After a long 3 year wait, the Friends of Nanaimo Jazz Society is proud to announce Jazz Affair 2022, featuring Dee Daniels and Denzal Sinclaire. Join us on this special night as we welcome world-class vocalist Dee Daniels joined by two-time Juno Award nominee Denzal Sinclaire with their all-star rhythm section. Dee and Denzal will be supported by opening acts from Nanaimo's jazz students.

Dee & Denzal's rhythm section includes: Sharon Minemoto (p), Russ Botton (b), Dave Robbins (d).

Your general admission ticket includes light appetizers with a no-host bar available. Doors open at 6pm.

Please use the VICC's 101 Gordon Street entrance and follow the stairs to the Mt. Benson Ballroom. Pay parking is available underneath the VICC and across the street @ 100 Museum Way.

Dee Daniels

Dee Daniels is a crowd pleaser and a musician’s musician. Whether accompanying herself at the piano, fronting a trio, big band or symphony, she is a unique talent who transcends musical borders when she brings her jazz styling, infused with gospel and blues flavouring, to the stage.

The stepdaughter of a Baptist minister, Dee was born and raised in Oakland, CA. Though she graduated from university with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education, music was always a big part of her life. However, she didn’t discover her true calling to it until after teaching art in a Seattle high school for a year. She then joined a band, resigned her teaching position, and the rest is history!

She has since traveled the world with her music. She has shared the stage and/or recorded with numerous legends of jazz including Houston Person, Monty Alexander, John Clayton, Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Ken Peplowski, and Lewis Nash to mention a few. Her diverse career has seen her in clubs, on festivals, prestigious music halls around the world, theater stages, television and radio, performances for royalty and international dignitaries, and on many recordings as leader or guest.

Dee has also established herself as a jazz vocalist in demand by the classical world, performing her five symphonic Pops programs with orchestras in the US, Canada, and Europe. Many organizations and institutions in and out of the music industry have recognized Dee with awards for her contributions in music, education, and community service.

Denzal Sinclaire

Denzal Sinclaire is one of Canada’s most popular jazz vocalists and is ranked among the finest jazz singers of his generation. A graduate of McGill University's Jazz Performance program (Montreal, Canada), he possesses that rare ability to achieve, from the moment he steps on stage, a profound emotional interaction with his audience. His passionate and sincere delivery caresses every song he sings. He touches the listener with the purity of the message.

Denzal is a two - time Juno Award (Canada's Grammy Award) nominee, a recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for “Best Album”, four - time consecutive recipient of Jazz Report Magazine Award for Male Jazz Vocalist, and 2007 Choc Jazzman Award(France). His admirers include Grammy Award -Winning artists, Diana Krall ("Denzal Sinclaire embodies the tradition of the great singers I love like Nat Cole, yet definitely has his own voice. He is one of my favorite singers..."), Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves, Michael Fienstien and Michel Bublé as well as growing legions of jazz fans in his native Canada and abroad. From his early days as a canny interpreter of Nat ‘King’ Cole’s mentholated crooning, he’s grown into one of the most distinctive and individualistic singers anywhere.

Sharon Minemoto

Since the age of sixteen, Vancouver based pianist and composer, Sharon Minemoto has been performing to audiences around the world.​

In 1997, Sharon started her own quintet which performs her original compositions and has recorded four shows for CBC Radio as well as a CD released on Cellar Live Records entitled, “Side A”.

In addition to composing, she puts her arranging talents to work on standards and pop tunes for her trio which came out with their debut CD called “You Can See The Ocean From Here” in the spring of 2008. Both albums spent considerable time in the Top 10 Jazz Albums on Canada’s Chartattack.

More recently, she has been working with her new quartet which includes Jon Bentley on saxophone, bassist Adam Thomas, and drummer Bernie Arai.

Sharon’s groups have been featured at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, The Vernon Jazz Club, The Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society, The Powell Street Festival, The Hornby Island Arts Festival, Festival Vancouver, The Beatniq Jazz Club in Calgary, The Yardbird Suite Jazz Club in Edmonton, the Jazz On The Wing series in Whitehorse, YT and at Club JZ in China.

Russ Botten

Russell Botten, a Victoria BC native, played sax, guitar, and keyboard in many different musical settings before settling exclusively with the bass. In 1983 he attended The Banff School of Fine Arts to study. Since his move to Vancouver in 1990, he toured in Japan and the US, He also recorded two CD’s, was on a music TV series for 5 years, and most recently did a concert with Diana Krall for Bill Clinton and his foundation.

Dave Robbins

Dave Robbins (M.Mus., McGill University, 1995) is one of Canada's premier jazz drummers and a first-rate composer, arranger and jazz educator. Though well known as a sideman for his exciting big band work and sensitive trio playing, he also leads his own bands.

Robbins grew up in Victoria and was educated at McGill University in Montreal where he received his Masters in Jazz Studies. While in Montreal, he toured and recorded in bands with Vic Vogel, Joe Sullivan, Altsys and the Streetnix among others. In 1996, he could no longer resist the pull of the westcoast, and was thrilled to have moved back. He keeps busy playing with Mike Allen, Bill Coon, Hugh Fraser, Oliver Gannon, John Korsrud and Jennifer Scott to name a few.

Robbins has played music all over the world, in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Cuba, Finland, France and Ireland. Musicians he has performed with include Gary Bartz, Maynard Ferguson, Slide Hampton, Buddy Montgomery, Bob Minzer, PJ Perry and Don Thompson.

Jazz Affair 2022 is presented by:

City of Nanaimo - Culture & Heritage

Long & McQuade Musical Instruments - Nanaimo

Supported by our generous community sponsors:

Cedar Grove RV Park & Campground

Ramsay Lampman Rhodes Lawyers

Phil Gonyer Real Estate

WFG World Financial Group - Michael McKibben