Specializes In:
Jazz Performance and Composition
Biography
Janice Finlay is a first-call Winnipeg saxophonist who specializes in jazz performance and composition. Crowned “top sax” by Winnipeg fans three years running, Janice’s jubilant stage presence and passionate, lyrical playing style has steadily won her a legion of followers.
With a love of jazz that began in her teens, Janice developed her unique voice under the influences of Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Paul Desmond and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from McGill University in the early 90´s and has since been awarded grants to pursue advanced studies at Florida´s Atlantic Center for The Arts (2009 Composition Residency), at the Banff Centre for the Arts´ Jazz Workshop, as part of David Liebman´s International Saxophone Master class and for composition studies with Canadian jazz heavyweight Don Thompson. Janice is a bona fide “triple threat” in the woodwind world, playing flute, piccolo, clarinet and bass clarinet in addition to all of the members of the saxophone family. Her artistry and versatility has afforded her many opportunities to perform onstage backing international jazz stars such as Mel Tormé, Frank Foster, Louie Bellson and Tito Puente, and Canadian jazz stars including Rob McConnell, Hugh Fraser, Phil Nimmons, Mike Herriott, Kirk McDonald and P.J. Perry. Two career highlights include performing in a jazz quintet concert with her musical hero Clark Terry (who subsequently called her to compliment her on her CD She´s Hip!) and opening for comedian Bob Newhart with the Janice Finlay Jazz Orchestra. She has also backed up world-famous performers including Wayne Newton, Kenny Rogers, Petula Clark, the Four Tops, and the Temptations during their Winnipeg shows.
Although she is the first-choice saxophonist for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra´s “pops” concerts, frequently featured as a guest performer with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and a long-time member of the Ron Paley Big Band, Janice maintains a busy schedule as the band leader of her own jazz groups, jump-blues group The Swing Cats and her dance band. Highly innovative, Janice has spearheaded a number of special projects including Collaborate…Create…Compose! in which she worked with three other jazz composers writing music for jazz sextet, and Jazz on Tap, in which she collaborated with choreographer Brenda Gorlick to create an original concert presentation of jazz quartet with tap dancing.
The Janice Finlay Quartet has presented concerts in theatres and schools throughout southern Manitoba and north-eastern Ontario. In 2004 Janice was also invited to present two headline performances at the Beatniq Club in Calgary by the Jazz Is Society of Alberta. In 2001 her group The Swing Cats appeared at a number of jazz festivals across Canada. In 2002 Janice released She’s Hip, her debut feature CD which was nominated in the outstanding jazz recording category for the 2003 Western Canada Music Awards and was named as one of the top ten 2002 “must-have” jazz CDs by the Galaxie Network. Along with her playing, She´s Hip features her evocative and well-crafted compositions and arrangements performed by some of Canada´s best musicians including Hugh Fraser and Mike Downes. In 2008 the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra commissioned Janice to write a big band piece in celebration of the group´s tenth anniversary. Over the many years she has pursued her musical passion, Janice has developed into an extraordinary educator whose gift for teaching was acknowledged in 2004 when she was awarded the Xerox Manitoba Jazz Educator of the Year Award. From 2005 -2007 Janice was the inaugural Jazz Program Coordinator at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts and she remains a sought-after private instructor in addition to teaching various jazz ensembles, school workshops and jazz appreciation courses for the general public. Janice is also a faculty member for the University of Manitoba´s Summer Jazz Camp and has adjudicated the Brandon Jazz Festival three times in the past ten years.
Education/Training
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from McGill University in the early 90´s and has since been awarded grants to pursue advanced studies at Florida’s Atlantic Center for The Arts (2009 Composition Residency).
Career Highlights
Janice is a bona fide “triple threat” in the woodwind world, playing flute, piccolo, clarinet and bass clarinet in addition to all of the members of the saxophone family. performing in a jazz quintet concert with her musical hero Clark Terry (who subsequently called her to compliment her on her CD She’s Hip!) and opening for comedian Bob Newhart with the Janice Finlay Jazz Orchestra. She has also backed up world-famous performers including Wayne Newton, Kenny Rogers, Petula Clark, the Four Tops, and the Temptations during their Winnipeg shows. Janice has developed into an extraordinary educator whose gift for teaching was acknowledged in 2004 when she was awarded the Xerox Manitoba Jazz Educator of the Year Award