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Jazz Winnipeg at Bijou Patio

Live jazz returns to the Exchange District for two Saturdays in September.

Jazz Winnipeg, in partnership with the Exchange District BIZ , is bringing two days of outdoor fall concerts to the Bijou Patio in the Exchange District on the last two Saturdays in September.

On Saturday, September 19 and Saturday, September 26 Jazz Winnipeg will feature six concerts throughout the day and into the evening outdoors at the Bijou Patio. 

“We’re excited to return to Old Market Square starting this weekend for some free programming on a smaller, physically distanced scale,” said Jazz Winnipeg acting executive director Angela Heck. “In the spirit of the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, we’d love for our community to join us and take in a few shows featuring fantastic local talent while they enjoy Bijou Patio’s selection of local food and drink.”

The concerts are all free to attend and no tickets are required. Physically distanced space on the Bijou Patio is limited to 120 people. 

Performer line-up + schedule: 

Ilya Osachuk
September 19, 12pm

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Bassist Ilya Osachuk is a new creative voice in the Canadian jazz scene. He has developed an original sound as a player, composer, and arranger. He continues to push the boundaries of jazz while simultaneously honouring the jazz tradition.

Ilya leads a trio that performs regularly in the city of Winnipeg and the surrounding area. In addition to composing and arranging music for his trio, Ilya also writes for quintet, septet, and octet, making his creative debut as a leader in 2019. Ilya is also an in-demand sideman in Winnipeg and performs regularly with the city’s top musicians, including Juno Award nominees Erin Propp and Larry Roy, Will Bonness, and Ron Paley.


Victor Lopez
September 19, 3pm

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Victor Hugo Lopez Bustamante has been entertaining audiences on the Winnipeg live music scene for over two decades. Whether contributing his varied musical skillset and background to Papa Mambo, the Chuck Copenace group, Trio Bembe, Jupiter Storm or various other projects in Winnipeg and abroad, his musicianship, joy and musical expression shine through.

Now, he brings a relaunching of his own jazz group with Julian Bradford on bass and Kevin Waters on drums. Featuring a collection of original compositions and beautifully arranged covers from his musical DNA with genres spanning jazz/hip-hop/R&B/South-american folklore/Latin, the group paints a musical picture and is sure to excite audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Dirty Catfish
Brass Band
September 19, 8pm

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Dirty Catfish Brass Band’s aim is to inspire, create and instigate – but mostly, they just want you on your feet. Undeniably tight, yet reckless as hell, Dirty Catfish Brass Band deals in powerful phrasing and performances drenched with rhythm. Invoking the sounds of brass bands and funk ensembles, the collective dares to reimagine the streets of a prairie city as one that is hot, alive, and brimming with soul.

Based in Winnipeg, MB, the crew strives to surprise, challenge, tickle and pay homage to the New Orleans tradition by giving it a new audience in an unsuspecting locale. From street corners to festival stages, and community celebrations to sporting events, DCBB use the power of music to bring joy to their audience. Get ready to move.


Joe Curtis
September 26, 12pm

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Joe’s music has been warmly described as an intimate and compelling blend of roots, rock, folk, pop, and blues. He creates a space filled with musical moments that borrow from the past, but live in the present. Songs carried by powerful melodies and his soulful voice. Whether playing a house concert or packed club, his shows take listeners from reflective moments to soulful searing blues and R&B, all delivered with the passion to raise people out of their seats.

In addition to working regularly playing his music around his hometown of Winnipeg, Joe is also frequently sought out for live and studio session work.

Curtis Newton
September 26, 3pm

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Born and raised in Winnipeg, Curtis Newton is one of the brightest stars on the Canadian blues, boogie and swing scene. He is a soft-spoken, almost shy young man except when he has a guitar in his hands. His style goes from the fiercely ferocious to sweetly subtle and his sound comes straight from the heart.


Sol James
September 26, 6pm

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Winnipeg-based Sol James is a force to be reckoned with, with a voice to match. A unique take on roots/blues with a soulful flair, her music is joyful and honest, leaving audiences smiling, dancing, and celebrating the great stuff of life. Sol’s stage presence calls out to even the meekest of souls, breaking down walls and bringing the light in. She does this with a dependable dose of hilarity; you can hear a Sol James audience laughing a mile away.