HMC Presents: Avataar ft. Sundar Viswanathan

Hamilton Music Collective Presents:

Sundar - Saxes/Flutes

Michael Occhipinti - Guitar

Felicity Williams - Vocals

Justin Gray - Bass/Bass Veena

Ravi Naimpally - Tablas/Percussion

Max Senitt -Drums

Series Tickets on sale Friday August 22 2025 9:00am

Individual Tickets on sale Friday September 5 2025 9:00am

Tickets: $45 / $25 (student)

Purchase a Series Ticket and save 15% on each show here.

Check out the rest of the fall series here.

Please choose your seats at check out!

Doors at 7:00PM, show at 8:00PM (two sets).

About Avataar

Avataar is an award-winning Brampton-based world-jazz group featuring some of Canada’s finest jazz, world, funk, and pop musicians. Petal, (2016) received critical acclaim from publications including DOWNBEAT, JAZZIZ, allaboutjazz and worldmusiccentral.com. Worldview was released in Oct 2021 and won the 2022 JUNO award for Best Jazz Album of the Year (Group)

Avataar’s music is inspired by the deep musical traditions of India, Africa and Brazil, rooted within the framework of modern jazz. In an innovative marriage of ancient and modern, driving grooves intersect with cinematic atmospheres and soaring melodies, creating a fresh, emotive sonic experience. Band members share an eclectic range of musical expertise -hardbop, pop, rock, electronica, free improvisation, world and R&B/Soul filter into the interpretations of the tunes.

Bios:

JUNO-winning saxophonist/flutist/vocalist and composer Sundar Viswanathan has shared the world stage with national/international artists alike. He has performed extensively in Europe (including stints with the Grammy-nominated Charles Tolliver Big Band at several Jazz Festivals),Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, and the USA.Musical associations from Jazz and World music arenas include Wynton Marsalis, Vijay Iyer, Kenny Wheeler, Jaffa Road, Lee Konitz, Dave Holland, Kiran Ahluwalia, Rez Abbasi, John Abercrombie, Suba Sankaran, Terry Clarke, Joe Lovano, John Hicks, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, Jim McNeeley, Hip Hop artist GURU, and Dave Douglas. He has been commissioned to compose/perform with several Dance companies in Canada/USA. Sundar has been reviewed/profiled in Downbeat, JAZZIZ, the New York Times, Worldmusiccentral.org, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, EYE magazine and several other Canadian and international publications. Sundar’s music has been featured on CBC radio, JAZZ FM, WBAI, Radio Bombay and college radio nationally and internationally.

JUNO-nominated Canadian vocalist, improviser and electronic sound artist, Laura Swankey is dedicated to exploring the full capacity of her voice, both in solo settings and in collaboration with others. Her solo work for voice and electronics sets simple, earnest melodies and stories over top of lush soundscapes and bizarrely textured grooves.Laura creates and presents with Noam Lemish’s 2024 Juno-nominated Twelvetet, Plastic Babies, Parade, The Afton Project, Elisa Thorn’s HUE, Mike McCormick’s Proxemics, and Jazz Bras Dot Com. She is thrilled to be joining Sundar Viswanathan's 2022 Juno award-winning ensemble, Avataar. In 2024, Laura will be releasing a duo album of improvised music with long-time collaborator and friend, guitarist Patrick O’Reilly (W/DRWNRecords), as well as albums with Parade, The Afton Project and Plastic Babies. 

An eight-time JUNO Award nominee, guitarist/composer Michael Occhipinti's inventive approach to creative music of all kinds has earned him a broad array of listeners and the respect of criticsandmusiciansalike.Crossinggenresthatincludejazz,chambermusic,funk,worldmusic,and anything involving modern guitar sounds, Michael is both a versatile musician and an imaginative bandleader.HisSicilian JazzProject hasbeen called "a masterpiece of cross-cultural fusion" and has thrilled audiences in Canada, the U.S., Italy, and Mexico -the project earned Michael a JUNO nomination, and a Chalmers Award that allowed him to live in Sicily from March -June 2010.

Bassist Tyler Emond is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music producer, who has worked with a broad array of musical acts found in Canada and around the globe. As a bassist/guitarist he has performed and recorded with Alessia Cara,TylerShaw, Matt Dusk, Amalia, Mark Kelso’s Jazz Exiles, Avataar, Marito Marques, Ahmed Moneka, Fethi Nadjem, The Canadian Arabic Orchestra, Naseer Shamma, Mr. Something Something, Tamar Ilana & Ventanas, Netsanet Melesse, Dead Prez & Randy Brecker. As an audio engineer andmusical directorEmondhas produced recordings for Hush, Kune, Ahmed Moneka,TylerShaw, Tamar Ilana & Ventanas, Tennis Partner, Tara Moneka, Fethi Nadjem, Melissa Lauren, Duane Forrest, Janelle Monique, Melanie Brulee, Kristin Fung, and Natureboy

Ravi Naimpally studied the art of tabla playing in India. Having completed extensive training with his uncle Nikhil Ghosh and also Anindo Chatterjee, Ravi has been an active member of the Toronto world music scene for nearly 20 years. As a vital part of Toronto’s large South Asian community, Ravi continues to perform traditional music from India. Ravi has had several Juno nominations and is featured on Kiran Alhuwalia’s Juno winning CD Beyond Boundaries. For the last 11 years Ravi has led his own Indo-jazz ensemble Tasa, which was awarded an Urban Music Award for Best World Music album.

Juno winning drummer/percussionist Max Senitt is a highly regarded and in-demand freelance musician on the Toronto and international scene. He brings a wealth of experience and versatility gained from performing across Canada, USA, theCaribbean, SouthAmerica, and Europe with such Grammy and Juno award winning artists as: Alex Cuba, Hilario Duran, Odessa/Havana, Josh Groban, Odessa Havan, the Flying Bulgars, and Carol Welsman. Presently a member of Tzadik Recording artists “Zebrina” and Uruguayan singer Valeria Matzner’s bands,he also leads his own Trio.

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Join Hamilton Music Collective for our fall jazz concert series, showcasing top Canadian and international musicians in jazz, blues, and improvised music since 2014. Step into our cozy jazz lounge at 141 Park Street, featuring a top notch sound system (brand new in 2020), wine selections, and an attentive audience. It all comes together in the perfect venue to hear world-class jazz in downtown Hamilton!

All proceeds from ticket sales support the An Instrument For Every Child (AIFEC) program.

For more information about the Hamilton Music Collective and An Instrument For Every Child visit: hamiltonmusiccollective.ca

Parking is available in the parking lots. Read more here: https://www.thegasworks.ca/parking/

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