The Shuffle Demons first broke onto the Canadian music scene with an electrifying fusion of influences drawn equally from Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, Run DMC, and the Beastie Boys. The band was among the first indie acts to make a mark on MuchMusic. They were genre-bending, highly visually entertaining, funny, and, most importantly, could really PLAY. All their eye-catching, crowd-pleasing stunts were backed up by incredibly solid musicianship and ground-breaking performances.
Over the course of their illustrious career, The Shuffle Demons have released eleven albums, two hit videos, won several music awards, and made numerous TV and radio appearances. They’ve toured nationally and internationally, including twenty five cross-Canada tours, five US tours, seventeen European tours, and additional tours through the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa, playing on big festival stages, in theatres, and clubs.
The band continues to carry on the tradition today with an outstanding lineup of players, including JUNO-Award winner Richard Underhill on alto sax & vocals, Kelly Jefferson and Steve Carson on tenor saxes and vocals, JUNO Award winner Mike Downes on bass & vocals, and JUNO Award winner Stich Wynston on drums & vocals. Expect the same exciting, no-holds-barred performances, featuring wild romps through the crowd, free jazz moments, danceable funk, poetry, killer solos, and more. They are a crowd-pleasing, full-on musical group that backs up their stage antics with phenomenal playing by some of Canada’s most talented musicians. The band plays a mix of jazz, funk, rap, hip-hop, and world music, wears spectacular hand-painted suits, and loves to engage with the audience—a perfect fit for the Medicine Hat Jazz Fest’s vibrant community.
A special thank you to Dr. Bill for his support.
