Enjoy the Caribbean Christmas Mixtape Live @ The Jazz Bistro…

Joy Lapps and Larnell Lewis blend their Caribbean heritage, Canadian upbringing and exceptional musicianship in “The Caribbean Christmas Mixtape Vol. 1”.

Joy, an award-winning instrumentalist of Antiguan and Barbudan descent, treats the steelpan as a tool for engagement, anchoring her artistry in a profound, community-centered musical tradition. Her husband Larnell Lewis, artist, educator, and a member of the Grammy Award-winning band Snarky Puppy, brings his St. Kitts heritage and mastery of jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, and Caribbean genres.

The project was born in 2020 and first premiered at the JazzFM.91 studios and streamed live on radio and social media.  The demand from listeners each year and genuine love for the project inspired Larnell and Joy to develop more arrangements and release the work as an album (released November 15, 2024).

The Caribbean Christmas Mixtape Vol. 1 shines through innovative arrangements from the soca-infused “Soca Sleigh Ride to the reggae arrangement of “Carol of the Bells,” inspired by Peter Tosh and Bob Marley,  This labor of love showcases the couple’s ability to bridge traditional and contemporary styles adding a beautiful new twist to familiar Christmas music.

Larnell and Joy’s arrangements will be brought to life once again by a cast of some of Toronto’s most sought-after musicians and vocalists.

We welcome you to the Jazz Bistro on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, to not just watch – but be a part of a beautiful holiday tradition.

Musicians

Rich Brown – bass

KC Roberts - guitar

Jeremy Ledbetter – piano

Subria Lapps – vocals

Justin Bacchus – vocals

Roshane Wright – percussion

Michael “Skel” Redhead – saxophone

Terry Woode – trombone

Jan Morgan – trumpet

Larnell Lewis – drums

Joy Lapps – steelpan

COVER: $25

Visit the Jazz Bistro website for more details on how to book your tickets.

The rhythm of drumming and syncopated sounds return to The Rose Mainstage for the third annual FLOW FEST, Brampton’s International Drumming Festival. Back in a big way, Grammy Award-winning, Brampton-raised musician, composer and educator, Larnell Lewis, and award-winning musician, composer and educator, Joy Lapps collaborate as artistic directors to bring you an evening you will not forget.    Experience everything from DJs and roaming musical ensembles to visual art and food. Be immersed in a percussive party celebrating culture, music, and drums from around the world as you dance and play the night away.

More details to come!

Tickets available at THIS link!

Please join us for a free live performance at the 2024 Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Sunday Lime - An immersive evening of Afro-Caribbean  music,  and dance - Curated by artist, educator, creative womanist and creative consultant Joy Lapps

Join artist, composer, speaker and educator Joy Lapps for an engaging hands on workshop
experience.

Participants are invited to explore the rich history of the steelpan. In addition to steelpan, participants will have the opportunity to play instruments including West African skinned drums, tamboo bamboo, iron, and other percussion instruments that are cornerstones of steelpan history. This steelpan-centered workshop is an opportunity celebrate the genius of steelpan innovators while learning a few new grooves.

The Mayor's Arts Lunch, which takes place in the spring every year, is a high-profile event that brings together a carefully curated room including artists, cultural leaders, arts philanthropists, key business and civic leaders, and politicians from all levels of government to celebrate and spotlight the artists and arts organizations whose work shapes and strengthens this creative city through the presentation of selected Toronto Arts Foundation awards. 

This year's event will take place on April 16 at the Arcadian Court.

Over the course of the Lunch’s history, Toronto Arts Foundation has welcomed leading Toronto personalities to host the event, including broadcaster and pop-culture critic Jesse Wente, director and actor Sharon Lewis, celebrated novelist, playwright and actor Ann-Marie MacDonald, actor R.H. Thomson and actor Allan Hawco.

“I’m not one for these big award shows, but I have so much love for the Toronto Arts Foundation, mainly because they recognize the important work that grassroots youth organizations are doing in our city.” Errol Nazareth, Host, Big City, Small World

This important event and the awards distributed are wholly supported by donations from generous arts champions. 

As an arts champion, we ask you join us in this celebration by becoming a Table Host with a sponsorship of $5,000. For information on sponsorship and your benefits, please click here. 

Ready to make your committment? Download, complete and forward the registration form. 

Individual tickets are not available. 

For more information on becoming a donor or sponsor of the Mayor's Arts Lunch, please contact:

Dane Bland, Director, Development & Engagement
416-392-6802 x 239
dane[at]torontoarts[dot]org

Join us for a live performance at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa!

Get your tickets here !

The Joy Lapps Project will be featured as part of the 2024 Snowflakes on Steel.

The event will also feature:

• Panatics Steelband Network

• Gemini Pan Groove Steelband

• Afropan Steel Orchestra

• Pan Fantasy Steelband

• Dance Caribe Performing Company

• Steelpan Soloist Earl Brooks Jr.

TICKETS

Tickets:  At the Door $45  (Advance $40)  

Information: 416-525-2391 (Wendy); 

                       416-953-0905 (Earl) 

Other - Advanced Ticket Outlets:

 TicketGateway: https://www.ticketgateway.com/event/view/snowflakeonsteel2024

  A Different Booklist:  

       779 Bathurst St., Toronto 

           - 416-538-0889 

 M&A Discount Store: 

      1168 Morningside Ave, Scarborough 

           – 416-208-9474 

More details to come!

I’m thrilled to perform as part of the @torontojazzfest presentation for COJAZZ - the first ever Canadian Online Jazz Festival. Tune in this Saturday night at 7 pm EST: https://youtu.be/cbAjNJSz990 or https://www.facebook.com/torontojazzfest.

“During the summer of 2020, Toronto Downtown Jazz and JAZZ.FM91 teamed up for the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Summer Concert Series - a nine-week series of concerts, presented by TD, featuring some of Toronto’s top established and emerging artists. For this special Canadian Online Jazz Festival presentation, we revisit those performances, with clips from the Facebook Live stream supplemented by other artist-submitted video.

Performances by:

Ted Quinlan Quartet
Jenie Thai Quartet
Joanna Majoko Quartet
OKAN
Joy Lapps Project
Kirk MacDonald Generations Quartet featuring Virginia MacDonald
Donnybrook

Joy Lapps Project

Joy Lapps Project

Venue: 

Long & McQuade Performance Hall at JAZZ.FM91

Date: 

Friday, August 14, 2020 - 5:00pm

Ticket Price: 

Free

Ticket Information: 

No ticket - this is a Live-to-air performance

The Joy Lapps Project will perform as part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Summer Concert Series, broadcast live from the Long & McQuade Performance Hall at JAZZ.FM91.

The live concert experience in the comfort of your home, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Summer Concert Series, presented by TD, showcases some of the most dynamic and sought-after musicians in the Toronto jazz scene.

Presented by TD.
Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates.

I’m very execited to be a featured performer participating in the 32nd Annual Virtual Beaches Jazz Festival in support of the Michael Garron Hospital front line workers.

Performance Date: Saturday, July 25th. Show streaming begins at 7:00 PM

How to Stream: The Virtual Beaches Jazz Festival will be streamed for FREE online on our website www.beachesjazz.com, YouTube (@BeachesJazz) and Facebook (@BeachesJazz)

From Skin to Steel and Beyond is a steelpan focused project engaging community through workshops, creation and live performance. Each element of the project explores aspects of how natural environments have impacted the development of the steelpan and how the instrument, its creators and descendants have responded by impacting our cultural and social environments.

The culmination of this multi-faceted project is a free performance at Evergreen Brick Works on Friday November 29, 2019. The show will run twice: at 4:15 pm and again at 7:30 pm. Between showtimes, we will be hosting a community symposium. The symposium will highlight members of the steelpan community, businesses and resources for players and steelpan enthusiasts.

We invite you to join us for this free event and ask that you please RSVP here.

This event is presented as a part of the Toronto Arts Council’s Animating Historical Sites strategic initiative. We thank the Toronto Arts Council for their support of this programming.

Join us at Lula Lounge September 26th as we celebrate Women in Percussion. More details to come.

Join musician, composer and art educator Joy Lapps-Lewis for an engaging hands on workshop experience. Participants are invited to explore the rich history of the steelpan. The workshop is open to families with children 7-14 years old. In addition to steelpan, each participant will have the opportunity to play instruments including skinned drums, tamboo bamboo, iron, and other percussion instruments that are cornerstones of steelpan history.

This workshop is a component of Joy’s larger project at the Evergreen Brick Works entitled “From Skin to Steel and Beyond”. This steelpan-centered music creation, community workshop and performance project explores how natural environments have impacted the development of the steelpan and how the instrument has responded by impacting our cultural and social environments.

Participants do not need to bring any materials. Simply RSVP to reserve your spot and come ready to learn and have a good time. If you can’t join us September 15, 2019, look out for our final event on November 29, 2019.

Please note that parents/guardians are expected to participate in the workshop with their children. Children are not to be dropped off.

To register click here and for additional information about the Evergreen Brick Works visit https://www.evergreen.ca. If you have project-specific inquiries, please send an email to info@girlintheyardarts.com.

This event is made possible through the generous funding of the Toronto Arts Council and the Evergreen Brick Works.

On Sunday August 24, 2019 we’ll be celebrating the finale of the Wadadli Music Project in Antigua, WI.

This event will feature:

Larnell Lewis ( drums)

Andrew Stewart (bassist)

Bruce Skerritt (keyboards)

Earl La Pierrer Jr. (steelpan)

Noel La Pierrer Jr. (steelpan)

I Sax (woodwinds)

Brian Edwards (percussion)

Quiesha Wint (vocals)

and yours truly on steelpan….

We will also feature some of the students who participate in the week-long camp experience.

Admission is $45. Contact Caryl Edwards Lewis at 1-268-728-3812 for camp info, tickets and general project information.

On Sunday August 11, 2019 I’ll be performing with the Larnell Lewis Band at the Baltimore Jazz Festival.

This event will feature:

Larnell Lewis ( drums)

Andrew Stewart (bassist)

Jeremy Ledbetter (keyboards)

Elmer Ferrer (guitar)

Rob Christian (woodwinds)

Andrew McAnsh (trumpet)

Subria (vocals)

and yours truly on steelpan….

General admission for the festival on August 11 is $35..00 Click here to purchase tickets to our show and to find tickets to a variety of events over the weekend.

Join us at the Mutahdi’s Interntaional Drumming Festival on Sunday July 21, 2019. 

Steelpan - Joy Lapps-Lewis

Drums - Otis WIlliams

Bass - Andrew Stewart

Keyboard/Piano - Jeremy Ledbetter

Admission is free. There will be lots of other great artists. Check out the schedule at https://muhtadidrumfest.com/.

On Saturday June 8, 2019 I’ll be performing with the Joy Lapps Project sharing new music from my upcoming album.

This event will feature:

Andrew Stewart (bassist and album producer)

Larnell Lewis ( drums)

Jeremy Ledbetter (keyboards)

Michael Shand (keyboards)

Courtenay Frazer (keyboards)

Eric St-Laurent (guitar)

Elmer Ferrer (guitar)

Rob Christian (woodwinds)

Colleen Allen (woodwinds)

Rosendo Chendy Leon (percussion)

and yours truly on steelpan….

We will be recording live and hope you can join us.

Doors: 5:30pm

Set 1: 6:00pm - 7:15pm

Doors: 7:45pm

Set 2: 8:00pm to 9:15pm

The cost is $20 per set. Click on the links below to purchase tickets or sent an EMT to joylapps@gmail.com.

Joy Lapps Project - Live at Noble - SET 1
Joy Lapps Project - Live at Noble - SET 2

Join us for an evening of music at McMaster University’s L.R. Wilson Hall.

I will be joined by Larnell Lewis (drums), Rich Brown (bass), Lucian Gray (guitar), Juan Carlos Medrano (percussion) and Rob Christian (woodwinds).

It’s going to be a fun time.

Click here for more details about the event and to purchase tickets.

Join us on Saturday February 2nd as we support the launch of the Esther Dalton Foundation (EDF).

This foundation is the first in Canada with a sole focus on support steelpan-centered initiatives.

I will do a short performance with Larnell Lewis (drums), Jeremy Ledbetter (keys) and Andrew Stewart (bass).

This event is by invitation only so if you’d like to join us, send me an email at joylapps@gmail.com and I send along the Evite link.

Click here for more details about the Esther Dalton Foundation.

Join us at the Jazz Room in Waterloo on Saturday November 24, 2018. 

Steelpan - Joy Lapps-Lewis

Drums - Larnell Lewis

Bass - Andrew Stewart

Keyboard/Piano - Courtenay Frazer

Guitar - Lucian Gray

Woodwinds - Rob Christian

Tickets are $20, and $10 if you’re under 30. They can be purchased at https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/22105.