JazzInToronto presents: Barbra & Sammy's Mothers' Night Out at El Mocambo

Barbra Lica

Barbra Lica is a JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter based in Toronto. A seasoned act on the Canadian and American club and festival circuits, Barbra Lica has performed everywhere from New York City’s legendary Birdland to Toronto’s prestigious Koerner Hall. She has also headlined at festivals around the world including Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Tokyo International Jazz Festival, Focsani Blues Festival (Romania) and Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, opening for the likes of Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, Bob Dorough,and Terence Blanchard.

Barbra’s debut album That’s What I Do (Triplet / Universal Jazz Japan) was released to widespread acclaim in 2012, ranking her in Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers on the CBC, as well Top 5 up-and-coming Toronto jazz artists on blogTO. Her recent album, You’re Fine (Justin Time Records), marked the introduction of Folk and Americana elements to her repertoire and has amassed over 5.4 million streams to date on Spotify. In addition to writing for herself, Barbra has written cuts for such artists as jazz crooner Matt Dusk(Entertainment One/Universal), rising J-Pop singer Harumi (Sony Music Japan), and Taiwanese pop recording artist, Morrison Ma (Universal Music Group/X Entertainment). She is currently promoting her first self-produced EP – Imposter Syndrome – released October 2022 with generous support from FACTOR, as well as her new chamber orchestra project featuring all-original music arranged for 14 instruments plus voice.

Sammy Jackson

Singer-songwriter Sammy Jackson is quickly becoming one of Canada’s top vocalists, with a personal style that deftly blends jazz, pop, and R&B. With a resume that boasts a JUNO Award, collaborations with top artists such as Barbra Lica, Robi Botos, Rich Brown, and Larnell Lewis, and performances at some of Canada’s most prestigious venues, including the Glenn Gould Studio, Koerner Hall, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, and Westben, Jackson consistently captivates audiences with her singing, compositional accomplishments, and collaborative artistic spirit. Her latest EP – the JUNO-Award winning With You – is a sophisticated, intelligent, heartfelt portrait of a musician coming into her artistic prime, and features some of the top young musicians in Canada.