At their July Port Credit Legion gig, the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble (MBBJE) celebrated two significant milestones with some serious cake!  The MBBJE's long-time drummer, Jay Boehmer, is retiring from the band after 22 years of dedicated service; and leader Rob Boniface was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississauga Arts Council for founding and leading the MBBJE over the past 47 years.  Congratulations and thank you, gentlemen - on behalf of Live Jazz fans in Mississauga and Beyond!

Congratulations go out to Charles Lloyd, on his remarkable 4-category win in the 2024 DownBeat Critics' Poll: Hall of Fame, Tenor Saxophone, Small Group and Album of the Year!  Seeking consensus among jazz critics on any one category is normally an exercise in cat-herding, but this level of agreement is unfamiliar territory.  But Mr. Lloyd has a long history of bucking the trends and quietly slipping through the troubled waters of style and fashion to settle into his own niche, far above the squabbles of the day.  His introspective, quirky, personal approach to jazz has survived pretty much intact for six decades and sounds as fresh as it did in the 1960s when his greatest triumphs came at fledgling (now venerable) jazz festivals. His Quartet at that time featured Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette; lately his core groups include the likes of Gerald Clayton, Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Brian Blade... Charles Lloyd is a giant among giants.