Pianist

Schmaltz & Pepper is a spellbinding Yiddish music ensemble playing klezmer inspired by jazz, Roma, classical, and European folk music. This powerhouse group's members include acclaimed Toronto Symphony principal clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a passionate and gifted klezmer musician, and Grammy nominated Drew Jurecka on violin, accordion, and mandolin. Joined by Juno Award-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter, award-winning bassist Michael Herring, and renowned Payadora violinist and vocalist Rebekah Wolkstein, they produce and perform original arrangements of klezmer and Yiddish music, displaying their joyous and virtuosic genre-bending fusion of many musical styles

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TSM presents Schmaltz & Pepper

University of Toronto

Mark McLean is a very dynamic and versatile studio and touring musician.  If you ask him about his biggest musical influences, the answer is likely to take more time than you have. Even if you ask for just the 'main ones' the list will go on and on.  And it is a diverse list; from Johann Sebastian Bach to James Brown (and those are only the 'B's).  And for that reason he has been the grooving spark behind many jazz, pop and soul legends whose music and influence span multiple generations.  The late legendary producer Phil Ramone, who began hiring him for numerous sessions starting in 2003, called McLean “a tasty, sure handed drummer, a song man’s musician”- but that’s only part of the in-demand musician’s powerful story and evolving artistry.  Whether playing a sensitive ballad with Andrea Bocelli, swinging mightily with Jamie Cullum or laying down a funky backbeat for George Michael, Mark McLean is always in his element.

New York's Mark McLean Quintet

The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar

Schmaltz & Pepper is a spellbinding Yiddish music ensemble playing klezmer inspired by jazz, Roma, classical, and European folk music. This powerhouse group's members include acclaimed Toronto Symphony principal clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a passionate and gifted klezmer musician, and Grammy-nominated Drew Jurecka on violin/accordion/mandolin. Joined by Juno-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter, award-winning bassist Michael Herring and renowned Payadora violinist/vocalist Rebekah Wolkstein, they produce and perform original arrangements of klezmer and Yiddish music, displaying their joyous and virtuosic genre-bending fusion of many musical styles. 

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Originally hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Canadian drummer Mark Kelso has made Toronto, Canada his home for quite some time. Not only is he a skilled musician who plays drums and percussion, but he is also a singer, producer, composer and band leader as well. Mark has also been the Head of the percussion dept at Humber College in Toronto since 2005. Mark’s ability to play a wide variety of musical styles has helped him become one of Canada’s most sought after drummers. An all around player, he has worked/recorded with a wide array of artists such as Pat Metheny, Donny McCaslin, Laila Biali, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Michael Bublé, Changuito, David Clayton-Thomas, Holly Cole, Larry Coryell, Eliana Cuevas, Paquito D’Riveria, Hilario Duran, David Foster, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Olivia Newton John, Molly Johnson, Chaka Khan, Pat LaBarbera, Donnell Leahy, Natalie MacMaster, Bob Mintzer, Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), Donny Osmond, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Jovino Santos Neto, NOJO, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Schneider, John Scofield, Ron Sexsmith, Mike Stern, Soul Stew, James Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Ian Tyson, Gino Vannelli, Carol Welsman and his own Juno award nominated band, The Jazz Exiles. Mark runs “Groovy Drums Studio” where he records drum tracks for many artists around the world. To date he has played on over 285 recordings. Aside from playing many TV and radio jingles and movie soundtracks Mark has also been featured in Drums ETC, Canadian Musician, Drumhead, Drum Scene and Modern Drummer magazines. Mark has also been a featured clinician/performer at the Montreal Drumfest, IAJE, Musicfest, KOSA, Percussive Arts Society, Regina Drum Festival, Whack Bam Thudd festival, Victoria Drum Festival and the Cape Breton Drum Festival. Mark recently released his first instructional drum DVD entitled, “Musician First, Drummer Second” to great acclaim. Mark endorses and is a featured clinician for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drum heads, Headhunters drumsticks and Plunge Audio in-ear monitors.

Mark Kelso's Jazz Exiles

Forged in a cauldron of raging, inspiring contemporary jazz, the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio pushes the boundaries of jazz and world music, providing an undiluted display of rampaging energy and captivating musicianship. Audiences must exercise caution. People who see this band are rarely the same again. If the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio were an inanimate object it would be a runaway train.

Pianist

Jeremy Ledbetter

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 28, 2026

Jeremy Ledbetter Trio · The Burlington Performing Arts Centre

Past events

Jul 16, 2025

TSM presents Schmaltz & Pepper · The Royal Conservatory of Music

Dec 21, 2024

New York's Mark McLean Quintet · The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Club

About

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