The doors opened at 7pm at La Fromagerie for Jazz Sudbury’s Emerging Artist Showcase on June 9. The audience trickled into the bright space complete with a painted multicolored stage.
The local Mark Scherzinger Quartet, Toronto based Northern Ranger, and the Anthony D’Alessandro Trio were about to compete for a slot on the festival main stage in September.
The audience listened to the mix of jazz standards and original compositions as they sipped on wine and indulged in La Fromagerie’s delectable cheese selection.
Each group had something different to offer. The Mark Scherzinger Quartet stole the show with their jazz standards and guitar licks, and Northern Ranger’s dissonant, original compositions inspired by Canada’s landscape were imaginative. But it was the vibrant stage presence and unique arrangements of the Anthony D’Alessandro Trio that won the judges’ scores.
The trio features pianist and bandleader Anthony D’Alessandro, Nick Donovan on drums and Evan Gratham on bass. They receive a $1000 cash prize and will perform as the opening Mainstage act at the Jazz Sudbury Festival, Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 6pm, at the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Bell Park.
