The Jazz Room Nights in Canada

The Jazz Room brings jazz back to what it was before the big halls: a small band, an audience up close, and a room where you hear the breath in the brass as much as the note. No distant stage, no giant screen — live ensembles, often just metres from the front row, in venues chosen for their acoustics and character.

Three programs tour Canada. The tribute to Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong runs through the standards of the great American songbook; the Marvin Gaye night shifts into 1970s soul and groove; "a journey to the heart of New Orleans" goes back to the source, between brass band and Southern blues. Expect an evening of about ninety minutes.

It works as well for two as for a small group, and it suits people who know nothing about jazz: the programs are built around tunes everyone recognises. Pick your city to see the nights on the bill, the venues and the dates. Tickets generally from $32 CAD.