Trombonist Audrey Ochoa Quintet

Unbound by any predisposed ideals around genre or delivery, 2025 Juno Award nominee trombonist AUDREY OCHOA 2025 Juno Award nominee Audrey Ochoa is a trombonist and composer whose work defies easy categorization.  She plays any of jazz, rock, pop, latin, punk, ska, fusion blends and more. Unbound by rigid ideas of genre or delivery, she pairs meticulous, influential compositions with a playful and liberated approach. Classically trained yet driven by a deep curiosity across styles, Ochoa has built a career rooted in versatility, originality, and craft.

She has shared the stage with leading Canadian artists including Hilario Durán, PJ Perry, and Tommy Banks, as well as international greats such as members of the Dave Matthews Band, Lew Tabackin, Marcus Miller, Chris Potter, and the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band. A fixture of the Canadian music scene and a rising force internationally, Ochoa is widely recognized for her commanding musicianship and distinctive compositional voice.

Ochoa’s debut album, Trombone and Other Delights (2013), received widespread acclaim and spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian jazz charts. Her sophomore release, Afterthought (2017), further showcased her mastery of arrangement and musical storytelling, earning another No. 1 spot in Canada and breaking into the Top 20 on U.S. jazz charts. Her work has been recognized by the Western Canadian Music Awards, the Global Music Awards, and the Edmonton Music Prize for outstanding contribution to the local arts community.

With Frankenhorn (2020), Ochoa expanded her sonic palette by exploring arrangements for strings alongside horns and rhythm section. The album reached No. 1 on both Canadian and U.S. campus jazz charts during the pandemic and marked a bold step forward in scope and ambition. Her follow-up release, The Head of a Mouse (2023), brought her well-earned recognition among peers and led to a 2025 JUNO Award nomination.

Her upcoming release, The Sorceress (2026), continues to highlight Ochoa’s versatility, craftsmanship, and unmistakable sense of play. Refusing to be pigeonholed, she offers a listening experience that moves fluidly through swing, groove, and Latin traditions, including Cuban and Brazilian influences. On this record, listeners hear more of her sultry vocals than ever before, as she steps out from behind the horn on four tracks.

Exhilarating, exuberant, and deeply skilled, Audrey Ochoa exemplifies an artist devoted to excellence without sacrificing joy or curiosity. With a fresh, confident voice and a growing body of work, she stands firmly as a vital presence in the Canadian jazz landscape.

Since graduating from Grant MacEwan College in 1990, pianist CHRIS ANDREW has become a key player in the Alberta music scene. His musical diversity can be seen through his numerous performances over the years in genres such as jazz, funk, pop, latin, or musical theatre. He has studied in Cuba and has toured across Canada countless times in a number of bands in various musical styles.

Although well known as a jazz educator in Alberta, Chris is best known for his ability to play. In the jazz vein, Chris’ resume lists a veritable who’s who of jazz. Chris has performed with Joshua Redman, Sonny Fortune, Bud Shank, Pete Christlieb, Joe LaBarbera, P.J. Perry, Kirk MacDonald, Paquito D’Rivera, Brad Turner, and Steve Wallace just to name some highlights.

On the local scene, Chris has performed or recorded with numerous well known groups including The Jump Orchestra, Maracujah, Bomba, Kelly Allana, Tim Tamashiro, The Swinging Bovines, The Edmonton Symphony, Phatty, and The Devoties.

Chris spent the first half of 2005 as the Musical Director for the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks show: ?BULLA!, in which the song ‘3 Corners of Emotion’ from the Hutchinson Andrew Trio was featured.

Awards:
2013 Montreal International Jazz Festival TD Grand Jazz Award
2013 City of Edmonton Arts and Culture Performance Award
2011 Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40
2008 National Jazz Awards Rising Star Award
2004 CBC Galaxie Rising Star Awarded to BOMBA

Hutchinson Andrew Trio Prairie Modern (2013) Nominated for Best Jazz Recording (WCMA)
Chris Andrew Strange Days (2011) Nominated for Best Jazz Recording (WCMA)
Hutchinson Andrew Trio Music Box (2008) Nominated for Best Jazz Recording (WCMA)
Hutchinson Andrew Trio Lost but not forgotten (2004) Nominated for Best Jazz Recording (WCMA)

Raised in New Hampshire, USA, JON MAYon drums never expected to be a working musician in Canada. Jon grew up an avid music lover whose passion for the drums eventually landed him in the Great White North.

Jon got his start at a local jam, rapidly working his way through the ranks to become one of Western Canada’s top musicians. As a talented composer, teacher, recording artist and player, Jon brings a thoughtfulness to the Canadian music scene, where he bridges a gap between many genres.

He has played everything from jazz, folk, avant-garde, rock, classical, bee-bop, country, and beyond with groups such as JUNO award-winning Laila Biali, Blake Reid, The Mocking Shadows, John Wort Hannam, The Polyjesters, Terra Hazleton, Ian Thomas, and many others. He is a founding member of Sinistrio alongside organist Steve Fletcher.

Jon is a featured artist in the award-winning documentary, “No Roads In” and had a lead roll in the 2019 Calgary Stampede Grand Stand show. He has toured extensively throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe.

On tenor saxophone JEREMIAH MCDADE is a Juno Award winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Jeremiah graduated with high distinction from McGill University’s Jazz Performance program and received a distinguished alumni award from MacEwan University. He frequently tours throughout North America and Europe with his group, The McDades, as well as collaborating and recording with many different artists.

With one foot planted in the rich tradition of the saxophone, the other is firmly planted in the contemporary modality of jazz. “Incredibly talented” (Stephen Reineke, The New York Pops Orchestra) “Reminiscent of Rollins or Coltrane, and indeed his note choices remind you at times of both saxophonists.” (The Art Music Lounge) “The Tenor Sax rises from the ground to up in the sky and piano and drums follow the saxophone, great dynamics, great solo and my highlight of the album.” (Michael’s Jazz Blog) “The Dizzy Gillespie of the Irish Tim Whistle.” (Gail Wein, the Washington Post.)

As a side man, Jeremiah has performed on five Juno- nominated recordings, amongst dozens of others, as well as performing on multiple film scores. Jeremiah was a featured soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2012, 2014 and 2016 and he performs regularly with big bands in Alberta including the Edmonton Jazz Orchestra and the Calgary Creative Arts Ensemble.

Jeremiah teaches saxophone, violin, and wind instruments from around the world privately and as a sessional instructor at MacEwan University.

MICHAEL LENT on upright bass has long been considered one of Canada’s premiere bassists. Because of his skill, sensitivity, and versatility, he has backed great artists for more than 30 years. Mike has toured, performed and/or recorded with a long list of jazz, blues, and rock greats, including Sheila Jordan, Mike Nock, Mark Murphy, Jim McNeely, Lee Konitz, kd lang, Jann Arden (Musical Director), and Long John Baldry. Mike has appeared on many international stages, including Royal Albert Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and on TV shows like Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Jay Leno.