Big Band

The Taylor Donaldson Big Band began with a single show in 2015, a session to try out a handful of newly written arrangements in front of an audience. It ended up being so much fun for everyone that the band has continued to play monthly ever since, first at Café Résonance in the Mile End, and then eventually joining the roster of “Les Mardis Big Band” at the Dièse Onze.

The band’s repertoire, firmly rooted in the tradition of swinging big band music, is made up of Taylor’s own arrangements and compositions and charts by other members of the band, that fuse the rich history of the jazz tradition with more contemporary creative writing concepts. With our regular monthly dates, the band’s spirit, camaraderie, and ensemble cohesion seems to build each time, and the book of standards and originals is steadily growing. The big band plans to record a debut album later this year.

The Taylor Donaldson Big Band:

Director: Taylor Donaldson

Saxes: Benjamin Deschamps, Jason Stillman, Annie Dominique, Michael Johancsik, Philippe Côté
Trumpets: Dominic Rossi, Andy King, Lex French, Nicolas Boulay
Trombones: David Martin, Olivier Hébert, Colin Lloyd, Jean-Sébastien Vachon
Rhythm Section: Jonathan Cayer (piano), Sébastien Pellerin (bass), Guillaume Pilote (drums)