“Stella By Starlight” as performed by The Monik Nordine Quartet with Phill Albert on bass, Bill Coon on guitar, Buff Allen on drums and Monik Nordine on alto saxophone. January 9, 2021 at Pat’s Pub in Vancouver, BC
The Monik Nordine Quartet will be performing twice in January! We have a gig at Pat’s Pub in Vancouver on January 9 from 2pm to 6pm and will be joined by Bill Coon on guitar, Darren Radke on bass and Buff Allen on drums. Also be prepared for a few special guests and it will be a fun time with social distancing in place but the music must go on!!!!
The Monik Nordine Quartet will also be performing at Hermann’s Jazz Club on January 31 at 7:30pm. This date will be with Rob Cheramy on guitar, Phill Albert on bass and Miles Fuller on drums. Not to be missed!
Join Julian Mulhall with the Monik Nordine Trio for an hour of poetry and music @Chez Monik. Maja Nordine will be providing provocative poetic interludes between numbers from her remote location in Toronto while the trio will be performing on location in Saanich.
Tickets are $15 each and are available through SideDoorAccess Tickets
Julian graduated from the Victoria Conservatory of Music in 2017 and spent the last few years studying at the University of Toronto where he is one semester away from completing a Bachelor of Music degree. He has been composing music and performing since he was in highschool here in Victoria and it will be a special treat to hear him on December 19. He will be joining the Monik Nordine Trio with Phill Albert on bass and they will perform some of their favourite tunes for you
Maja is living in Toronto studying at York University in Indigenous Studies. She graduated from Gulf Island Secondary School in 2016 and hasn’t stopped writing since she was knee high to a grasshopper. She is insightful and thoughtful with a vivid imagination and we are looking forward to hearing what she has to say!
Live events at Chez Monik
We are so happy to be able to keep performing during the pandemic and hope that you are able to connect with us. In order to enjoy your listening and viewing experience here are a few things to keep in mind:
Make sure you have download speed of 25mps minimum
Make sure you have an ethernet connection
sign up for a free Zoom account
an i5 processor or higher is helpful
use high quality headphones for listening
There will be more shows in the new year and we will keep you updated!
Joined by Rob Cheramy on guitar, Phill Albert on bass and Miles Fuller on drums, The Monik Nordine Quartet is a jazz group from Victoria, BC led by saxophonist Monik Nordine. Nordine has received several prestigious arts awards including a Juno Award nomination for her work on the album Cruel Yet Fair(1997) with John Korsrud’s Hard Rubber Orchestra and has toured with Hugh Fraser’s band VEJI
“…virtuosic lyricism…” — Driftwood
The Monik Nordine Quartet is heavily invested in Canadiana from Sonny Greenwich to Oscar Peterson and band originals, and each member is a composer in their own right. Nordine and Cheramy have worked together for many years and Phill Albert recorded with her on the album Departures (2010). Miles Fuller is new to the scene and a fresh voice on jazz drums and will have a long career starting in Victoria, BC
(Miles Fuller, drums) Musical curiosity is behind Vancouver Island-born drummer Miles Fuller’s dedication to his craft. An active musician since 2011, he has had the privilege of spending his life surrounded by artists and musicians, all of whom have had a large impact on both his musical approach and philosophy. The music he heard as a child was diverse, ranging from his parents’ collection of jazz greats, to his grandparents’ influence of flamenco and Celtic folk music of Spain, to the sounds of local, West Coast artists. https://www.milesfullermusic.com/
(Chris Watt, audio visual tech) Chris is one of Victoria’s all-round musicians, performing on alto, tenor and baritone saxophones with local ensembles. With a background as a military musician on clarinet and saxophone, Chris is also a skilled technician, and works at Long and McQuade Music repairing woodwind and brass instruments. He also has a background in recording tech and has created a streaming venue from his home in Saanich, BC. He can often be heard playing the baritone saxophone with the Victoria Jazz Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUbKG18Xqew
The Jon Miller Quartet November 1, 2020 at Hermann’s Jazz Club
The Monik Nordine Quartet November 21, 2020 at Chez Monik
The Jon Miller Quartet and The Monik Nordine Quartet are performing this November in Victoria, BC. After many months of hiatus due to the pandemic the musicians are eager to perform! The Jon Miller Quartet is: Jon Miller on drums, Tony Genge on organ, Rob Cheramy on guitar and Monik Nordine on saxophone. The material covers 60’s and 70’s Soul Jazz as well as original works by band members. https://jonmillerdrums.weebly.com/
The Monik Nordine Quartet was scheduled for an Island Tour in March which was cancelled. Now the band is back with a new lineup including Victoria’s own Miles Fuller on drums (https://www.milesfullermusic.com/) and Phill Albert on bass (https://www.instagram.com/abassphill/). Miles has recently returned from a four-year sojourn in Toronto and Phill relocated back to Victoria from an eight-year Toronto stint during the pandemic lockdown. The group is heavily invested in Canadian Jazz from Oscar Peterson and Sonny Greenwich to band originals.
On July 24, 2020 Mike WT Allen joined the Jon Miller Quartet for a video session and concert for the superfun Supersax Sax Camp at the Sidney Community Music School. We are hoping to put on a show again next July (guests TBA) a great big thank you to all the participants last July!
Mike WT Allen (bari sax), Monik Nordine (alto sax), Rob Cheramy (guitar), Phill Albert (bass), Jon Miller (drums)
Join our guest artist Mike WT Allen, saxophonist, composer and leader of the notorious Vancouver-based big band “Space Elevator” for this saxophone intensive week in Sidney, BC
Described by Discorder Magazine as “a compositional tour de force”, Mike has had compositions of his performed, debuted, or commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Redshift Music, The Hard Rubber Orchestra, Ecstatic Waves, The Mackenzie Jones Big Band, Ontario’s Royal Military College concert band, as well as an international debuts and performances by Lara Neuss (Colorado, US) and Jerk In The Can (2016/17 European tour)
Registration Deposit Supersax Sax Camp
You are now registered for Supersax Sax Camp July 20 -24, congratulations!
In addition to his “serious art music” work, Mike composes for, plays with, produces, and records music with a number of his own groups and other artists around Vancouver, headlining festivals, touring, and producing albums over a vast range of styles, as well as producing soundtracks for local award winning films and commercials.
In this one week summer program we will be working on our section skills and creative skills and then using those skills to perform a concert at the Sidney Community Music School (1833 Glamorgan Rd, North Saanich, BC) with backing from the Jon Miller Quartet. This will be a recorded event (not open to the public) which will be streamed at a later date. The workshops will take place between 10am and 3pm Monday, July 20 through Friday, July 24 and the concert will take place at 7pm on July, 24.
There are a limited number of spaces available and they are on a first-come-first-served basis. To reserve your spot please send an email request to with a refundable registration deposit of $100 to hold your spot. The full cost per student for the week long intensive is $500 and refunds for withdrawal or cancellation can be made on or before July 15, 2020.
As of March 5 we have raised $1700 for our Album Project and we would like to thank our supporters for helping us, we can’t do it without you!
On March 8 at 7:30pm The Monik Nordine Quartet with special guests Maria Manna, Bryn Badel, Chris Watt and Tom Vickery will performing at Wood Hall in the Victoria Conservatory of Music to raise funds for this project. Admission is by donation at the door. If you can’t attend this concert and would like to support us with a donation you can send a pledge of support to victoriajazzorchestra@gmail.com.
We will get back to you with specific details on how to donate to our cause.
click here to buy tickets to our Fundraiser for the Single Parent’s Resource Centre:
The Victoria Jazz Orchestra along with our special guests Maria Manna and Andrew Homzy are hoping that you will join us on November 16 to help children and families in need here in Victoria.
This November you can get jazzy in a festive way with the Victoria Jazz Orchestra. Monik Nordine is putting on a concert at Alix Goolden featuring the Orchestra with guests Maria Manna on vocals, and conductor Andrew Homzy, the Artistic Director of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival. The event is being held to raise funds and awareness for the Single Parent Resource Center, located here in Victoria.
A staggering 50% of children living in single parent homes are living in poverty and child poverty rates in BC remain above the national average. The Single Parent Resource Centre provides free clothing, food, counseling and Christmas gifts for families in need. By helping the folks at the Single Parent Resource Centre you will be directly and positively impacting the lives of children.
The Monik Nordine Quartet is joined by Nanaimo-based guitarist Astrid Lyre for an evening of original music. Joining Monik and Astrid will be Bruce Meikle on bass and David Emery on drums. The quartet features the music of composers such as Oscar Peterson, Sonny Greenwich, Hugh Fraser and other more. Monik has set out to highlight Canadian works with this group and the stylistic influences lean heavily on Miles Davis and Sonny Stitt.
Tickets are $10 and are available online HERE and at the door.
This November you can get jazzy in a festive way with the Victoria Jazz Orchestra. Monik Nordine is putting on a concert at Alix Goolden featuring the Orchestra with guests Maria Manna on vocals, and the Cathedral School Choir. Conducting them all will be Andrew Homzy, the Artistic Director of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival. The event is being held to raise funds and awareness for the Single Parent Resource Center, located here in Victoria.
A staggering 50% of children living in single parent homes are living in poverty and child poverty rates in BC remain above the national average. The Single Parent Resource Centre provides free clothing, food, counseling and Christmas gifts for families in need. By helping the folks at the Single Parent Resource Centre you will be directly and positively impacting the lives of children.
Join me on Saturdays at 1pm PST for free group sessions on ear training, improv and saxophone. This is a place where we can meet and talk about music theory, ear training, intervals, improvisation, saxophone related issues and anything relevant to your musical progress.
To download Zoom on your computer or tablet, find it here
Course materials for my classes are available here:
How To Train Your Ear
Our ears are the most important tools we have as musicians. Without the ability to hear chords and intervals we are stabbing in the dark and can’t possibly know what we are playing or how it relates to the other notes we hear. “How to train your ear and avoid Hiccups” with Monik is a 5-day class designed to help students begin to recognize intervals and basic chords by ear and also learn a few improv solos by ear in a spirit of fun and games.
Is it, or isn’t it? We will go over basic theory including modes, key signatures and the circle of fifths and then using this information we will try and figure out what are the defining features of a blues. We will talk about “riff” blues, call and response, downstep, major and minor blues using examples that we may know or recognize.
We are now offering a pass to attend all four events at The Copper Owl from June 27 to June 30, 2019 with this pass for the reduced price of $40, check it out:
The Left Coast Jazz Festival is an exciting new jazz festival in Victoria, BC with a local, organic, gluten free focus to its programming. The aim of the festival is to support local artists (Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) and to support venues who are presenting local artists on an ongoing basis. Victoria musicians Jon Miller and Monik Nordine are the festival organizers and are happy to be supporting many shows from June 26 to June 30, 2019 at The Copper Owl (1900 Douglas St., Victoria, BC), Victoria, BC), The Northern Quarter (1724 Douglas St., Victoria, BC) and in Duncan, BC in City Square (200 Craig St, Duncan, BC)
Miller and Nordine are both members of The Jon Miller Quartet and have also collaborated with The Victoria Jazz Orchestra and recorded together on the album Three Days In Winter
“… solid performance and writing chops.” – Downbeat Magazine
Juno nominated saxophonist Monik Nordine has a powerful, lyrical, and impressive command of the saxophone and has received several prestigious arts awards. She has recorded with John Korsrud’s Hard Rubber Orchestra and has also toured with Hugh Fraser’s band VEJI. Monik plays alto and soprano saxophone and occasionally sings with her ensembles.
“…facile in her execution and fluid in the spinning out of her melodic ideas.”
— Rick Helzer, Jazz Improv Magazine
“…soaring, dynamic solos…” — PQB News
Now leading “The Monik Nordine Quartet”, Monik and her group are featuring the compositions of Canadian jazz artists such as Oscar Peterson, Joni Mitchell, KD Lang, Sonny Greenwich, Jan Jarczyk, Kenny Wheeler, Hugh Fraser, Alan Matheson, Greg Bush and of course their own works in a project called “The Great Canadian Songbook”. The aim of this project is to document as many retrospective and current Canadian compositions as possible with the goal of creating a body of work that we can call our own.
Joining Monik for this special project are Brent Jarvis (piano), Rob Johnson (bass) and David Emery (drums). Each of these musicians maintains a busy performing and touring schedule in BC and elsewhere: Brent and Monik have recorded two albums together – “Departure Jazz” and “The Old-New Town”, David Emery plays drums with The Victoria Jazz Orchestra and Rob Johnson performs regularly with The Tom Vickery Trio at Hermann’s Jazz Club.
Monik Nordine 