Jon Ballantyne

We’re inviting everybody onstage, as we transform this beautiful space in the Esplanade theatre into an intimate jazz club. And we’re initiating this new “club” with one of the finest pianists to come out of Canada since Oscar Peterson.

Manhattan-based, Canadian born pianist Jon Ballantyne has emerged as one of the truly remarkable artists of the next generation. With 2 Juno awards under his belt and a collaborative list that reads like a who’s who of jazz, Jon is a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking of collaborations, a partial list includes Joe Henderson, Paul Bley, Dewey Redman, Billy Hart, Roy Haynes, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Seamus Blake, Pepper Adams, Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, and on it goes. Jon even studied with one of our headliners, Lee Konitz.

Jon has recently embarked on a series of solo piano performances to continue his explorations into uncharted musical territory. In fact, it was a solo piano recording, Avenue Standards, that won him his latest Juno, and it is this solo piano project that he brings to the stage of the Esplanade.

Listening to Jon play solo piano, one is reminded of the expansive palate of a Keith Jarrett, or Jessica Williams. In a similar way, Jon takes a familiar tune and turns it in the light like a glass prism, letting the light bounce off in a million directions, exploring every nook and cranny in a playful yet stunningly intelligent way. A simple song like I Left My Heart in San Francisco, or Without a Song is transformed in a most gracious way, leaving the original tune completely transparent, while at the same time, lifting it to another level through improvisations, harmonic shifts and stunning melodic excursions.

John has performed in some of the world’s finest concert halls and clubs including Birdland in New York. This year he adds the Esplanade in Medicine Hat to the list, and we’re sure you’ll want to be present to mark the occasion.

Listen

Friday, June 27
Esplanade Theatre stage
10:30 PM
$18 & Esplanade S/C
Tickets available at Esplanade Tixx Outlets