The TDJ News Corps

The annual TDJ News Corps is an initiative geared towards post-secondary students who are interested in writing about jazz. Successful applicants to the TDJ News Corps program are given full media accreditation for the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, granting them unprecedented access to the festival – attending and reviewing concerts for free, interviewing artists and experiencing the festival from behind the scenes. In addition, TDJ News Corps members are assigned a mentor – an experienced music journalist. This year’s mentors are David Dacks, writer for Exclaim! and CBC Music; and Jennie Punter, editor, Musicworks magazine.

Check this page throughout the festival for TDJ News Corps articles – concert reviews, artist interviews and other editorial content.

The 2014 TDJ News Corps is:

  • Yanis Khamsi, a singer-songwriter and student in the Bachelor of Journalism program at Humber College. (Read more about Yanis.)
  • Benjamin Thomas, a drummer and recent graduate from Ivey Business School at Western University. (Read more about Benjamin.)

Robert Randolph & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Submitted by Yanis Khamsi on Sun Jun 29 2:41am

When Robert Randolph and the Family Band took the stage, I was wondering if had been some form of miscommunication. I thought to myself, "Where is everyone?"

I was expecting than the 200-some people who enthusiastically cheered as Randolph began his set with unaccompanied blues soloing. When he and I spoke on the phone, Randolph said the Toronto audience could expect "almost being at a Sly and the Family Stone show or a Jimi Hendrix show."

Deborah Cox & Melissa Etheridge

Submitted by Yanis Khamsi on Thu Jun 26 12:10am

This was no ordinary jazz concert.

Thousands gathered in Nathan Phillips Square to kick off World Pride. Premier Kathleen Wynne made a surprise appearance to anoint the festival, promising to make Ontario the most accepting place on earth for the LGBTQ community.

The atmosphere was lively, though the crowd's enthusiasm made some of the guest speakers difficult to understand at times.

Chaka Khan & Shemekia Copeland

Submitted by Yanis Khamsi on Fri Jun 20 3:11pm

What a way to kick off the festival!

While the rest of Toronto indulged in the World Cup and NXNE, there was a small yet passionate crowd at Kool Haus to see Chaka Khan and opener Shemekia Copeland.

Copeland is a 35 year-old blues singer reminiscent of the soul powerhouses of Stax Records. Her band proved more than capable of delivering the blues, in particular guitarist Arthur Neilson, with whom Copeland has been touring with for 16 years.