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 on October 15th. Advance tickets are available at the link below.
It is appropriate that a tribute to Paul is included in 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 concert will be released soon. Many local musicians who played with Paul through the years will be invited. It will be a wonderful evening of rememberance and celebration.