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.
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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, 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.

TUESDAY our first Tuesday Jam of the season is hosted by Evan Miles. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the l...
09/04/2026

TUESDAY our first Tuesday Jam of the season is hosted by Evan Miles. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Sean Croal, bass
Jacob Do, sax
Biboye Onanuga, drums
Evan Miles, piano

Evan Miles is a jazz pianist and composer born and raised in Winnipeg. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from the University of Manitoba in 2023 and has been based in Toronto since September, 2024 where he earned a master of music degree at the University of Toronto in 2026. He has performed at venues such as The Rex, Drom Taberna, the Jazz Bistro, Sellers and Newell, Hirut, The Emmet Ray, and the Jazz Room with a variety of musicians, most notably with Dave Young, Ernesto Cervini, Ethan Ardelli, Mike Downes, Morgan Childs, Allison Au, Terry Clarke, and Neil Swainson.

SUNDAY Our New Season Opening Weekend wraps up with a Matinee: Tina Hartt Music and JazzĂ 5. Doors 1pm. Music 2pm. Get ti...
09/03/2026

SUNDAY Our New Season Opening Weekend wraps up with a Matinee: Tina Hartt Music and JazzĂ 5. Doors 1pm. Music 2pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Tina Hartt, vocals
Cedric Blary, clarinet
Nicholas Bettcher, guitar
Jason Clarke, bass
Jon May, drums

Surrender to the world of vintage French love songs. Let Tina Hartt and Jazzà5 sweep you away to the streets of Paris for an evening of passion, longing, and hope. From the haunting La Bohème to the iconic La Vie en Rose, experience the timeless romance of the French chanson with a twist of jazz. A sensuous, intimate soirée awaits. Indulge your senses.

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite Opening Weekend presents Sean Croal Quartet. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the l...
09/01/2026

SATURDAY Yardbird Suite Opening Weekend presents Sean Croal Quartet. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

Evan Miles, piano
Gareth Gilliland, guitar
Sean Croal, bass
Biboye Onanuga, drum kit

Sean’s ensemble takes an eclectic, genre-crossing approach to the jazz quartet, incorporating baroque, hard-bop, and contemporary jazz. The ensemble features Gareth Gilliland on guitar and Biboye Onanuga on drums, who has been sharing the stage with Sean weekly for four years in Edmonton and has traveled as far as Helsinki performing together. Now joined by Evan Miles on piano, each member brings a unique voice to Sean’s compositions.

FRIDAY we open our new season featuring Sinatra with Style: Hits and Rare Gems performed by Richard Cortez and an all-st...
08/31/2026

FRIDAY we open our new season featuring Sinatra with Style: Hits and Rare Gems performed by Richard Cortez and an all-star band. Doors 7pm. Music 8pm.

Get limited tickets now through the link in our comments.

Richard Cortez, vocals
Paul Johnson, bass
Dave Laing, drums
Chris Andrew, piano

After sold-out engagements across New York, Oslo, Canada, Mexico, Cincinnati, and San Francisco, acclaimed jazz vocalist and recording artist Richard Cortez brings the timeless music of Frank Sinatra to the stage with an all-star band. Featuring beloved classics including Come Fly With Me, Witchcraft, and I’ve Got You Under My Skin, alongside rare gems from Sinatra’s early years with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Richard’s performances celebrate the elegance, swing, and emotional depth that made Sinatra one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century.

Currently touring internationally, Richard is celebrating the release of his upcoming album A Song For All Seasons, a deeply personal project weaving seasonal jazz standards with archival family cassette recordings of his grandfather sharing life advice when Richard turned 18. His previous duo albums Nightbird and Standards in Orbit—the latter submitted for consideration for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album—have further established him as a distinctive interpreter of timeless repertoire.

With a voice rooted in the tradition of Sinatra and the great jazz singers who came before him, Richard Cortez brings warmth, sophistication, wit, and vulnerability to songs that have defined generations. His performances offer a fresh perspective on the Great American Songbook, reminding audiences that while these songs are timeless, every generation has a new story to tell through them.

Our Yardbird Suite Community Gallery returns to start our new season with a show by multimedia artist Wilfred KozubRight...
08/25/2026

Our Yardbird Suite Community Gallery returns to start our new season with a show by multimedia artist Wilfred Kozub

Right Below Our Feet features photographs of manhole covers in various cities in the world, mainly Japanese cities but also Malta, Lisbon, Maui, Edmonton, and more. Printed onto watercolour inkjet paper, and then interpreted by the artist, expressing his own ideas based on the manhole covers themselves as well as the context of where they are located.

The exhibit runs from September 9 until November 1 in our lobby during shows.

Join us for a FREE gallery opening followed by a FREE Tuesday Jam on September 15 featuring the artist/musician Wilfred Kozub with musician Jamie Philp.

Doors/Exhibit 6pm
Music 8pm

Read more about the Jam through the link in our comments.

We ❤️ you Layne MitchellNew merch and more is available for sale at Yardbird Suite during our shows.We're back for a new...
08/21/2026

We ❤️ you Layne Mitchell

New merch and more is available for sale at Yardbird Suite during our shows.

We're back for a new season of live music starting September 4 with our opening show featuring Sinatra with Style: Hits and Rare Gems performed by Richard Cortez and an all-star band.

See you soon!

"As always, playing at Yardbird Suite was a wonderful experience. You have built an incredible community of audience mem...
08/11/2026

"As always, playing at Yardbird Suite was a wonderful experience. You have built an incredible community of audience members and volunteers, and it has truly become an institution that makes it possible for Canadian musicians to tour across the country.

I know this requires an enormous amount of work, dedication, and care, and I want to thank you for everything you do. Your support of musicians and the jazz community is deeply appreciated."

Thank you Valérie Lacombe, we look forward to seeing you again.

Ryan, Shawn, Tara and Paul are back with Big Dumb Babies' Bribe The Director at this year's Fringe Festival, and Yardbir...
08/05/2026

Ryan, Shawn, Tara and Paul are back with Big Dumb Babies' Bribe The Director at this year's Fringe Festival, and Yardbird Suite is their home.

This time, they have some special guests. Watch as they muddle through an improv show after randomly selecting a director from among them, who will accept bribes from the audience to introduce even more chaos into the show.

Pay them off and call the shots: they are for sale.

Bribe The Director runs for six shows between August 13 and 22. Opening Night Thursday August 13 is sponsored by Yardbird Suite. Get tickets now through the link in our comments.

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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