Despite her early appreciation of artists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, Toronto's Tia Brazda says she doesn't intentionally write for swing and jazz fans.
In fact, she barely considers the genre at all while composing.
"I do work closely with some jazz composers," she told SooToday.com. "But I don't see myself as fitting into that box which is why I guess the music sounds the way it does."
"What I do isn't for regular jazz listeners. It's a bit more palatable," she continued. "There's a lot of people that think jazz is elevator music and think of it as boring, or complicated and artsy. There's people that think they don't like jazz, but then they'll hear something that's a more modern take on it and enjoy it."
Brazda's modern take on classic swing, jazz and blues has garnered critical acclaim from CBC and the Globe and Mail, and has seen heavy rotation on independent and college radio stations across Canada.
In spite of her throwback style, she embraces the past decade's online music sharing trend that she feels has heavily influenced the popularity of independent artists and potentially lost genres.
Had it not been for the current flood of online music, she said she never would have discovered some of her favourite artists.
"A lot of music before the internet was being hidden from us and you could only find it by hitting up your local bar," Brazda said. "There are fewer superstars now and more working bands and musicians. The support is more spread out amongst many artists as opposed to consumers being force-fed one."
This competition for fans and notoriety just means artists must work harder, resulting in more innovative options for listeners, she told us.
"Online downloading has brought us back to the live show where artists have to play," she said. "You can't just sit in a big studio now and pump out million dollar albums, make $10 million and no one else gets a crack at it. Now everyone has a chance, but you have to go work and get on the road and play shows tirelessly."
Brazda hopes to schedule a full Canadian tour in the very near future to promote her upcoming release, Hard Luck, which will be available to the public in a few weeks.
In the mean time, she'll be bringing her 'new old fashioned tunes' to the Hilton Beach Community Centre on St. Joseph Island as she opens the 19th annual Old Town Hall Concert Series on Wednesday, August 6.
To learn more about Tia Brazda, please click here.
A news release issued by the Old Town Concert Series follows.
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Summer concert series kicks off next week - Tickets selling fast!
HILTON BEACH - An exciting line-up of performers is ready to hit the stage as part of the Old Town Hall Concert Series, on August 6, 13 and 20, and tickets are selling quickly.
The Series, now in its 19th year, is held every August at the Hilton Beach Community Centre on St. Joseph Island.
Some of Canada's finest musical talent has graced the stage and many have made repeat visits.
The venue is small and intimate with a capacity of just 250, guaranteeing the audience an up close and extraordinary evening with the performers.
The first performer of the season is a sassy redhead named Tia Brazda, an electro-swing singer from Toronto.
Tia made a startling impression on the Canadian jazz scene in 2012 when her debut EP Cabin Fever exploded onto the charts.
She rocketed to the No.1 position on the iTunes Canada Jazz chart, and she was heard widely on CBC and college radio stations across the country.
Tia's sound pays homage to the golden era of jazz and swing, while remaining daringly modern by incorporating today's pop influences.
The Globe and Mail called her sound "a technicolour swing that's just the thing", while her EP holds a nearly five-star rating on iTunes with dozens of glowing reviews, with many reviewers saying they "can't stop playing it over and over!"
We are delighted to present Tia Brazda as part of our 2014 Series.
Our second performer on August 13 has visited our stage twice before where he performed for sold-out audiences.
As a virtuoso Latin guitarist, Johannes Linstead's self-described "world fusion" sound could most easily be described as flamenco, but in fact it's a lot more than that, infused with cuban, middle eastern and latin american influences.
Johannes has travelled the world and was exposed to its many cultures from a very young age.
Along the way, he picked up a guitar at the age of eight and later discovered all the possibilities of Latin guitar.
Johannes' eight albums have won many awards and several of his tracks have charted in the top 10 on Billboard's new age and smooth jazz charts.
Our third performer last performed for us at our 10th anniversary season in 2005.
Lunch at Allen's is an extraordinary group of four internationally renowned Canadian artists: Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas.
This group of friends, who regularly got together for lunch at Allen's Pub in Toronto, have collectively released an amazing 91 albums, earning 39 Juno nominations and a dozen wins.
You would be hard-pressed to find another Canadian ensemble with the collective depth of influence over our country's musical landscape than Lunch at Allen's.
The members' songs are familiar to just about every Canadian that has turned on a radio in the past two decades, while their list of accomplishments and accolades is too long to list.
There are still tickets available for Tia Brazda and Johannes Linstead, but Lunch at Allen's (and thus season tickets) has already been sold out.
Tickets for individual concerts are $35 each and are available by calling 705-246-0055 or by purchasing online at oldtownhall.ca.
Tickets purchased online will be held at the door for you.
Order your tickets soon - we expect all three concerts to sell out!
The concerts are held on three consecutive Wednesday evenings, beginning at 8 p.m.
Refreshments are available.
St. Joseph Island is approximately 45 minutes east of Sault Ste. Marie.
Tickets are available online at oldtownhall.ca or by calling 705-246-0055.
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