The Downtown Jazz Band

The Downtown Jazz Band consists of seven veteran traditional jazz musicians performing a highly entertaining brand of Dixieland jazz. Together the band creates an intense hard driving swinging style in the manner of Louis Armstrong , but can also perform an inspiring emotional slow blues style.

Under the leadership of clarinet and sax player Nick Van Weerdenburg, the band has been together for about 22 years. The frontline consists of Malcolm Higgins on trumpet, Peter Sagermann on trombone, and vocals by Myrna Van Weerdenburg.

The rhythm section consists of Lenny van Bruggen on drums, Harris Mark Lusher on guitar and Ron Johnston on bass.

The core of this group was the first on stage at the inaugural Beaches Jazz Festival in 1989 and has been part of streetfest ever since at its familiar location in front of the Coles Bookstore at 2169 Queen St. E. The Downtown Jazz Band also does many corporate and private functions in the Toronto area.

For more information phone Nick Van Weerdenburg at (416) 261-9379 or email nick@torontojazz.net