Jonathan McCaslin – Musical Director, Composer, Drums

Recognized as one of Western Canada’s leading jazz drummers and educators, Jon brings excitement, his passion for the jazz tradition and its future to the stage and to the classroom. Raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, and a graduate of McGill University he has also attended the Banff Centre as a resident artist. In 2012 he released his sophomore album Sunalta on the Cellar Live label and was nominated in 2013 for a Western Canadian Music Award. As a busy sideman he has also performed with such internationally recognized artists as Mulgrew Miller, Sheila Jordan, Brian Lynch, Jason Marsalis, Peter Bernstein, Sean Jones, PJ Perry and many others. Dr. McCaslin completed his Doctorate through the University of Toronto in 2015, researching the conceptualization of contemporary melodic jazz drumming. He is the author of Four on the Floor one of the world’s most recognized on-line jazz drumming blogs. Jon has been collaborating and working with DJD since 2011 and is honoured to be the composer and musical director for Olio!

Jon Wielebnowski – Bass

Jonathan is an emerging Canadian bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Calgary. He has performed with notable Canadian artists and companies such as John Roney, Miles Black, Jon McCaslin, Jim Brenan, Mark Dejong, The Primetime Big Band, Theatre Calgary, Tim Tamashiro, the Heebee-jeebees, and Elizabeth Shepherd. In addition to his freelance work in Calgary, he has also performed in several Canadian music and theatre festivals including the Calgary International Jazz Festival, the Calgary Fringe Festival, the Regina Jazz Festival, the TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival, and the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival.

Chris Tauchner – Piano

Montreal native Chris is a pianist, keyboardist, composer and educator who has been performing across North America for over 20 years. While his musical journey has provided the opportunity to play a wide array of styles, he has focused primarily on jazz, blues, funk, gospel, and electronic music. Chris has performed numerous times at festivals such as Canadian Music Week, North by Northeast and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, appeared on radio and television, and recorded four original albums that continue to receive international airplay. Chris has shared the stage with Canadian and international artists such as Oliver Jones, Ranee Lee, Jeri Brown, Dave Turner, Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, Lorraine Klaasen, Metalwood, Digable Planets, K’naan, and Lee Fields, among others.