Celebrate the JazzYYC festival finale with Andy Milne & Unison, a JUNO Award–winning trio acclaimed for their dynamic interplay, joined by Calgary Poet Laureate Wakefield Brewster’s PoëThree, whose explosive spoken word, funk, and jazz fusion set promises a powerful opening.
The final show of JazzYYC's 2025 Canadian Festival brings a double bill bridging cultures, genres, and generations.
Two-time JUNO Award–winning pianist and composer Andy Milne brings his acclaimed trio Unison to Calgary for a night of boundary-pushing jazz. Opening the evening, Calgary Poet Laureate Wakefield Brewster’s PoëThree sets the stage with their bold spoken word, funk, and jazz fusion.
About Andy Milne & Unison
For more than 30 years, pianist/composer Andy Milne has been a distinctive voice in creative jazz. A two-time JUNO Award winner, former student of Oscar Peterson, and longtime collaborator with icons from Ravi Coltrane to Cassandra Wilson, Milne formed Unison to explore the intimacy of the piano trio. Their debut album The reMission won the 2021 JUNO for Jazz Album of the Year: Group, and their latest release Time Will Tell (Sunnyside Records, 2024) was nominated for a 2025 JUNO and hailed on numerous “Best of” lists.
The trio features bassist John Hébert, a New Orleans native and multiple GRAMMY nominee, and drummer Kush Abadey, a dynamic force who has performed with Ravi Coltrane, Chris Potter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Wynton Marsalis. Together, Unison is praised for its textural interplay and powerful grooves — a compelling showcase of modern jazz artistry.
Andy Milne – piano, composer
John Hébert – bass
Kush Abadey – drums
About Wakefield Brewster’s PoëThree
Calgary’s first and only spoken word funk-fusion jazz quartet, PoëThree is a high-energy collective blending poetry, rap, funk, blues, and jazz into a unique mosaic of sound. The group features Wakefield Brewster (vocals, spoken word, rap), Chris Tauchner (keyboards, composition, arrangement), Jeff Gammon (bass), and John “Stompy Jon” McCaslin (drums, percussion).
With over two centuries of combined artistic experience, PoëThree channels Blackness, brotherhood, artistry, and allyship into performances that are equal parts electrifying and thought-provoking. Their sets embody the heartbeat of Calgary’s cultural scene while expanding the possibilities of jazz expression.
Wakefield Brewster – vocals, spoken word, rap
Chris Tauchner – keyboards, composer, arranger
Jeff Gammon – bass (electric & acoustic)
Jon McCaslin – drums & percussion
This show is part of JazzYYC's Canadian Festival presented by Servus Credit Union.