David James and Big River are often described as one of the most authentic Outlaw Country tribute shows touring today. Thousands of fans agree with those reviews, as they routinely sell out shows in venues large and small across Canada and the U.S.

From the way James holds his guitar to the way he talks to his audience, the legendary musicians live again when James steps to the mike and says, “Hello – I’m almost Johnny Cash," or plays that classic leather bound Telecaster guitar like Waylon.

The professionalism on and off the stage is a testament to the memory of Cash and Waylon that fans have come to expect from David James and Big River.​

The extensive catalog of songs from Cash like Folsom Prison , Boy named Sue and Ring of Fire and Waylons mega hits like Luckenback Texas , Good hearted woman and Mammas dont let your babys grow up to be cowboys , attracts audiences young and old alike to relive the music of these great country icons.

"Its not only about the voice ," James said. "Its about living and breathing the men - Their postures ,Their mannerisms ,Their moves and quirks .I want our audiences to go home feeling like they observed the men themselves .

James is succeeding

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Quin With One N is a unique artist merging genres from around the world with his roots in folk music and creating sounds that haven’t been heard before. As a multi-instrumentalist, Quin has a large ‘tool kit’ with which he can sculpt different tunes and arrangements. Even though he started his musical endeavour as a young fiddle player, he doesn’t let that stop him from exploring music outside of traditional, Celtic, and bluegrass fiddling. With the Quin With One N Trio, Quin's music is brought to life in the most dynamic way than ever before. Having Nick Mintenko on upright bass and Ryan Bennett on Drums/Guitar makes for a tight and well put together ensemble. The trio's repertoire spans from groovy and danceable fiddle tunes to emotional ballads rich with harmony.

Nurture the passion within and let the music begin

The Wellington Jazz Academy inspires the next generation of musicians and arts supporters!
With leading lights like Christine and Ingrid Jensen and Diana Krall already on the international scene, Nanaimo has an established reputation as a jazz hotbed. And the consistent high performance of Carmella Luvisottos’ students from the Wellington Jazz Academy Program is maintaining that reputation.

A MusicFest jazz venue master of ceremonies set the record straight, saying, “It's not in the water; it's in the hard work.”

Students at Wellington Secondary enroll in the Jazz Academy as part of their curricular studies from Grade 9 through Grade 12. The program includes band classes and for those looking at a more intense improvisation and theory studies, the Jazz Studies course. Nanaimo’s Jazz Academy is one of a handful of Canadian high school programs focused on jazz studies. At Wellington, the students develop the musical and improvisational skills needed to perform jazz standards and charts both as a team and as individuals. The students augment their studies by travelling from Nanaimo to Vancouver, British Columbia; Moscow, Idaho; Monterey, California; Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario to compete in recognized jazz festivals. The results are stellar, sealing Nanaimo’s name in the jazz world. Thank you for supporting the Wellington Jazz Academy Program – the future of jazz music in Canada.

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You can tell a lot about someone when you walk into their home and each room you enter is a remake of last night’s on-stage performance. A limitless supply of cords and cables hung wall-to-wall, evenly spaced between the guitars mounted high in each room. Amps and speakers piled to the roof, and an impressive collection of keyboards and rock instruments waiting in cue to be picked up and played endlessly throughout the night. Each room you enter in Jayden’s house almost transforms you up on stage and brings you on set in front of screaming fans.

“My home is my sanctuary,” says Jayden, “it is where I stay stimulated, get work done and a place where my friends and family come together for a good time. I look for the inspiration from different things. From my surroundings, my environment, the road and from deep within myself. I feel lucky to have the right people around me because I know I can turn to them to help stay grounded and connected to what matters most to me. And that’s family and playing my music for my fans.” Jayden with a smile, turns around and jeans and barefoot walks up and grabs his guitar from the mount, sits down legs crossed and starts strumming a melody.
From the age when Jayden was just a boy it was clear that he was destined to find his future in music. “I was lucky to find out what I love early on in my life. The feeling I got when I was twelve years old and had to improvise a harmony in front of my music class was actually the start of it all,” Jayden chuckled, “I just closed my eyes, let go and the melody came out.”

Jayden continued, “It has never been about me. Performing takes me to another world. I create a stage where I can connect with my audience. It’s just me and them. It’s not my place, it’s our place. It has always been for my audience. It’s a magical feeling. The energy I get from them feeds me. It fills me. It’s my preferred diet.”
When asked about fears in life, Jayden explained how his biggest fear is playing for the wrong reason. “The fear I used to feel was the pressure to have to succeed. I felt it build inside of me. I used to think about how I was expected to play or how I should be writing my songs.”

Then as if a breeze of coolness swept through the room, Jayden continued, “I just started focusing on my music. I began to seek out my inspirations in life and fed off those things. I started to write about those things. I focused on why I love music and how performing gives me the chance to reach out and move my audience. It’s about what I can give, not what I can take. I want to lift people up and inspire them. This is my focus. This is my gift. I crave the next moment to get on stage and connect with my audience and move them in a way that takes us to a new world.”

Jayden is clearly a man with a vision and will stop at nothing to make his mark on music today.