Jules Estrin

Musical Director, Adjudicator and trombonist Jules Estrin maintains a busy schedule

giving master classes, lectures and clinics on band and jazz band pedagogy across

Canada.

He has recently presented at the: Ontario Band Association, Ontario Music

Educators Conference, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Sir Wilfred

Laurier University, Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board,

Halton District School Board and has adjudicated at the Brandon Jazz Festival

in (Brandon, Manitoba), Optimist Band Festival (Regina, Saskatchewan), West

Coast Jazz Festival (Nanaimo, British Columbia) and the Golden Horseshoe

Festival (Ancaster, Ontario)

Recently, Jules has been appointed Musical Director (Canada) of the Canada Cuba

Summer Jazz Academy to be held in Varadero, Cuba from July 1st-8th, 2025!

As a trombonist Jules Estrin has appeared with many internationally renowned

entertainers and musicians including: Clark Terry, Paul Anka, Franki Valli and the

Four Seasons, Ralph Bowen, Don Menza, Rob McConnell, Moe Koffman, Matt

Dusk, Kenny Wheeler and PJ Perry. Jules has performed internationally in France,

Ireland, Scotland, England and the United States and at jazz festivals across

Canada.

As Musical Director his groups have performed with legendary jazz artists:

Randy Brecker, Bucky Pizzarelli, Lew Tabackin, Tom Scott, Wycliffe Gordon, Joey

DeFranceso, PJ Perry and Guido Basso. In 2010, his jazz ensemble opened for

Al Jarreau at the Brantford International Jazz Festival.

Since 2019 Jules has been serving as Jazz Camp Director at Interprovincial Music

Camp and enjoys working with all the campers and the incredible faculty!

Jules is a graduate of McGill University and University of Toronto holding a BMus &

MMus.

Bill Coon

Bill Coon was the recipient of the 2009 National Jazz Awards, Guitarist of the Year. He leads several of his own groups including a trio, quartet and the BC Double Quartet whose recording, Departure with Brad Turner on trumpet and violinist Cameron Wilson was nominated for a 2019 Western Canadian Music Award. He is featured on three Western Canadian Music Award winning recordings, including the genre-bending Jasmine Jazz, winner of the Best Instrumental Recording of 2023. He has performed with jazz greats Jimmy Heath, Peter Bernstein, Eddie Daniels, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Lorne Lofsky, Sheila Jordan, Jiggs Whigham, Hugh Fraser, P.J. Perry, Grant Stewart, Pat Bianchi, Scott Hamilton and Rebecca Kilgore.

Along with his most recent release, Standard Elegance, a solo guitar recording (Cellar Music), Coon is well-known for his many collaborations, including recordings with vocalist Sienna Dahlen Balladextrous (Cellar Music), Laura Crema, StringSongs, featuring Peggy Lee and Jon Bentley, and Slow Road, (Cellar Music) with Triology featuring the legendary Scott Hamilton. He performs regularly with Jodi Proznick, Miles Black, Oliver Gannon, Campbell Ryga, Cory Weeds, Laura Crema, Jennifer Scott, Steve Kaldestad, John Gross, Tom Keenlyside, Carman Price and Sharon Minemoto.

His compositions and arrangements for large ensembles include recordings with the Jill Townsend Jazz Orchestra, Cory Weeds 11-piece ensemble, and Montreal-based Altsys Jazz Orchestra. He has been commissioned to write music for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and National Arts Centre Orchestra. Coon has collaborated with jazz vocalist Denzal Sinclaire on the Juno nominated CD, I Found Love, and with hip-hop artist K-os on his Juno award-winning CD Joyful Rebellion.

Among his many grants and commissions, Coon has received Canada Council Arts Awards to study with guitarists Jim Hall, Dr. Louis Stewart, and arranger-composers Neil Chotem, Rick Wilkins. He has been a long-time faculty member of the Jazz Studies department at Capilano and is currently teaching at the VSO School of Music.

Brent Taylor

Brent Taylor received his Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Education, and Master of Arts degrees from U.B.C and began his music career working as a recording engineer and producer in Vancouver, moving to Sydney, Australia in 1986.

Upon returning to Vancouver, from 1991 to 2017 he taught instrumental music at Point Grey Secondary in Vancouver. The ensembles he directed at the school included concert bands, jazz bands, and combos, and for many years Point Grey was home to the largest music education program in the Vancouver School District. The concert bands and jazz groups were recognized with awards at festivals in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

From 2017 to June 2024, Brent was a vice-principal in the Coquitlam School District at Port Moody Secondary.

Brent is a past conductor of the Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra as part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and he led the B.C. Honour Jazz Band for the annual B.C. Music Educators’ Conference in October 2024. Brent has been active as an adjudicator and clinician for many years, most recently at the Surrey Jazz Festival, the Chilliwack Music Festival, and the Vancouver Kiwanis Concert Band Festival. In addition to adjudicating and doing clinics at schools and festivals around the lower mainland, he also directs a community jazz band in New Westminster