Yardbird Suite

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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.
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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, sponsors 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 High Society Jazz Band Presents Music of the Swing Era. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get ticket...
10/15/2026

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite presents High Society Jazz Band Presents Music of the Swing Era. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/high-society-jazz-band-presents-music-of-the-swing-era/

Joel Gray, trumpet
Elissa Moores, trumpet
Dana Anderson, alto and soprano saxophone
Dan Davis, tenor saxophone
Al Jacobson, trombone
Robin Taylor, baritone saxophone
Alex Ketchum, guitar
Andrew Glover, piano
Paul Johnston, bass
Dean Pierno, drums

Step back into the golden age of jazz with the High Society Jazz Band. Our talented tentet brings the music of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s to life with the irresistible rhythms, memorable melodies, and timeless style of the Swing Era. From lively dance tunes to classic jazz favorites, enjoy an artistic journey through one of the most exciting periods in popular music.

FRIDAY LATE NIGHT Yardbird Suite presents After Hours Hosted by Jihye Im Trio.Doors 11:00 pm. Music 11:30 pm. Jam Sessio...
10/14/2026

FRIDAY LATE NIGHT Yardbird Suite presents After Hours Hosted by Jihye Im Trio.

Doors 11:00 pm. Music 11:30 pm. Jam Session 12:00 am until 1:00am

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/yardbird-suite-after-hours-jam-hosted-by-jihye-im-trio/

Jihye Im, piano
André White, drums
Paul Johnston, bass

Jihye Im is a jazz pianist from South Korea, who is actively performing on the Regina jazz scene as a pianist in the Regina Jazz Orchestra and in several small groups. She is a member of faculty of the University of Regina and its conservatory of performing arts.

She graduated at McGill in the Jazz performance master’s program and she identifies strongly with the rich and varied jazz tradition. In addition to performing, she is active in composing and arranging compositions both for solo piano and larger ensembles. Her most recent project was commissioned by the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra and Saskatoon Youth Jazz Orchestra to write arrangements of Billy Strayhorn compositions.

Echoing the legendary 1950s and '60s sessions that kept Strathcona swinging into the early morning hours, this new monthly series re-establishes a vital night-owl haven for our music community as we celebrate our 70th season.

Whether you're bringing your horn to sit in or settling in as a patron to witness spontaneous late-night improvisation, After Hours is where the real musical conversations happen. All Jam Participants are FREE to attend and must register at the door upon entry to the event.

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Madeleine Elkins Trio. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Madeleine Elkins, guitarKevin Romain, drumsW...
10/13/2026

FRIDAY Yardbird Suite presents Madeleine Elkins Trio. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Madeleine Elkins, guitar
Kevin Romain, drums
William Chernoff, bass

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/madeleine-elkins-trio/

Inspired by exploratory artists like Bill Frisell and Mary Halvorson, guitarist Madeleine Elkins writes music for her jazz trio at the crossroads of jazz, folk, and rock. Named one of the Vancouver Sun's "Top 10 Artists to Watch in 2026", Madeleine Elkins has been described as "one of the freshest and most varied players on the scene." In the trio's debut album, Brighton Train, bassist William Chernoff and drummer Kevin Romain join Elkins to bring their expression of contemporary jazz to life.

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Isabella Hallia. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get tickets now https://yard...
10/08/2026

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Isabella Hallia. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/tuesday-jam-hosted-by-isabella-hallia/

Isabella Hallia, vocals
Stephanie Urquhart, piano
Josh McHan, bass
Eric Zeller, drums

Isabella Hallia is a Montréal-based jazz vocalist whose lyrical voice and warm, resonant tone bring fresh sensitivity to the timeless sound of traditional vocal jazz. Drawing inspiration from icons such as Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, and Mel Tormé, Isabella performs original compositions written in the tradition of the Great American Songbook alongside thoughtfully reinterpreted and self-arranged standards. Dedicated to preserving the legacy of classic jazz, she offers audiences an authentic and emotionally engaging experience that bridges tradition and individuality.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY Yardbird Suite and Peter North present Up on Cripple Creek: The Songbook of The Band. Doors 7pm. Mus...
10/06/2026

SATURDAY and SUNDAY Yardbird Suite and Peter North present Up on Cripple Creek: The Songbook of The Band. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get Saturday tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/up-on-cripple-creek-the-songbook-of-the-band-show-1/

Get Sunday tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/up-on-cripple-creek-the-songbook-of-the-band-show-2/

Doug Andrew, vocals and guitar
J. R. Shore, vocals and piano
Gord Matthews, guitars, mandolin,vocals
Thom Moon, drums
Garth Kennedy, keyboards, vocals
Ron Rault, bass, vocals
Crawdad Cantera, harmonica, vocals

Just over a decade ago a seven-member edition of Front Porch Roots Revue ran the show Up On Cripple Creek: The Songbook of “The Band” up the flagpole to what were enthusiastic responses from fans of The Band, as well as theatre, cabaret and festival producers.

Since that time the ensemble has come together every few years to play dates around Alberta and B.C..

Armed with songs from all the classic Band albums, this troupe dishes out authentic, soulful renditions of classics like The Weight, Stage Fright, Across the Great Divide, Shape I’m In, It Makes No Difference, Ophelia, When I Paint My Masterpiece, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down while also dipping into material from solo Levon Helm albums and The Band’s reunion album Jericho.

Up On Cripple Creek boasts two great lead singers in Calgary’s J.R. Shore and Doug Andrew from Vancouver’s Circus In Flames.

Bassist/vocalist Ron Rault, drummer Thom Moon, keyboard ace Garth Kennedy, guitarist Gord Matthews and harmonica player Crawdad Cantera are the other key players in this project.

Up On Cripple Creek has tweaked the show with every tour and in 2024, John York of The Byrds, was a special guest of Up On Cripple Creek.

Another edition of the show found the group tackling the songbook of The Last Waltz in 2019 with some help from vocalists Colleen Brown, Kirby Sewell and Ian Oscar. The spring of 2026 saw Rault, Moon, Matthews, Cantera with guest Stew MacDougall present a show called The Blues of “The Band” that found the crew rolling through tunes from sources like Muddy Waters, Bobby Charles, Slim Harpo, Hoagy Carmichael, the Delmore Brothers and Ronnie Hawkins that Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel sang during The Band’s glory days. The boys packed Edmonton’s Yardbird Suite.

Show producer Peter North says, “this fall 2026 tour will be another memorable edition of the Up On Cripple Creek show and it is sure to give fans some new takes on timeless material.” Every edition of this show has enjoyed sold-out houses and great reviews.

Out of the gate the Calgary Herald called the project “one of the best 15 shows of the year”. Up On Cripple Creek has rocked many a venue including the Vancouver Island Music Fest, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, Big Valley Jamboree, Festival Place in Sherwood Park, Arden Theatre in St. Albert, the Empress in Fort Macleod, Calgary’s Ironwood Stage, Nelson’s Capitol Theatre, Kicking Horse Cultural Centre in Golden and Butchart Gardens Concert Bowl in Victoria.

10/05/2026

🎙️ FRIDAY from Atlanta Yardbird Suite presents Julie Dexter. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now. 🎟️

🎙️ Julie Dexter, vocals Julie Dexter
🎸Paul Johston, bass Paul Johnston
🎹 Chris Andrew, piano Chris Andrew
🥁 TBA, drummer

🎙️ Julie Dexter is a world renowned, award winning, British Jazz singer, songwriter and producer considered by many to be one of the most influential female vocalists of our generation.

Influenced by legends such as Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, and Bob Marley, as well as popular icons Omar and Sade, Julie takes classic soul to the heart of Artistry. She is one of an elite few whose talent can transcend genres. She makes it all work on her own terms, as an audaciously independent artist with an undeniable connection to her audience.

🎶 Julie makes sophisticated, organic jazz-soul—warm and deeply soulful, but carried by jazz harmony, Caribbean rhythm, roots reggae, funk and a distinctly British/West Indian sensibility.

FRIDAY from Atlanta Yardbird Suite presents Julie Dexter Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get tickets https://yardbirdsuite.com/show...
10/05/2026

FRIDAY from Atlanta Yardbird Suite presents Julie Dexter Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/julie-dexter/

Julie Dexter, vocals
Paul Johston, bass
Chris Andrew, piano
TBA, drummer

Julie Dexter is a world renowned, award winning, British Jazz singer, songwriter and producer considered by many to be one of the most influential female vocalists of our generation.

Having shared the spotlight with a host of cutting-edge artists, including Mint Condition, Caron Wheeler, Lalah Hathaway, Omar, Ledisi, Third World and Maxi Priest to name a few, Julie not only holds up her own with them but has been praised and respected by them too.

Influenced by legends such as Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, and Bob Marley, as well as popular icons Omar and Sade, Julie takes classic soul to the heart of Artistry. She is one of an elite few whose talent can transcend genres. She makes it all work on her own terms, as an audaciously independent artist with an undeniable connection to her audience.

Julie Dexter makes sophisticated, organic jazz-soul—warm and deeply soulful, but carried by jazz harmony, Caribbean rhythm, roots reggae, funk and a distinctly British/West Indian sensibility.

“It was the first time I got to see firsthand an energy that literally controls the entire room!! Incredible stage presence...vocals and songs with this perfect match of soul and groove ... a style that has inspired me as a music producer to this day"
-William Rasol

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Mythos and Tales. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get tickets now https://yar...
10/02/2026

TUESDAY Yardbird Suite presents Tuesday Jam Hosted by Mythos and Tales. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/tuesday-jam-hosted-by-mythos-and-tales/

Jeremiah McDade, saxophone
Schubert Hernando, piano
Donovan Lane, bass
Daniel Stadnicki, aux
mythos, drums

Mythos and Tales is a new musical project blending folklore, jazz, improvisation, electronic music, and immersive storytelling. Drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, Chinese and Japanese folklore, Nordic and Celtic tales, and Homer’s Odyssey, Mythos and Tales explores stories of resilience, grief, home, family, regret, forgiveness, acceptance, perseverance, identity, and the longing to find our way home. The music moves between hypnotic grooves, ambient textures, synthesizers, and extended improvisational builds, with influences from artists such as Yussef Dayes and Moses Yoofee. Mythos and Tales is an exploration of ancient stories through a contemporary sound where myth, memory, and music come together.

SUNDAY Yardbird Suite presents Samuel Bonnet "Slow" Tour. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com...
09/30/2026

SUNDAY Yardbird Suite presents Samuel Bonnet "Slow" Tour. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get tickets now https://yardbirdsuite.com/shows/samuel-bonnet-slow-tour/

Samuel Bonnet, guitar
Simon Bergeron, drums
Jonathan-Guillaume Boudreau, double bass

“Raw and true ... a wonderful discovery.” -Jazz Infos France

Celebrated by international jazz critics and presenters, Samuel Bonnet brings his acclaimed trio on tour for an evening of exquisite guitar playing and beautifully crafted contemporary jazz. Since performing at the prestigious Jazzahead! tradeshow (Bremen, Germany) in its 2023 “Quebec Showcase,” the Montreal-based Samuel Bonnet has been building a reputation in Europe and across Canada for what critics call his “luminous, meticulous technique” and the “raw authenticity” of his playing.

His soon to be released album “SLOW” (October 2026) features the renowned New York trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, while a 2025 tour of Italy and upcoming performances in Europe further highlight his growing profile on the world jazz scene. This concert is part of a "Slow" album-launch tour across Western and Central Canada. Expect elegant melodies, subtle interplay, and the kind of intimate musical conversation that can only happen with exceptional musicians!

"Truly magnificently delicate and harmonically rich." -Dahlia Bellaiche of Jazz Club Étoile (Paris)

"Luminous, meticulous technique, sincere inspiration.” -Frédéric Cardin, Pan M 360

Address

11 Tommy Banks Way
Edmonton, AB
T6E2M2

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+17804320428

Website

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