Photo: Natasha Large
Current Jazz Venues
last updated: June 23, 2017.
Below ** Indicates venue websites with player lineups posted.
| **The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar - 2-4 shows/day; 7 days/Week; (cover varies) | |
| 194 Queen St West (416-598-2475); See The Rex website for player line-ups! | |
| **The Emmet Ray Bar - Live Music 7 nts/wk; Jazz Sunday & Mondays; (PWYC) | |
|
924 College St, just east of Dovercourt (416-792-4497). Trendy Bistro food! Eclectic variety of music. See Emmet Ray website for player line-ups! | |
| **Gate 403 Restaurant - Jazz, Blues, Latin & Boogie 7 days/Week; (no cover) | |
|
403 Roncesvalles, south of Dundas St West (416-588-2930)
(Free parking at Howard P.S. parking lot located on west side of Roncesvalles on Howard Park Ave.)
See Gate 403 website for player line-ups! | |
| Harlem Underground - Jazz Mondays; 8:30-11pm | |
| 745 Queen St West (416-366-4743). See Harlem's website for more info. | |
| Weekly Mondays: Neil Brathwaite (sax) with guests | |
| The Motel - Jazz Mondays, 10:30-1am (no cover) | |
| 1235 Queen St St W; (647-381-6246) just W of Dufferin St | |
| Weekly Mondays: Nathan Hiltz solo guitar | |
| **120 Diner - Jazz Tuesdays thru Sundays, various times and cover | |
| 120 Church St, just south of Queen St East (416-792-7725). See 120 website for player line-ups! | |
| **The Salty Dog Bar and Grill - Jazz Tuesdays, 7-10pm (PWYC) | |
| 1980 Queen Street East, north side @ Waverley Ave, 4 blocks east of Woodbine, just west of Kew Gardens (416-849-5064); See Salty Dog's website for player line-ups! | |
| Playing with Greg Pilo (drums) ... quartets with some of Toronto's finest (since 2010)! | |
| La Revolución - Jazz Tuesdays, 8-10:30pm (no cover) | |
| 2848 Dundas St W; (416-766-0746) | |
| Piano & Guest Duos with Peter Hill (keys) ... | |
|
The Reservoir Lounge Swing, Jump Blues & Boogie Woogie 5 nts/wk; Tue thru Sat; 7 pm or 9:45 pm (cover varies) | |
| 52 Wellington St East, west of Church (416-955-0887); Light club menu till 2 a.m.!
See Reservoir Lounge website for monthly calendar. | |
| Tranzac Club - Jazz various evenings! (PWYC) | |
| 292 Brunswick Ave, just south of Bloor (416-923-8137). See Tranzac calendar or June 21-27, 2017 Performance Schedule Newsletter. | |
| Duggans Brewery - Jazz Wednesday Trios, 7-10pm; PWYC | |
| 1346 Queen St West, two blocks west of Dufferin at Brock; (416-588-1086). See Duggan's on Facebook for more info. | |
| Whistlers Grill - Jazz Wednesdays, Sunday 'Blues', 7pm; no cover | |
| 995 Broadview Ave at Mortimer(416-421-1344). See Whistlers website for more info. | |
| Weekly Wednesdays: Weekly Jazz Trios | |
| Weekly Sunday 'Blues' | |
| **Mezzetta Restaurant & Tapas Bar - Jazz Wednesdays, 9pm ($12 cover) | |
|
681 St Clair Ave W, west of Christie (416-658-5687 See Mezzetta's website for player line-ups! thru June 21 | |
| Weekly Duos often guitar-based - returns in the fall. | |
|
**The Home Smith Bar - Jazz weekly Thursday, Friday and Saturdays; 7:30-10:30pm Monthly Tuesdays; 7:30-10:30pm; ($20 min food-bev) | |
|
21 Old Mill Road (416-236-2741). See Home Smith Bar website for more info, or these performance schedules for June player line-ups and July/Aug. | |
| **Jazz Bistro - Evening Shows, Tuesdays thru Sundays; (cover and show times vary) | |
|
251 Victoria St (416-363-5299)
See Jazz Bistro's website for weekly performance schedule. | |
| Reposado Tequila Bar - Jazz Wed-Thurs-Fri, after 9:30pm; PWYC | |
| 136 Ossington Ave, N of Queen St W; (416-532-6474); See Reposado's website for more info. | |
| Wed | Michael Herring and guests (bass); |
| Th-F | Tim Hamel's Reposadists (trumpet) with guests |
| **Poetry Jazz Cafe - Various Jazz Tuesdays, Thursday thru Sundays; evenings & Sunday afternoons; $10 cover or PWYC Sundays | |
|
224 Augusta Ave in Kensington Market(416-599-5299)
See full music schedule here at Poetry's website. Limited seating! | |
| **Lula Lounge - usually Jazz Thursday-Fridays; (dates & cover vary) | |
| 1585 Dundas St West, 416-588-0307. See full calendar Lula Lounge events for more info. | |
| Hirut Restaurant - Jazz Monthly Fridays, 8pm; (PWYC) | |
| 2050 Danforth Ave, one block west of Woodbine; (416-551-7560). | |
| Monthly Quintets or Quartets: comingUp next: July | |
| **The Pilot Tavern - Jazz Saturdays, 3-6pm (no cover) | |
|
22 Cumberland St, 1/2 block west of Yonge, 1 block north of Bloor (416-923-5716) See The Pilot website for more info. | |
| Weekly Quartets ... with some of Toronto's finest (since ...forever)! | |
| **May Cafe - Various evenings;(cover varies) | |
|
876 Dundas St West, west of Manning Ave (647-607-2032) See May's website for jazz their Jazz events and player details. | |
| **Morgans - Jazz Sunday Trios or Duos; 2-5pm; (no cover) | |
| 1282 Danforth Ave, just east of Greenwood (416-461-3020). See Morgans' website or call them for more info. | |
| Weekly Trios/Duos | |
| **The Local GEST - Jazz Sundays, 4:30-7:30pm (no cover) | |
| 424 Parliament St, south of Carlton (416-961-9425). See The Local's website for more info. | |
| Weekly Trios/Duos: Next Jazz: Sunday July 2 | |
| Pour Boy - Jazz Sundays, 7pm; (PWYC) | |
|
583 College St, between Clinton & Manning (647-350-7687) See Pour Boy's Website here for more info. | |
| Tim Hamel (trumpet) with guests | |
| Gallery 345 - Jazz, various performance dates & cover | |
| 345 Sorauren Ave (416-822-9781). Find the full performance schedule at the Gallery's website. | |
| see their website's link above for jazz ComingUp ... | |
| For more jazz/blues club listings, plus, see our Other Jazz Links page. | |
E-mail us at info@ComingUpStraightAhead.com
Check our Facebook for shared posts of various upcoming gigs!
Jazz Fest & Aways The Rex Jazz choices! ...
5pm, Fri Jun 23 Jivebombers at The Rex: Led by John Karpenko (trombone) with this wk: saxes: Bob Brough, Alex Dean & John Johnson, Brigham Phillips (piano), Chase Sanborn (trumpet), Al Henderson (bass), Curtis Smith (drums) & Terra Hazelton (vocals)
8pm, Friday at The Rex:: Visiting his TO home with his NYC Quintet: Alex Goodman (guitar) w/Matt Marantz (sax), Eden Laden (piano), Rick Rosoto (bass) and Jimmy Mcbride (drums)
Home Smith Bar: June and July Player Lineups:7:30 Thursday, Fri and Sat Nights plus Jazz Festival dates: Jun 23-24, Jun 30 & July 1
TD Toronto Jazz Fest: June 23-July 2, 2016
NEW Uptown Yorkville Venues: see map below
Find the complete schedule at the Festival's website here or Festival venues' page to search via date, calendar or participating Yorkville venue.
Some of TO's players ComingUp: Saxes: Alison Young, Pat LaBarbera, Allison Au; Alexis Baro (tr) & Amanda Tosoff; Guitars: Andrew Scott, Eric St Laurent, Nathan Hiltz; Piano: Dave Restivo, Steve Amirault; Drummers: Ian Wright, Larnell Lewis, Morgan Childs; Bass: Dave Young, Mark Godfrey, Mike Downes; Mark Kelso (dr), Stu Harrison (keys)
a Few FESTIVAL suggestions...
First Yorkville Show @ OLG Cumberland Stage: 5:30 Friday June 23: Humber Faculty Quintet: Pat LaLaBarbera (sax), Brian Dickinson (keys), Alastair Kay (trombone), Mike Downes (bass) and Fabio Ragnelli (drums)
6:30 at Yorkville Vill Laneway: Lester McLean Quartet (guitar/alto/vocals) with Michael Occhipinti (guitar/vocals), Louis Simao (bass/vocals) and Ben Riley (drums)
12noon, Sat, OLG Yorkville Stage:: Dave Young/Terry Promane Octet
5:30pm, Sat, OLG Cumberland Stage:: Amanda Tosoff Quintet (keys) with Lydia Persaud (voice), Alex Goodman (guitar), Michael Herring (bass) and Morgan Childs (drums)
6:30pm, Sat, Yorkville Vill Laneway:: Nathan Hiltz Trio (guitar) with Jim Vivian (bass) and Ted Warren (drums)
Many options at Festival venues' page to search for your choices!
Sat, June 24 at The Pilot, 3-6pm: Pat LaBarbera Quartet (sax) with Brian Dickinson (keys), Neil Swainson (bass) and Ethan Ardelli (drums)
ComingUp at The Pilot, Sat, July 1: Bob Brough Quartet (sax) with Adrean Farrugia (keys), Artie Roth (bass) and Terry Clarke (drums)