Champian Fulton: Our Girl In Paris

Champian in FranceThe Jazz Shed checked back in with Champian Fulton in April of this year while she set down in her home State of Oklahoma for the first time in many years for a few concerts. The rising Jazz singer and pianist had just returned back from a March tour of Europe (Germany, Austria, France, Spain) to promote her most recent album, After Dark, a tribute to one of her idols, Dinah Washington.

We enjoyed a casual conversation about her impressions of the different venues and audiences she performed in and for and also discussed other recent events from her journeys oversees and on this side of the pond. Please enjoy this edition of the Jazz Shed interviews.

Champian Fulton dazzles at Frankie’s Jazz Club!


Champian Fulton brings a charm and excitement to the contemporary jazz scene, primarily because she is a fantastic and swinging musician. She has some pretty serious keyboard chops and a confident and dynamic vocal offering in the tradition of Dinah Washington.

The Jazz Shed had the distinct privilege of an extensive conversation with Ms. Fulton at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver, prior to her two night engagement on March 4 and 5, part of the Women in Jazz series presented by Coastal Jazz and Blues. She is has just embarked on an international tour promoting her latest album release After Dark.

Please enjoy the video and share your comments!

Jazz Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt Carries the Torch Boldly Forward


The Jazz Shed took advantage of a free Saturday afternoon on the calendar of Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt during a two night stint (Jan 8-9) at Frankie’s, the newish Vancouver Jazz venue next to BC Place Stadium, at the heart of this city’s nightlife.

Mr. Pelt took to the stage with some of NYC’s heaviest cats; Bill Stewart on drums, Peter Washington on bass, Steve Nelson on vibes, and Danny Grissett on piano. The Power Quintet cooked up a swinging brew of mostly original tunes with a decidedly post-hard-bop influence. All but two tunes of the two set offering were written by Pelt himself with a few from pianist Grissett. The packed house at Frankie’s, local musicians in abundance, were not disappointed as the band delivered high energy, immaculate, yet often daring variations on the contemporary but ‘feel good’ compositions of Messrs Pelt and Grissett.

In the following interview, Jeremy Pelt shares his thoughts on Jazz music, his plans for the future. Please enjoy, and feel free to comment.

A Conversation with Jazz Impresario Cory Weeds

The Jazz Shed sat down with Cory Weeds, Jazz Impresario extraordinaire, at the newly launched Frankie’s Jazz Club in downtown Vancouver, to stretch out and talk all things Jazz. Enjoy this part 1 clip of our discussion where Cory talks about how and why he decided to make a career around playing, presenting and recording Jazz music. Stay tuned for more of our extensive conversation coming very soon.