Who we are

Founded in 1957 and supported by volunteers the Yardbird Suite is the only facility of its kind in Canada.

Every weekend between the middle of September and the end of June a unique and innovative jazz experience unfolds in the Yardbird’s casual and intimate atmosphere.  In addition to averaging 75 concerts a season the Yardbird currently hosts weekly Tuesday night jam sessions, sponsors the Littlebirds Big Band, presents Jazz For Kids events, and hosts the Yardbird Festival of Canadian Jazz. All while providing rehearsal space for some of Edmonton’s top musicians.

Our programming has enabled local musicians to play with luminaries of the jazz world and be broadcast nationally – in partnership with the CBC and Radio-Canada.

The Yardbird Suite has also been hailed as a Downbeat “Great Jazz Venue” multiple years running.

Today at the YardBird Suite

Today the Yardbird Suite presents over 75 shows a year in addition to hosting our regular Tuesday Night Jams and YEG Thursday Night Showcase shows. 

The Yardbird Suite is also home to the Littlebirds youth jazz bands and Jazz For Kids educational shows as well as being home to the Yardbird Suite Jazz Orchestra and the Yardbird Suite Allstars.

Edmonton’s own Yardbird Suite Jazz Orchestra (YSJO) is the Yardbird Suite’s resident big band. The YSJO presents three concerts per season, and each concert is directed by a different local musician. Furthermore, each YSJO concert features a line-up unique from the last, so it is a great way to hear a wide variety of Edmonton’s finest jazzers. In the past, YSJO concerts have presented original compositions by Edmontonian musicians, tributes to jazz legends, and era-specific concerts. Keep your eyes peeled for the next YSJO concert the Suite has to offer!

The Yardbird Suite All-Stars is a group of rotating members that annually pays tribute to iconic jazz musicians and albums through live concerts presented at the Yardbird Suite. In the past, the Yardbird Suite All Stars have performed tributes to albums such as Bitches Brew, to artists such as Wynton Marsalis, and composers such as Duke Ellington and his Nutcracker Suite arrangements.