Music Minute - Ori Dagan: Live in the Market

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One listen to Ella Fitzgerald's "Mack the Knife" and Ori Dagan was hooked for life. Now the award-winning Toronto jazz singer has made the kind of record that first inspired him. 'Live in the Market,' his fifth album and first live recording, arrives October 23 on G-THREE Records, and he celebrates the next night with a release concert at Toronto's Heliconian Hall on October 24.

"Releasing this album feels like a milestone for me. Of all the recordings I've made, I think this one comes closest to capturing who I am as a musician," says Dagan. "Ever since the fateful day I got hooked on Ella Fitzgerald's 'Mack the Knife' and 'How High the Moon,' I've believed that jazz - a music built on spontaneity, risk and discovery - is at its best when there's an audience sharing in the moment."

The album is also a love letter to his heroes, famous and hidden alike. "This album is in many ways a tribute to the voices who inspired me to sing in the first place. In addition to household names Fitzgerald and Holiday, I wanted to give a nod to some hidden gems. The vocalese lyrics of 'All of Me' were written by King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks) who penned them to a 1951 saxophone solo by Illinois Jacquet. 'Autumn Leaves' is equally inspired by Sarah Vaughan and Mark Murphy, both astounding improvisers who constantly tested the boundaries of their instruments."

Dagan is a Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and placed in the 2023 DownBeat Critics Poll as a Rising Male Vocalist. He has performed across Canada and in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Macedonia, Israel and Germany. His catalogue includes 'S'Cat Got My Tongue' (2009), 'Less Than Three <3' (2012), 'Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole' (2017) and 'Click Right Here' (2022), his first all-original album. Offstage, he's a producer, curator and passionate champion of Toronto's live music scene through his work with JazzInToronto.

At Heliconian Hall, Dagan will be joined by Harrison on piano, Michael Herring on bass and Norbert Botos on drums. Vinyl and CDs will be available, autographed after the show. Seating is limited, and advance tickets are $30 plus fees.

Years after Ella first lit the spark, Ori Dagan has captured his own once in a lifetime moment, and on October 24 he's inviting Toronto to share the next one.

Tour Dates:
October 24 Toronto, ON @ Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue (Album Release Concert, 8 p.m.)

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