Edwards Summer Music Series: Laila Biali

The Edwards Summer Music Series includes eight FREE outdoor concerts showcasing contemporary Canadian talent, within the beauty of the Toronto Botanical Garden. Hosted by TV Personality Mike Chalut.

The concerts take place Thursday nights at 7 p.m. in July and August within the courtyard adjacent to the historic barn in Edwards Gardens. Concerts are held rain or shine (they move indoors in the case of extreme weather). Admission to the concerts is FREE. General seating is available on a first-come basis or guests are encouraged to bring their own chair. Generously Supported by the Edwards Charitable Foundation.

Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali continues to earn high honours in the Jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she “masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy” (Washington Post).

Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and supported international icon Sting. In 2020, Laila was honoured by SOCAN Music with the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Songwriting. In 2019, Laila’s eponymous release won her a JUNO (Canada’s GRAMMY) for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” The year prior, she was awarded top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category. Laila was also the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards when she was named “SOCAN Composer of the Year” and “Keyboardist of the Year.” She received her first JUNO nomination for Tracing Light (2011), and a spot on DownBeat Magazine’s “Best Albums of the Year” for Live in Concert (2013) and Out of Dust (2020). In September of 2017, Laila was brought on as the host for CBC Music’s national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, a weekly show broadcast to listeners across Canada. While Laila continues to earn high honours in the Jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she “masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy” (Washington Post). Laila’s highly anticipated album, Out of Dust, which features multiple GRAMMY nominees and winners including Lisa Fischer, Alan Ferber, John Ellis, and Larnell Lewis, was released March 27, 2020, and was also nominated for a 2021 JUNO Award.

“The album’s production is shimmering, the arrangements are lush and Biali’s voice – spanning registers – is pure and warm. She’s also fearless on piano and, above else, in her imagination. ★★★★“ – DownBeat Magazine

“There’s no boxing Laila Biali in … Capable of making you laugh and cry all at once, her delivery Out of Dust is divine. 4.5 stars.” – All About Jazz

“Out of Dust sparkles like a soundtrack for spring.” – The Vancouver Sun

“Biali provides the positive, come-together messaging we need in these challenging times.” – Parade Magazine