A Night to Remember

A week ago we had the pleasure of performing at a private party in Port Credit. The hosts were generous and gracious, and they spared no expense when it came to celebrating in style, including flying in their favourite chef from Whistler (which made us feel all the more honoured to take part). Truly a night to remember!

Here is what the hosts had to say about us:

On November 1, 2014 we celebrated my 70th birthday in style with a seven course tasting menu dinner prepared for 40 guests by an excellent chef at our home. Joanne Morra entertained us for most of this three hour meal with soothing jazz and blues in both official languages. She was instrumental in creating and maintaining the ambiance one would expect in a 5 Star restaurant or an exclusive resort. Many guests commented on her excellent choice of songs and flawless delivery. We couldn’t have made a better choice for entertainment on this very special day. 

Thank you Joanne,

Klaus and Irene Buechner

w/ Jeff Hewer and Rachel Melas

4th Annual Music Fundraiser for Nikibasika

On Saturday July 26th, I performed along with other local bands at a fundraiser for the Nikibasika Development Program in Uganda. This is an amazing program that supports orphaned and vulnerable youth in Uganda by providing them with food, shelter, education and training.  For more information about the organization go to http://www.nikibasika.ca/

Another great way to get involved is with the Triadventure, go to http://www.triforafrica.org/ for more details.

Big thank-you to Lisa Hipgrave (board member with Nikibasika and Triadventure co-chair) and Suzanne Porter (host of the Music Fundraiser for Nikibasika) for inviting us to perform.

Peace!

Suzanne Porter, me and Lisa Hipgrave

Tune in to PROUD FM!

Thanks to Pearse Murray and Proud FM 103.9, I've got a bit of air time next week to promote my July 20th gig at Gate 403, and the fundraiser for Nikibasika on July 26th.

Thank-you Proud FM for supporting local jazz!

Hannah & Alistair's Wedding

Just performed at a quaint and beautiful wedding for Hannah Woolaver and Alistair Price, at the Beamer Falls Manor in Grimsby, Ontario. The bride and groom have a deep appreciation for old time jazz, and they danced, along with their guests,  to their hearts' content. I don't think I've ever witnessed so many beautiful couples in love as I did that night, it was a pleasure to see that true romance is still alive and well in this day and age.

w/ Jeff Hewer, David Jager, Kurt Lund, Rachel Melas and Philip Myers

Coquine Restaurant, May 25, 2014

Such a fabulous venue for us, the room, the style, the ambiance, everything feels just right at this French brasserie. You can tell by this photo that the three of us were in quite the zen state. 

w/ Jeff Hewer and Rachel Melas

Gate 403 with the full crew

This past Sunday, our full music ensemble banged out some great tunes at our home base, Gate 403 on Roncesvalles. Despite it being a long weekend (the city gets emptied with the mass exodus to Cottage Country) we had a nice, steady crowd. Great fun with my crew.

w/ Kurt Lund, Robert Rowe, Jeff Hewer, Rachel Melas and Philip Myers

Jeff Hewer and Rachel Melas

Relish Bar & Grill with The Usual Suspects

Got a last minute invite to perform with The Usual Suspects at Relish last Sunday. I sang alongside Gordon Braun-Woodbury on piano, Jeff Hewer on bass, John Pagnotta on sax, Ed Sweetman on sax and Jordan Glick on the drums. We had a blast!

w/ John Pagnotta and Jordan Glick

Fresh gigs at Coquine

Very excited to announce that I just booked 3 new gigs at Coquine Restaurant, April 27, May 25 & June 15. We'll be playing as a trio, with Jeff Hewer on guitar, bass to be announced!

http://coquinerestaurant.com/

Chris & Peter's Wedding

Sang at Chris & Peter's wedding on November 2nd, 2013 at the Gardiner Museum. A beautiful evening with a stylin' crowd. Glad to be a part of it gentlemen!

Here's what Chris had to say about us:

Joanne Morra and her ensemble performed at our wedding at the Gardiner Museum, and it was simply spectacular.  She and her band played a number of our favourite songs as well as "At Last" for our first dance....she has an incredible voice, so sultry and smooth, it truly made our event.  We had so many positive comments about the music and our guests all wanted to know how we had managed to have such an amazing performer at our wedding.  Thank you again for a truly magical evening.  Chris Leedham

Barb Simkova 2013