Rochester International Jazz Festival 2024

Laila Biali (leader), piano/vocals  
Ben Wittman, drums
Jeff Campbell, bass
Christine Jensen, sax

Multi-award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents, from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts and supported international icon Sting.

Her 2020 album release, Out of Dust, received rave reviews and was nominated for a 2021 JUNO Award. Laila was also honored by SOCAN Music with the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Songwriting. In 2019, Laila’s eponymous release won her a JUNO Award (Canada’s GRAMMY) for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” The year prior, she was awarded top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category. Laila was also the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards when she was named “SOCAN Composer of the Year” and “Keyboardist of the Year.” She received her first JUNO nomination for Tracing Light (2011) and a spot on DownBeat Magazine’s “Best Albums of the Year” for both Live in Concert (2013) and Out of Dust (2020). In September of 2017, Laila was brought on as the host for CBC Music’s national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, a weekly show broadcast to millions of listeners across Canada. While Laila continues to earn high honors in the jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she “masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy” (Washington Post).

Admission: Club Pass or $30/door

Rochester International Jazz Festival runs from June 21 - 29, 2024. Check out the full schedule here.