The Canada Stand Returns to jazzahead! 2019 this April

jazzahead! 2019 takes place in Bremen, Germany from April 25-28, 2019 – and CIMA is excited to once again be hosting the Canada Stand in Hall 6-C Booth 08.

Eight Canadian companies and artist-entrepreneurs will take part in this year’s event: The Ault Sisters, Flatcar Records, Justin Time Records/Wild West Artist Management Inc, Judith Humenick Productions, Chronograph Records, Alma Records, Steven Taetz Music and Tia Brazda Music.

You can meet the Canadians in Hall 6-C Booth 08 throughout Jazzahead. CIMA, in partnership with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service and Conseil Québecois De La Musique (CQM), will be hosting a Networking Reception on Friday, April 26 at 5:00PM in Booth 6C09.

For more information contact CIMA’s Canada Stand representative Jenia Schukov (jenia@cimamusic.ca).


Canada Stand Participants:


Company: The Ault Sisters

Website: https://www.aultsisters.com/

Company Bio: The Ault Sisters are a Canadian jazz vocal trio featured on Zoomer Media’s hit TV show “Your All-Time Classic Hit Parade”. They’ve been called “the new Andrews Sisters” and for good reason – The Ault Sisters apply their close vocal harmonies to a mix of jazz standards and classic tunes that have been revamped and reimagined to provide a contemporary flair and fresh appeal. Their new album, “Sisters In Song”, a tribute to the great sister acts like the Andrews Sisters, McGuire Sisters, & Pointer Sisters, reached #1 on the Canadian iTunes jazz chart and is currently distributed worldwide through Believe.

Delegate Bio: Amanda, Alicia and Alanna Ault are all classically trained vocalists who have come together to form the vocal jazz trio, The Ault Sisters. They are extremely versatile singers, with a genre-defying repertoire that draws from jazz, pop, r&b, blues, folk, and more. On disc and in performance, different sisters take the lead on different tracks, adding to the vocal variety, while their intricately interwoven close harmonies are a signature part of their performances. They are equally at home singing a cappella or with a band. And yes – they really are sisters!


Kodi Hutchinson

Company: Chronograph Records

Website: www.chronographrecords.com  

Company Bio: Chronograph Records Ltd. is an independent, boutique record label based in Calgary, AB. The founders, jazz bassist Kodi Hutchinson and entrepreneur Stephanie Hutchinson, have a vision to create a collection of exceptional original Western Canadian music. Their approach is to provide a marketing vehicle for Prairie artists, and has resulted in three Western Canadian Music Award industry nominations for Independent Record Label of the Year and a host of award wins for their roster talent. Since their inception in 2004, the label has now over 60 albums including two collaborative compilation projects, in the catalogue.

Delegate Bio: Kodi Hutchinson is a man who wears many jazz hats. As well as running his own musical project the award-winning Hutchinson Andrew Trio, he hosts the CKUA radio show “A Time For Jazz”, is the Artistic Producer for JazzYYC and the Calgary Jazz Festivals, and is the President of record label Chronograph Records. Plus, he still maintains his prolific 25+ year career as a sought after musician on both double bass and electric bass. He has performed with musicians such as P.J. Perry, Lee Konitz, Oliver Jones, Julian Priester, Walt Weiskopf, Tommy Banks, Owen Howard, Hugh Fraser, Paul Tobey, Ingrid Jensen, Denny Christianson, Mike Murley, Marc Antoine, Nick Colionne, Beat Kaestli, Jack Wilkins, Bill Anschell, and more.


Jim West

Company: Justin Time Records Inc. / Wild West Artist Management Inc

Website: www.justin-time.com


Company Bio: Justin Time Records is a Jazz, Blues, World and Gospel recording label existing since 1983. It is distributed worldwide both digitally and physically and is always open to new fresh projects for its market

Delegate Bio: Jim West has been in the industry since 1970 first as a road manager, then a buyer at retail and subsequently starting a record label, distribution house and then a management company several years later.


Peter Cardinali

Company: Alma Records

Website: www.almarecords.com


Company Bio: Alma Records, founded in 1990, is an independent “music first” record label based in Toronto, Canada specializing in Jazz, World, Latin, and Soul. We have many award winning artists on our roster, with worldwide distribution and license partners. Our publishing division is Cardster Music Co., with a catalog of over 3,000 titles.

Delegate Bio: At the heart of the company is renowned producer, arranger and bass player Peter Cardinali. Peter is internationally recognized for his work with the Motown record label (Rick James, Teena Marie, The Temptations, etc.), and a long list of artists like The Brecker Brothers, Ray Charles,  Anne Murray, Sean Lennon, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts, Michael Bublé, Oscar Peterson, and more.


Stephanie Hutchinson

Company: Chronograph Records

Website: www.chronographrecords.com  


Company Bio: Chronograph Records Ltd. is an independent, boutique record label based in Calgary, AB. The founders, jazz bassist Kodi Hutchinson and entrepreneur Stephanie Hutchinson, have a vision to create a collection of exceptional original Western Canadian music. Their approach is to provide a marketing vehicle for Prairie artists, and has resulted in three Western Canadian Music Award industry nominations for Independent Record Label of the Year and a host of award wins for their roster talent. Since their inception in 2004, the label has now over 60 albums including two collaborative compilation projects, in the catalogue.

Delegate Bio: Stephanie Hutchinson is the Vice President and co-founder of WCMA-nominated independent label Chronograph Records. She is an award-nominated artist manager and music industry mentor. Stephanie is also the principal at Roseway Communications, a firm specializing in proposal and grant writing where she has successfully won hundreds of thousands of dollars for Canadian musicians and arts organizations. Stephanie holds a B.Comm. from the University of Calgary and uses her business savvy in crafting all her label and client work. After working in the private sector and successfully winning contracts for military and government bids, she branched into the arts world in 2005.


Steven Taetz

Company: Steven Taetz (artist)

Website: www.steventaetz.com


Delegate Bio: Steven Taetz is a jazz, swing, and traditional pop singer and composer/lyricist based in Toronto. His recent album Drink You In debuted at #3 on iTunes Jazz chart, has been featured on radio internationally, and received rave reviews from leading press including JazzTimes Magazine. Steven has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall (NY), The Rogers Centre (Toronto), Blue Room (Korea), World Pride, Capital Pride (Wash DC), Hotel Café (LA), The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall (NY), Ironwood (Calgary), House of Jazz (Montreal), and headlining at many Toronto landmark venues including Jazz Bistro for his ongoing residency, The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar, Hugh’s Room, Home Smith Bar, Lula Lounge, many music festivals, as well as other top-tier special events, Jazz Safaris (JazzFM91, etc. He most often plays live as a jazz quartet/quintet accompanied by piano, guitar, upright bass, and drums with noted Toronto musicians, or joining noted big bands as a featured vocalist. As a songwriter, in the last decade Steven Taetz has written for many internationally renowned artists Taetz’s talent as both a songwriter and musician came to the attention of Gary Salzman of Big Management NYC, and resulted in a co-publishing deal through Shapiro Bernstein (US) and Universal Publishing (Europe). As part of a recent cross-Canadian collaborative project, he co-wrote a concept album with Canadian Grammy-award-winners from each province of Canada. Steven has collaborated with leaders in Canadian jazz, including award-winners Michael Occhipinti, Barbra Lica, Dawn Tyler Watson, Wendy Lands, Dave Restivo, George Koller, Ross MacIntyre, June Garber, Sonia Johnson, Micah Barnes, Tia Brazda, Nathan Hiltz, Melissa Lauren, Marc Rogers, Whitney Ross-Barris, Taurey Butler, and many more.


Chris Graham

Company: Flatcar Records

Website: www.flatcarrecords.com


Company Bio: A boutique record label featuring Canadian jazz artists, such as Tia Brazda, Steven Taetz, John MacMurchy’s Art of Breath, JV’s Boogaloo Squad and The Willows. We pride ourselves on presenting music with a widespread appeal, and offer behind the scenes support such as bookings, distribution, management, publicity and production.

Delegate Bio: Chris Graham is an award-winning producer, songwriter and performer who represents acts in a variety of capacities on his upstart label, Flatcar Records.  He has recorded, produced and co-written numerous Juno-nominated albums, and most recently worked on the #1 selling album “Daydream” by vocal jazz artist Tia Brazda.  Chris has toured the world with a variety of acts in numerous genres, both as a performer and musical director.


Judith Humenick

Company: Judith Humenick Productions

Website: www.jhumenickproductions.com


Company Bio: Judith Humenick Productions provides Jazz artist management, education and consulting services. Proudly representing a wonderful roster of world-class Canadian and International Jazz artists, our site provides comprehensive information, with links to individual artist websites, reviews, photos, video clips, and press kits. We are building performance, educational workshop and touring opportunities for our export-ready artists, connecting with agents, presenters and media in target markets in Europe, (Germany and France) the UK, Asia and South America. ROSTER: Kirk MacDonald, Lorne Lofsky, Brian Dickinson, The Royal Bopsters with Sheila Jordan, Dezron Douglass, TK Blue, the Langston Hughes Project and Jazz Painter Ellen Priest

Delegate Bio: Judith Humenick (CEO) has a more than 30-year history in the jazz Performance, festivals, events and jazz education industries and in just seven years successfully built and operated Judith Humenick Productions (JHP), producing and managing the careers of some of Canada’s greatest jazz artist/ composers. www.JHumenickproductions.com Collaborations include Jazz at Lincoln Center (NYC); Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express Jazz Clubs, London (UK); London Jazz Festival (UK); Le Duc des Lombards Jazz Club, Paris; Cairo Opera House and Library of Alexandria (Egypt); Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, Ellis Marsalis International Piano Competition and Huntington International Jazz Festival, Huntington, WV.


Tia Brazda

Company: Tia Brazda (artist)

Website: www.tiabrazda.com

Delegate Bio: Tia Brazda’s jazz-pop gems and bold style have made a sparkling impression from Montreux to Montreal, paying homage to the golden era while remaining daringly modern.  Her new album ‘Daydream’ debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart in Canada and sees her going in bold new directions, moving effortlessly from the bossa nova of the title track, to the soul-inspired “Right On Time”, late 50’s trad vibe of “Perfect Distraction” and tango-inspired French chanson “Un amour bohème”.  The album features a who’s who of Canadian talent including Snarky Puppy’s Larnell Lewis on drums and MAGIC!’s Mark Pelli on piano, on the track “Livin’ Easy”.  Tia began honing her unique sound in the clubs of Toronto before bursting onto the scene in 2012 with her debut Cabin Fever, hitting #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart in Canada and receiving airplay across Canada and Europe, where she toured in support. In 2015 she followed up with the full-length ‘Bandshell’, which also debuted at #1 and was ranked the #5 best Canadian jazz release of 2015 by Jazz FM 91 in Toronto. The album also hit #24 on the CMJ national radio chart in the U.S. where she toured extensively, and it continues to receive airplay there as well as on Rai Radio 1 in Italy.  In 2016 she released an electro-swing version called ‘Bandshell Remixed’, which made the Best of 2016 list by Craig Charles on BBC Radio 6.  Tia has performed at such festivals as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (main stage), San Jose Jazz Summer Fest (rated “Best of the Fest” by local press), TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Bestival (UK), Lancaster Music Festival (UK), Iboga Summer Festival (Spain) and Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival as part of her numerous North American and European tours.