JazzWorks’ Young Artists in Concert
Over the past 30 years, JazzWorks has provided over 80 youth scholarships for Jazz Camp. On May 3, enjoy the professional jazz stylings of former youth scholarship winners who have gone on to pursue musical careers. Take in a workshop earlier in the day given by one of these talented young professionals. These events at Centretown United Church are sure to be a highlight of JazzWorks’ 30th Anniversary Weekend Celebration!
Samuel Cousineau
Band Leader/Alto Sax
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Originally from Ottawa, Samuel Cousineau first started playing the saxophone at the age of eight and fell in love with music and the saxophone immediately. Cousineau holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from McGill University and a Master’s in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas. While at the University of North Texas, Cousineau was part of the seven-time Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band. Cousineau can be heard on the One O’Clock Lab Band’s recording “Lab 2018.”
Cousineau has had the opportunity to study with some of the top artists in the world including Eric Alexander, Dave Liebman, Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, Remi Bolduc, Andre White, Donny Kennedy, among others. On top of performing, touring and recording, Cousineau is an active teacher and educator. He teaches saxophone and woodwind techniques, theory, composition, ear training and improvisation. He is currently completing a DMA in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto. Cousineau aims to be an active performer and touring artist, as well as a music educator. |
Brian An
Trombone
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Brian An (pronounced “on”) is a trombonist from Ottawa. An was initially a student of classical music before being drawn to the hard bop era of jazz. He studied with freelance trombonists Drum Hudson (Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Tony Bennett) and Chris Glassman (Michael Bublé, Sarah McLachlan, Kurt Elling). Going into his senior year of high school, An received a full scholarship to the JazzWorks Jazz Camp, where he learned from faculty members such as Nick Fraser, Kirk MacDonald and Derrick Gardner. He was a member of two long-time cultivators of up-and-coming talent, the Nepean All-City Jazz Band, an Ottawa youth big band, and the Jazz Youth Summit, a nonet of music students from across Canada.
An is currently more musically active than ever, leading his own groups and playing with others as a sideman, including a stint with the Espionage Orchestra, a tribute to the music of James Bond led by JUNO award-winning trumpeter Ed Lister. His previous appearances include the Ottawa International Jazz Festival and the National Arts Centre. In addition to his musical pursuits, An studies Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. Links: https://briananmusic.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtE-jm0G4Zg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7LG_v5OxO0 |
Lucas Denison
Drums
Born and raised in the heart of Ottawa's vibrant music scene, Lucas Denison had the incredible opportunity to grow up surrounded by the sounds of jazz. His family has been part of the Ottawa jazz scene for decades, and he is continuing that musical legacy. Denison’s musical journey has taken him all over the country. He spent several years in Halifax, Nova Scotia, performing and teaching with the Halifax Music Co-op. When the pandemic hit, he moved back to Ottawa and became a regular on the online live performance platform, SyncSpace. In 2021 he recorded an album with Yves LaRoche called “Harlem Bounce”. Both Denison and his sister have been recipients of the JazzWorks Jazz Camp scholarship.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4QXgabyfVg
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4QXgabyfVg
Claire Devlin
Tenor Saxaphone
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Claire Devlin is a saxophonist and composer based in Montréal, Quebec. She released her debut album “Anyone” in 2020 and currently co-leads two collectives based in Montreal, The Plastic Waste Band and Bellbird. As a side-person she has recorded and performed with a cross section of jazz and indie artists, including Tommy Crane, Christine Jensen, Unessential Oils, John Hollenbeck, Thus Owls, Rommel Ribeiro, Jazzlab Orchestra, Sarah Rossy and the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra.
Devlin grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and started playing saxophone at the age of 12. She holds a Bachelor and a Master’s in Jazz Performance and Composition from McGill University. In the realm of music education, Devlin has worked as a clinician and adjudicator at schools and festivals across Canada and as a course lecturer in jazz theory at McGill University. Links: https://www.instagram.com/clairedevlinmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/clairedevlinmusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/672d8mJiNb40S3jIX8UtB8 https://www.youtube.com/@ClaireDevlinmusic https://clairedevlin.com/ |
Nick Maclean
Piano
JUNO-nominated pianist Nick Maclean is the winner of 10 Global Music Awards and a first-place winner in the 'Unsigned Only' 'Jazz' category. Maclean has also received numerous accolades and acclaim for his solo piano work. He is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand piano players in Toronto's bustling jazz scene. From Miles Davis & Herbie Hancock to Weather Report & Snarky Puppy, Maclean’s musical influences are diverse.
A protegé of the Canadian jazz trumpet iconoclast, Brownman Ali, Maclean received his Bachelor of Music from Humber College in 2013, having studied with David Restivo, Bernie Senensky and Nancy Walker. He then went on to do a Master’s in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto, researching synthesizer pedagogy while studying under David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly and David Braid. Braid especially had an enormous influence on how Maclean approaches playing and composing.
Maclean leads two critically acclaimed and multi-award winning jazz ensembles – the funkified electric jazz group Snaggle and the hard-swinging modern jazz group Nick Maclean Quartet. He has toured Canada and internationally, performing for countless audiences and leading jazz improvisation workshops for students and listeners eager to learn more about the artform.
Maclean and his mentor Brownman Ali have collaborated for over a decade, the fruits of which labour include Snaggle's 2016 release “The Long Slog”, Nick Maclean Quartet's 2017 release “Rites of Ascension”, Maclean's 2021 double solo piano release “Can You Hear Me?” and the Nick Maclean Quartet's JUNO-nominated 2023 release “Convergence”. Maclean and his ensembles are signed to Brownman's NYC-based jazz record label Browntasauras Records, an independent record label widely regarded as a vanguard for Canadian, forward-thinking jazz, and where Maclean works as a managing partner out of their Toronto offices. He is currently working on the 2026/7 release for his electric-jazz group Snaggle.
Links:
Nick Maclean Quartet feat Brownman Ali (Road Warrior)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOno29FcXM&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Quartet feat Brownman Ali (Wisdom Of Aurelius)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cPAbdH6qkM&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Solo Piano (Zion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs1kFVb9Qqg&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean's Snaggle (playlist)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlHVbRgPYNk&list=PLH_nNK-F1m0SGytFcq5p7FNxvvyS13K2I&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean's 'Sum of One' (Sleeper)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZTjJ1TOLuk&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Website:
https://nicholasmaclean.com/
A protegé of the Canadian jazz trumpet iconoclast, Brownman Ali, Maclean received his Bachelor of Music from Humber College in 2013, having studied with David Restivo, Bernie Senensky and Nancy Walker. He then went on to do a Master’s in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto, researching synthesizer pedagogy while studying under David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly and David Braid. Braid especially had an enormous influence on how Maclean approaches playing and composing.
Maclean leads two critically acclaimed and multi-award winning jazz ensembles – the funkified electric jazz group Snaggle and the hard-swinging modern jazz group Nick Maclean Quartet. He has toured Canada and internationally, performing for countless audiences and leading jazz improvisation workshops for students and listeners eager to learn more about the artform.
Maclean and his mentor Brownman Ali have collaborated for over a decade, the fruits of which labour include Snaggle's 2016 release “The Long Slog”, Nick Maclean Quartet's 2017 release “Rites of Ascension”, Maclean's 2021 double solo piano release “Can You Hear Me?” and the Nick Maclean Quartet's JUNO-nominated 2023 release “Convergence”. Maclean and his ensembles are signed to Brownman's NYC-based jazz record label Browntasauras Records, an independent record label widely regarded as a vanguard for Canadian, forward-thinking jazz, and where Maclean works as a managing partner out of their Toronto offices. He is currently working on the 2026/7 release for his electric-jazz group Snaggle.
Links:
Nick Maclean Quartet feat Brownman Ali (Road Warrior)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOno29FcXM&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Quartet feat Brownman Ali (Wisdom Of Aurelius)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cPAbdH6qkM&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Solo Piano (Zion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs1kFVb9Qqg&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean's Snaggle (playlist)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlHVbRgPYNk&list=PLH_nNK-F1m0SGytFcq5p7FNxvvyS13K2I&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean's 'Sum of One' (Sleeper)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZTjJ1TOLuk&ab_channel=NickMacleanJazz
Nick Maclean Website:
https://nicholasmaclean.com/
Ross Morgan
Guitar
Ross Morgan is a jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger from Ottawa. He first discovered his love of jazz when he heard the Ed Bickert album "At the Garden Party". Morgan studied music in Toronto with Jocelyn Gould, Ted Quinlan and Lorne Lofsky. He has shared the stage with JUNO-award winning artists such as Ed Lister and Pat Labarbera. In 2024, Morgan interviewed bassist and jazz legend Ron Carter.
Morgan's debut EP "Migration" showcases his unique voice as an artist, drawing inspiration from legendary guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and Ed Bickert. Combining contemporary jazz with Canadian folk music, he has found a new innovative sound.
Morgan has quickly become a sought-after musician in the Canadian jazz scene. He holds a degree in music from Humber College. With his talent and dedication, he is sure to make a lasting impact on the world of jazz guitar.
Links:
Website | Ross Morgan Music
Facebook Page | Ross Morgan
Spotify | Ross Morgan
Instagram | @rossmcmorgan
Migration Album | Ross Morgan
Ross Morgan - YouTube
Morgan's debut EP "Migration" showcases his unique voice as an artist, drawing inspiration from legendary guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and Ed Bickert. Combining contemporary jazz with Canadian folk music, he has found a new innovative sound.
Morgan has quickly become a sought-after musician in the Canadian jazz scene. He holds a degree in music from Humber College. With his talent and dedication, he is sure to make a lasting impact on the world of jazz guitar.
Links:
Website | Ross Morgan Music
Facebook Page | Ross Morgan
Spotify | Ross Morgan
Instagram | @rossmcmorgan
Migration Album | Ross Morgan
Ross Morgan - YouTube
Max Simpson
Bass
Born in Ottawa and based in Toronto, Max Simpson is a bassist, composer and educator.
Simpson studied double bass in the Jazz Performance stream at the University of Toronto under the instruction of prominent Canadian Jazz figures such as Dave Young, Jim Vivian, Terry Promane and Andrew Downing, among others. Grounded in swing and the African American music tradition, Simpson performs as a side man, as well as exploring new territory in genres such as Pop, R&B, classical music and Brazilian Music.
Simpson has performed at several prominent music venues and event spaces including Koerner Hall, The Royal Ontario Museum, The Aga Khan Museum, The Rex Hotel and the Meridian Arts Centre. Supporting other artists, he performs over 200 times a year with a plethora of different artists and was part of three separate album releases in the year 2024 alone. Simpson hopes to move forward by creating original music as well as pushing his own ideas as an improvising musician as a way of positively influencing Canadian music culture.
Simpson studied double bass in the Jazz Performance stream at the University of Toronto under the instruction of prominent Canadian Jazz figures such as Dave Young, Jim Vivian, Terry Promane and Andrew Downing, among others. Grounded in swing and the African American music tradition, Simpson performs as a side man, as well as exploring new territory in genres such as Pop, R&B, classical music and Brazilian Music.
Simpson has performed at several prominent music venues and event spaces including Koerner Hall, The Royal Ontario Museum, The Aga Khan Museum, The Rex Hotel and the Meridian Arts Centre. Supporting other artists, he performs over 200 times a year with a plethora of different artists and was part of three separate album releases in the year 2024 alone. Simpson hopes to move forward by creating original music as well as pushing his own ideas as an improvising musician as a way of positively influencing Canadian music culture.
Robert Wannell
Guitar
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Robert Wannell is a guitarist, pianist, composer and educator hailing from Nepean, Ontario. He is a graduate of Humber College’s prestigious contemporary music program and has strong ties with both Ottawa and Toronto’s music scenes. Over the course of his professional career, Wannell has had the opportunity to study with world class musicians including Geoff Young, Jon Maharaj, Ted Quinlan, Kirk Macdonald, Roddy Ellias, among others. He currently resides in the west end of Ottawa where he maintains an active teaching and performing schedule.
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