With influences ranging from Wayne Shorter to Deerhoof to J Dilla, The Worst Pop Band Ever is a Toronto based group that tries to combine a love of improvisational jazz and indie pop. Individually, the members of the WPBE have worked with a who's who of Canadian and international musicians, from Feist to the Shuffle Demons, but together, whether it be blending acoustic bass with turntables or analog synths with the saxophone, the WPBE sets out to twist and bend both originals and covers, straddling genres and butting heads with expectation. Often compared to Medeski Martin Wood or the Bad Plus, the boys like to think of themselves as the ugly love child of Radiohead and Miles Davis.

Worst Pop Band Ever

The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar

International performer, drummer, composer, record producer, educator and multi-award winning Barry Elmes is a mainstay of the Canadian jazz scene. His work has been documented on over 90 jazz CDs and he has performed and/or recorded with many renowned jazz artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Charlie Haden, Hank Crawford, Diana Krall, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, Oliver Jones, Cedar Walton, Phil Nimmons, Ray Bryant, and many others. In 1991 he formed the Barry Elmes Quintet, featuring a "who’s who" of the best in Canadian jazz. A success from the beginning, this group has toured internationally and released six acclaimed recordings.Barry’s quintet returns to the Rex for four nights to perform music from their new CD "Night Flight" plus selections from all their recordings.

Barry Elmes Quintet

Pianist Peter Hill has been working as a sideman in the greater Toronto area for roughly two and a half decades. With a piano style steeped in early swing with shades of boogie-woogie, Hill is especially sought-after as an accompanist who can play virtually any song in any key without a chart. Previously associated with Jeff Healey, current and long-time collaborator with Laura Hubert, the house pianist for Lisa Particelli’s vocalist-friendly Girls Night Out Jazz Jam and so on, accomplished Hill also holds a PhD in the mathematical field of Low-dimensional topology. His inventive arrangements and originals make their recording debut right here. Now, for “For Now”, Hill has hired a hot band comprised of some of Hogtown’s hippest cats: Bob Brough on alto and tenor saxes, Chris Gale on tenor and baritone saxes, Brandi Disterheft on bass and Sly Juhas on drums. This swingin’ quintet is super tight with a driving energy that’s consistently engaging. Highlights from the varied program include Dexter Gordon’s chestnut Cheesecake, the Bacharach & David famous Alfie and Eden Ahbez’s classic minor lament, Nature Boy. Particularly droll is a modern treatment of the historic Duke Ellington/Bubber Miley composition, Black and Tan Fantasy. Of Peter Hill’s originals, Amico’s, Party of Four is a standout complete with a dazzling Disterheft solo.

Peter Hill Quintet

International performer, drummer, composer, record producer, educator and multi-award winning Barry Elmes is a mainstay of the Canadian jazz scene. His work has been documented on over 90 jazz CDs and he has performed and/or recorded with many renowned jazz artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Charlie Haden, Hank Crawford, Diana Krall, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, Oliver Jones, Cedar Walton, Phil Nimmons, Ray Bryant, and many others. In 1991 he formed the Barry Elmes Quintet, featuring a "who’s who" of the best in Canadian jazz. A success from the beginning, this group has toured internationally and released six acclaimed recordings. Barry’s quintet returns to the Rex for four nights to perform music from their new CD "Night Flight" plus selections from all their recordings.

Chris Gale is a Toronto-based nationally recognized saxophonist, composer, producer and educator whose driving style and rich tone can be heard on over one hundred and fifty recordings. As as leader and a sideman, Gale has performed around the globe in theatres, clubs and at festivals, impressing crowds with his lyrical sensibility and soulful approach. Chris has performed with Colin

Chris Gale

Events

Past events

Jan 31, 2025

Worst Pop Band Ever · The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Club

Jan 30, 2025

Barry Elmes Quintet · The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Club

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