Famous Canadian Jazz Musicians

Cindy Breakspeare is a Canadian-Jamaican jazz singer, musician, and beauty queen. She was crowned Miss World 1976, becoming the second Jamaican to clinch the crown. She later became a recording artist and entrepreneur, founding a Rastafarian craft store called Ital Craf. She was once in a relationship with reggae musician Bob Marley that lasted until his death.

Don Francks was a Canadian actor, singer, and musician. He is best remembered for his portrayal of David Brook in the 1980 TV series, The Phoenix Team, which earned him the ACTRA Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 1981. Don Francks was also a voice actor; apart from voicing TV characters, Francks also voiced the popular video game character, Sabretooth.

Montreal-based singer Nikki Yanofsky was 12 when she became the youngest artist to headline a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival. At 15, she was already an international star. Her credits include the 2010 Winter Olympics theme song, I Believe, which rocked the Canadian charts. She is also associated with children’s charities.

Paul Bley was a jazz pianist who played a key role in the development of the free jazz movement of the 1960s. He loved music from a young age and became part of several bands as a teenager. He collaborated with a few other musicians to tour and perform across USA, becoming famous in the process.