Coastal Jazz
ido pimienta - photo by Matt Taylor
Storry - photo by Matt Taylor
Coastal Jazz sets the standard for music performance, pushing the boundaries of categorization, mixing genres and performance formats, and challenging stereotypes.
Founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 as a community-based, not-for-profit, charitable arts organization, the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society has, from the very beginning, worked diligently to establish Vancouver as a centre for the creation and exchange of sounds and ideas between local, national, and international music communities.
As one of the largest independent arts organizations in the province of BC, Coastal Jazz boasts a strong and passionate team of staff, board, and volunteers who bring a unique depth of talent to elevate music presentation in Vancouver and beyond.
With its annual city-wide celebration of jazz, the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, as well as year-round concert presentations, youth initiatives, free public workshops, and a supportive and collaborative relationship with the local musical community, Coastal Jazz takes the genre forward while simultaneously honouring the past.
The annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival presents a broad spectrum of free and ticketed events that in a regular year showcase over 1,800 musicians, with more than 300 concerts. The festival puts more than $42 million into the local economy and hosts audiences of over half a million people annually throughout its 10-day June run.
By consistently delivering opportunities for audiences and artists to experience live moments of unrepeatable genius, Coastal Jazz keeps the edge of music honed. In this age of scripted and prescribed entertainment, Coastal Jazz creates the most expansive creative space possible, where improvisational magic can happen.
Coastal Jazz supports universality—we believe there should be no borders in music. Its extensive musical offerings reward a spirit of adventure, celebrate the plurality of voices that make up our musical landscape, and allow creativity to flourish.
The mission of Coastal Jazz is to not only increase the appreciation of the music, but to strengthen the arts community by developing special projects, artistic exchanges, partnerships, educational initiatives, community programs, and collaborations that further the art form. The society’s vision encompasses a wide spectrum of jazz, blues, world, creative, and improvised music, including evolving forms of jazz and the technologies and media that influence jazz as an art form.
Along with music presentation, the society also has a long-standing commitment to music education, presenting the Cypher: Write, Record, Perform program exclusively for young musicians, the Sounds of Youth performance stage, regular workshops by local visiting international artists including the monthly Cool School: Get Hip to Jazz series, children’s music programs, and more.
As jazz is to life, so Coastal Jazz is to Vancouver, living where artistic integrity and commercial viability coincide. Coastal Jazz is a sound organization that is the Organization of Sound.
