombe Workshop in the subject line.

André Wickenheiser, trumpet
Jacob Do, tenor sax
Aretha Tillotson, bass
Valérie Lacombe, drums

"State of Garden and Shadow", a quote taken from the Clarice Lispector novel "Água Viva", evokes a world rich in symbols and emotions. The garden is a place that embodies life, growth, transformation, a symbol of beauty and fulfillment. It is also a place of work and care, of patience and dedication. This process of cultivation and growth is metaphorical in the case of this project, symbolizing personal development, creativity, and artistic evolution, as it represents a new milestone in Lacombe’s career and holds special significance, showcasing original compositions, the result of her artistic growth during her master's studies at McGill University under the attentive guidance of Kevin Dean and Darrell Green.

The work focuses on music for a jazz quartet of two horns, bass and drums. This format offers a lot of creative freedom for spontaneous interaction between the members of the ensemble due to the absence of a chordal instrument such as a piano or guitar. Throughout the music’s history, there have been various different approaches to the chord-less quartet, from Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, to Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry and more. The particular approach associated most with Elvin Jones, which Lacombe has been heavily inspired by during the compositional process, consists of a strong swing feeling and melodic freedom in the drums, along with harmonically dense and assertive saxophone playing.

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Yves Léveillé Quartet. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comm...
05/27/2026

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Yves Léveillé Quartet. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Yves Léveillé, piano and composition
Roberto Murray, saxophones
Guy Boisvert, double bass
Alain Bastien, drums

In the world of Canadian jazz, Yves Léveillé remains a dynamic force, a first-rate point of reference, a beacon that continues to light the way. -Frédéric Cardin, Ici musique, Radio-Canada

The group founded by pianist and composer Yves Léveillé brings together some of Quebec's finest musicians.

Yves Léveillé's music radiates nationally and internationally, and several European, Chinese, Canadian and American tours have helped establish his reputation. He has collaborated with a number of remarkable artists, including New York pianist Eri Yamamoto ("Pianos" album released in 2010), San Francisco multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless, Paris-based Olivier Ker Ourio and many others. He has nine albums on the Effendi label and one with Trio En Trois Couleurs on Atma classique.

His jazz quartet has often been at the heart of several of his recordings, including Essences des bois as a septet and chorégraphie as a quartet.

In addition to his career as a composer and performer, he heads Productions Yves Léveillé, an organization dedicated to the creation of concerts (Bourdonnements Jazz à l'Outremont), tours and sound recordings.

THURSDAY Yardbird Suite presents Chris Andrew Album Release. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in o...
05/26/2026

THURSDAY Yardbird Suite presents Chris Andrew Album Release. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Pianist and composer Chris Andrew is widely regarded as one of Canada’s leading voices in jazz. Known for his distinctive approach to the piano and a deeply personal musical language, Andrew has earned national recognition, including the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award. His ensemble, the Hutchinson Andrew Trio, received the prestigious TD Grand Jazz Award at the 34th Montréal International Jazz Festival.

With a career spanning over 36 years, Andrew has recorded 15 albums as a leader or co-leader and has garnered seven Western Canadian Music Award nominations for Jazz Recording of the Year. In 2023, he served as musical director and composer for Wandering with Wonder, which won the AMPIA Rosie Award for Best Musical or Variety Program or Series.

Creatively, Andrew continues to expand his artistic output. He has recently completed recording his upcoming ensemble album Fracture Point (2027) and is preparing for a new recording project. He is also honoured to be collaborating with Honens as composer and performer for the upcoming production Oscar.

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Elissa Moores. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the l...
05/22/2026

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Elissa Moores. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Elissa Moores, trumpet
Dana Anderson, tenor sax
Elisabeth Wagner, piano
Aretha Tillotson, bass
Biboye Onanuga, drums

Elissa Moores is an emerging professional trumpet player, educator, clinician, and director based in Edmonton. Since earning her bachelor's degree in Jazz and Contemporary Trumpet Performance from MacEwan University in 2020, she has gone on to perform frequently in various professional big bands including the Yardbird Suite Jazz Orchestra, the Edmonton Jazz Orchestra, the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra, and the Don Berner Big Band.

She is currently a member of local semi-professional concert band, the Edmonton Winds, appearing on their recent 2025 album release, Close To Home. Other notable records in which Elissa has participated include the 2022 albums Pipe Dreams, recorded with Jim Walker, and The Long View, both recorded with the MacEwan Generations Big Band and produced by Bent River Records. In addition to Walker, Elissa has worked and performed with several notable musicians throughout her career, including Melissa Aldana, Jens Lindemann, Robi Botos, Allan Gilliland, Tara Davidson, Allison Au, PJ Perry, Virginia McDonald, Maria Schneider, Al Muirhead, Mallory Chipman, Chelsea McBride, Dean McNeill, Audrey Ochoa, John Beasley and Hilario Duran.

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Zane Shihadeh Project. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our co...
05/20/2026

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents Zane Shihadeh Project. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Jordan Middleton, alto saxophone
Zane Shihadeh, piano
Sean Croal, bass
Jacob Tanner, drumset

From his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, and his university home in Toronto, Ontario, Zane Shihadeh makes his Edmonton debut at The Yardbird Suite on May 23rd, 2026. Of course, he won’t be alone! Beside him will be some of his favorite musicians in Canada including drummer Jacob Tanner, bassist Sean Croal, and alto saxophonist Jordan Middelton. The city of Edmonton carries sentimental value to Zane as it is the hometown of his parents, Krista Monson, a choreographer and documentarian, and Paul Shihadeh, a renowned jazz electric bassist. With a set list ranging from traditional jazz, jazz fusion, and pop, Zane Shihadeh is thrilled to be sharing music with the people of Edmonton.

Address

11 Tommy Banks Way
Edmonton, AB
T6E2M2

Opening Hours

Tuesday 7:30pm - 11pm
Friday 7pm - 11pm
Saturday 7pm - 11pm

Telephone

+17804320428

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Yardbird Suite posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Yardbird Suite:

Share