This show’s called Between the Boots! This iteration of Between the Boots is a celebration of some of Toronto’s local musicians and poets. Five performances, five original sets. These performances are by Seasonal Birds, Desiree McKenzie, Mike McPhee, Almandrez, and the Between the Boots Crew. Come through!
Precious Little Presents: Round the table we turn Contraptions and shenanigans. Storage and porridge, song-title geography. Improvisation and Omni-visualation. We're out in the workshop, hammer and saw, Phonometers in hand we measure and draw. Erasing the borders, the box opens wide. Where is the door? Turn it all on its side. David Woodhead / electric […]
The Starfires return to the Tranzac with their unique blend of folk, jazz and world music. With their eclectic collection of master improvising musicians they will combine meditative exploration classic folk tunes with funky versions of jazz tunes and original compositions, including old favourites and new tunes from their forthcoming release.
The Tranzac open stage is every Monday in the Southern Cross room. All are welcome! Start: 7pm Sign up: 6:30pm 8 minute slots (or two songs) The open stage is a safe space in accordance with the Tranzac code of conduct.
Dan and his quintet return to the Tranzac to perform a new book of original music to prepare for the upcoming recording of their next album. The group features Dan's longtime trio of Alex Fournier on Double Bass and Nick Fraser on drums along with Patrick Smith and Naomi McCarroll-Butler bringing a tetrad of woodwind […]
Each instalment of Solitary Shrew features two performances led by women and gender non-conforming artists spanning an array of genres and artistic disciplines. This month features Dame Cook (ambient hauntological experiments) & Tumbling / Arrival (performance drawing)!
1st set: EPHEMERA (Pierre-Yves Martel modular synthesizer, harmonium) Between January and March 2024, Pierre-Yves Martel dedicated himself to composing and recording a 60-minute track each week, resulting in the creation of the 10-hour album Ephemera. By combining field and archival recordings with modular synthesis and acoustic instruments, this project served as an experiment in sonic […]
For this month's Holy Oak Family Singers residency, we are joined by the beloved BC singer-songwriter Veda Hille! The night will feature original songs from Veda, and covers by the HOFS crew, all centered around the theme of Plants & Animals.
The Blue Sky Group is an original, melodic, and engaging jazz group that will entertain and inspire. It is composed of five diverse and experienced Toronto musicians performing original music. Fresh from the recording studio earlier last summer in 2023. We are happy to share our music in the spring of 2024! Featuring: Ernie Tollar […]
Strangetooth is a Toronto based bluegrass band known for their rich vocal harmonies, stellar picking, and eclectic song choices.
The Tania Gill Quartet on this night will include Brodie West (alto saxophone and clarinet), Rob Clutton (bass), Nico Dann (drums) and Tania Gill (piano and compositions). Original instrumental music "displaying lyricism and angularity in equal measure" (Winnipeg Free Press)..."which cleverly and completely effortlessly balances between modern jazz and the more unpredictable avant-garde. The music […]
JAAM E JAM is the first in a series of world folk music community events, a jam session exploring various SWANA folk music traditions, and where folks can exchange their knowledge. Attendees are encouraged to bring an instrument or voice, for night of song, dance, and poetry.
In Barbara’s music you can hear echoes of jazz, folk, blues, barrel-house boogie and old-time-religion hymns. She writes story telling songs, offering up intimate portraits of people's lives played in the old blues style on a parlour guitar or upright piano. A singer songwriter and interpreter, Clela’s vibrant blend of folk and jazz creates the […]
Heavy On The Willie return to Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge Saturday, May 4 at 10 pm with an opening set by Sarah Greene. Originating in interpreting the songs of Willie Nelson, Heavy on the Willie is nowadays heavy on the songs of Paul Kolinski, which are songs of longing and connection, played with soul and […]
Sundays are for lifting up our voices, sharing ideas and experiences, and meeting friends new and old. That's the goal of HARMONY, a gathering on the first Sunday of the month in the Southern Cross lounge. Join us for a vibrant mix of communal singing, thought-provoking talks, engaging conversations, and much more.
Singer songwriter Bill Wood is joined by band member Chris Bennett on guitar. Bill Wood’s songs have been described as “what happens when 30 years of songwriting, honed over decades of hard life experiences, meet the craftsmanship of a career musician who doesn’t know what it means to compromise.”
Dave Clark Presents! showcases fantastic local artists who perform their original music. Each event is a surprise gift of sonic goodies for you to behold. See upcoming brilliance and veteran magic perform for your pleasure.
A quartet led by vibraphonist, Michael Davidson, exploring the compositions of Thelonious Monk. It’s an amorphous blob of his entire catalogue, drifting through songs as if in a dream. High intensity in a quiet package, delivering a delicate but ferocious interpretation of one of the most important books of music from the 20th century.
The Tranzac open stage is every Monday in the Southern Cross room. All are welcome! Start: 7pm Sign up: 6:30pm 8 minute slots (or two songs) The open stage is a safe space in accordance with the Tranzac code of conduct.
Join Spruce Needles and Jenny Omnichord for an evening of weird and extremely charming folk music, spiced up with stand up comedy by Heather Mariko and Todd Graham.
Probably Poetry is a bi-monthly performance series hosted by Probably Theatre Collective. Each event features around eight interdisciplinary artists and writers presenting new work inspired by a shared prompt. Check out our instagram @probablytheatre or our website probablytheatre.com for more info.
Peripheral Vision is excited to have the Joe Sorbara sextet opening on Tuesday May 7. Joe Sorbara's new sextet explores original music drawing on influences from the great composers of the Black American Creative Music tradition and features Rebecca Hennessy (trumpet), Ted Crosby (tenor saxophone and clarinet), Aline Homzy (violin), Tania Gill (piano), Michael Herring […]
A note from Brodie West: For my monthly at the Tranzac I will often schedule my quintet called The Brodie West Quintet which is Tania Gill piano, Josh Cole bass, Nick Fraser drums, Evan Cartwright drums and myself. Sometimes the drummers are substituted up and in that case it's usually Phil Melanson who is there […]
Never Was Never Was has been many different bands and, in its current form, it remains many different bands: a modular ensemble featuring Brandon Davis and Adrian Russouw on basses, Madeleine Ertel on trumpet, Kelvin Mansaray on violin, Naomi McCarroll-Butler on alto saxophone and clarinet, Racha Moukalled on vibraphone, Kae Murphy on trumpet and woodwinds, […]
Strangetooth is a Toronto based bluegrass band known for their rich vocal harmonies, stellar picking, and eclectic song choices.
Hosted by Kurt Newman, this monthly series creates a space for experiments in country and folk music forms, which can range from more or less straight-ahead to more or less psychedelic. Between sets: comedy from the best of Toronto's left-of-center comedians.
With her palette of acoustic folk instruments, Collette whittles out of her imagination beautiful song gems. She brings them to you wrapped in the exciting package of her band of seasoned masters, The Savants: Rebecca Campbell(Jane Siberry, Ian Tamblyn...),John Switzer John Switzer(Jane Siberry, Vance Gilbert, Katherine Wheatley etc.³) Martin Worthy (Joe Hall, Paul Quarrington), Tim […]
I'm excited to present the next edition of the Musica Universalis monthly! This time around we have Derrick Vellla, from the band tomb mold, conjuring the spirits of Alex de Grassi, Michael hedges with some beautiful solo fingerstyle guitar.. and then a brand new ensemble formation to animate the improv/jazz music of Colin Fisher.. featuring […]
Song Experiment is a monthly song lab hosted by Cassie Norton to provide songwriters a venue for explorations into different approaches to song-writing, instrumentation, arrangement or all three. Drawing/colouring supplies and big banner paper will be provided for all doodlers, so you can collaborate too! This month features a small group of seniors and kids […]
Low Country Hill is the moniker for Paul Hogeterp's soulful alt-folk project and is a loose translation of his Dutch-Frisian family name. It’s a fitting metaphor for what music can be. Terps are small hills where people once settled to be protected from surging floods. Songwriting serves as Hogeterp’s modest perch from where he gets […]
Wheeee! Arranging ensembles is so much fun, and this group is one you do not want to miss. Join Michael Palumbo and his friends as they improvise together for one night only at the Tranzac on May 11 at 10pm. Michael Palumbo & Friends #5 Saturday, May 11 at 10pm - PWYC Tranzac Club - […]
Ayal Senior & Friends rez returns in May for a special Mother's Day Edition, #5 for 2024! Accompanying Senior as usual is the tremendous Kurt Newman whose recent LP, 'Cagey Doves' by the Country Phasers is an essential ripper for '24! Grip that action here: https://rat-drifting.bandcamp.com/album/cagey-doves Senior & Newman are getting ready to drop a […]
The Tranzac open stage is every Monday in the Southern Cross room. All are welcome! Start: 7pm Sign up: 6:30pm 8 minute slots (or two songs) The open stage is a safe space in accordance with the Tranzac code of conduct.
Each month, Ghostgirl (Aline Homzy, violinist) delves into a different ghost story from across Canada, crafting original compositions and ghost stories, and exploring improvisation alongside a diverse ensemble of musicians, including Allan Mackie on bass, Michael Davidson on vibes, Steven Noronha on piano, and others. From the ethereal melodies inspired by ghostly tales from Victoria, […]
“Cole can be coolly lyrical, he can write a controlled “classical” counterpoint, he can drop in some funk, and he can also let the improvisers loose in the stratosphere.” – Popmatters.com “The effect is both lyric and timeless, almost ambient, made by instrumental sounds as engaging as you might hear.” –Stuart Broomer, The Whole Note […]
Honeypaw invites you to share their journey as they turn unpublished wax cylinder recordings into a modern concert program with traditional instruments. Following the residency in October they will present the results in the Lithuanian villages where the wax cylinders were recorded.
Join the Toronto Klezmer Society on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 9:30-11:30 for our EPIC jam on Jewish folk music known as klezmer! Instrumentalists of all abilities are welcome to join in. Set lists and sheet music is available for download at http://www.torontoklezmersociety.com. We collect money on a PWYC basis to pay the […]
Strangetooth is a Toronto based bluegrass band known for their rich vocal harmonies, stellar picking, and eclectic song choices.
‘Chris Bezant Presents Django' brings together a selection of Toronto's heavyweights to celebrate and explore the impression that Django Reinhardt continues to leave on music today. Join Chris Bezant, Jonathan Meyer, Roberto Rosenman, and Mo Mitchell, as they peer through one of the countless facets of the jewel that is Django's legacy. Come find warmth […]
Stella Walker and Vera the Poetess An evening of comedy with Stella Walker – “The Goddess of Oddness”. Enjoy a mix of clean absurdist comedy and witty original songs in this playful one woman variety show. Stella will play several of her unique characters including Vera the Poetess who will read several appalling poems from […]
Cha-no-yu is a gathering of music producers, improvisers, and listeners held from 21:30 to 23:30 every third Friday at Tranzac Southern Cross. The series showcases a performance by an invited collaborator and Masahiro Takahashi, as well as a performance by a curated guest musician. Inspired by the pioneering spirit of producers like Haruomi Hosono, Jim […]
Kevin Breit and Don Rooke playing original compositions on a variety of cool old instruments.
Cachada is the sound of modern Salvadoran cumbia; a handpicked selection of pan-Latin musicians from Toronto's Latin, jazz, and urban music scenes. The group performs a repertoire of strictly original music that fuses hip hop, reggae, and Latin jazz into their traditional cumbia sound; creating one of the most fun and interesting Latin dance bands […]
Fergus Hambleton appears in the Southern Cross the third Sunday of every month... 2:30- 4:30. Fergus is a veteran of the Canadian music scene, having played a wide variety of music since 1967. A member of the Juno award winning Sattalites Fergus has played reggae, folk, jazz and rock over his career and has released […]
Robert Priest and the great Canadian Folk Off. Poet and singer/songwriter Robert Priest with David Hines and Bob Cohen welcome to new musical guest the third Sunday of every month. Expect some of the greatest singer/songwriters you've never heard. And the odd poem too
Join us for an evening featuring two songwriters, Talia Schlanger and Rebecca Hennessy. Talia and Rebecca will each play a set of original songs, both accompanied by Kevin Breit on guitar, and on Rebecca’s set, Michael Herring on upright bass. Rebecca Hennessy is an award-winning trumpeter, singer, composer and bandleader. Rebecca’s original music has sounds […]
Get ready to groove with Green's Genes, a powerhouse trio featuring Robbie Grunwald on keys, Mackenzie Longpre on drums, and Mark McIntyre on bass. Come and experience these musicians embark down a path of improvisation and groove exploration, drawing inspiration from the likes of Robert Glasper, Vulfpeck, Caribou, Anderson .Paak, Nils Frahm, and Radiohead. Every […]
This month's flavor, ALPHABET SOUP, will feature 4 sets of poetry simmered amidst improvised music.
the SPECIAL INTEREST group brings a new rhythm to songs of hope & struggle …. Infusing songs from civil rights, gospel, folk and protest movements with elements of folk, blues, rock, R&B, jazz, reggae & ska. Songs of social change, from picket lines and protest marches, addressing contemporary issues from peace to climate change to […]
Children at heart who love comedic, poetic, theatric, yet at times serious storytelling alongside truly magical music, should prepare themselves for the surprising world of Ronley Teper. Teper invites a rotating roster of some of the finest musicians to publicly improvise around her storytelling that cycle through many influences from folk, funk, jazz, cabaret, cinematic, […]
Strangetooth is a Toronto based bluegrass band known for their rich vocal harmonies, stellar picking, and eclectic song choices.
Saxophonist and curator Karen Ng invites guests and collaborators every month to present a night of improvised music or music that lies outside expectations.
The Storeytellers sing from the great Canadian songbook, with spec dial guest Michael Bar
Come see L Con and James Irwin on their May tour for a casual and cozy show of folk, experimental pop, good lyrics, harmonies, and soft shredding in a room full of friends. Guaranteed meaningful time passing.
Isabel Fryszberg and The Uncommons Isabel and the Uncommons is a trio, featuring songwriter, singer, and guitarist Isabel Fryszberg, Steve Briggs (Russell DeCarle, Sylvia Tyson) on lead guitar, and Rebecca Campbell (the SPECIAL INTEREST group, Sultans of String, Lynn Miles) on harmonies, percussion, and harmonica . Visual artist and singer songwriter Isabel Fryszberg has written or co-written a diverse repertoire, inspired […]
Join host Phillip Vonesh on the 4th Saturday of every month, from 7:00 - 9:30 for an intimate night of music. Vonesh and two other songwriters will share songs, and chat about the process of writing, creating and making a life in music. Toronto-born Phillip Vonesh is an artist who follows his heart wherever it […]
Sounds of the Shadows is a narrative force of resistance directed by Aliyah Aziz that takes the form of an audio reactive projected shadow play, accompanied by experimental live looping soundscapes and compiled field recordings. Sets will integrate different compositions from a variety of work, both improvised and incorporating written poetry, as a response to […]
This show’s called Between the Boots! This iteration of Between the Boots is a celebration of some of Toronto’s local musicians and poets. Five performances, five original sets. These performances are by Seasonal Birds, Desiree McKenzie, Mike McPhee, Almandrez, and the Between the Boots Crew. Come through!
Precious Little Presents: Round the table we turn Contraptions and shenanigans. Storage and porridge, song-title geography. Improvisation and Omni-visualation. We're out in the workshop, hammer and saw, Phonometers in hand we measure and draw. Erasing the borders, the box opens wide. Where is the door? Turn it all on its side. David Woodhead / electric […]
A lifetime member and Columbia recording artist with the Perth County Conspiracy, Terry Jones has played innumerable concerts over 50 years, with various versions of this band, at small venues, concert halls and universities. In 1970 Terry played lead guitar in a musical, "The Line of Least Existence", alongside Danny Devito, Judd Hirsch, and members of The […]
NICK FRASER PRESENTS (JAZZ, IMPROVISED MUSIC): Nick Fraser has been an active and engaging presence in the Toronto new jazz and improvised music community since he moved there from Ottawa in 1995. He works with and presents with a veritable “who’s who” of Canadian jazz and improvised music. Downbeat Magazine: “Drummer Nick Fraser is a […]
Hope Street is a new project led by songwriter and composer John Millard. Millard has been active in the Canadian music and theatre scenes for thirty years. His projects The Polka Dogs, John Millard and Happy Day, and The Cave have released 7 recordings and toured Canada and Europe. He has worked across Canada as […]
Strangetooth is a Toronto based bluegrass band known for their rich vocal harmonies, stellar picking, and eclectic song choices.
The Tulle Time Trio is Tania Gill (piano) with All-Set! lifers Jake Oelrichs (drums), and Mike Smith (bass). Please join us for an evening of dubbed-out improvised piano trio music.
The Ryan Driver Sextet specializes in the psychedelification of popular American songs from the 1920's through 1960's. They have been engaging in this task monthly since 1999, when they started playing as a quartet at Graffiti's in Kensington Market. The sextet plays only ballads, and almost always very slowly. That said, the interpretations are wildly […]
In Barbara’s music you can hear echoes of jazz, folk, blues, barrel-house boogie and old-time-religion hymns. She writes story telling songs, offering up intimate portraits of people's lives played in the old blues style on a parlour guitar or upright piano. A singer songwriter and interpreter, Clela’s vibrant blend of folk and jazz creates the […]
Harry Bartlett is a Canadian guitarist and composer currently living in Nashville, TV. With a background in jazz and an affinity for Americana music, Harry's compositions "transcend a single genre" (Textura) With support from the Suba Institute, Harry recorded his latest project, "Mountain Air," with Aline Homzy on violin and Andrew Downing on bass. Set […]
The Tranzac event calendar is updated regularly. Some events (such as private rehearsals, parties, and tentative events that are being contracted) are not displayed in the calendar. As such the calendar is not a comprehensive representation of venue availability. If you do not see your event in the calendar, please review our Event Promotion & Style Guide
This calendar was established in May 2023. To view an archived calendar with basic event information, please click here.
