The announcement has been released: Local jazz impresarios Tim Reinert (Infidels Jazz) and Cory Weeds (Cellar Music) have joined forces to launch VanJazz ’26, a new kind of jazz festival launching this fall. Held at venues across the city of Vancouver, Burnaby, and North Vancouver, VanJazz ’26 reflects the spirit of collaboration that is a hallmark of the music and will feature over 100 concerts over the 11 days from October 14-25, 2026.
As part of this festival Alliance Française Theatre hosts a tribute to the late and beloved Vancouver pianist Paul Plimley for two evenings October 14 & 15th.
It is appropriate that a tribute to Paul opens the first season of a new jazz festival in Vancouver. I worked closely with Tim Reinert and the Alliance to make this concert a reality. Paul’s piano was moved to the Alliance in 2025 and there have already been a number of concerts featuring this exceptional instrument.
Details about the two concerts will be released soon. Many local musicians who played with Paul through the years will be invited. It will be a wonderful two evenings of rememberance and celebration.