Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, James Danderfer, Brian Charette

Biography

The Vancouver Jazz Orchestra (VJO) is a 17-piece big band ensemble founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2022 by clarinetist/saxophonist James Danderfer (artistic director) and jazz impresario Cory Weeds (executive director), who also runs the Cellar Music Group label and Frankie's Jazz Club. Constituted as a registered non-profit charity, the VJO operates as a rotating collective drawing from both veteran and emerging members of Vancouver's jazz community, with a founding mandate to "shine a light on the musicians of this city" and invest in future generations through mentorship programs. The ensemble made its inaugural public appearance at Vancouver's Pyatt Hall on April 28, 2022, performing compositions by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn to a sold-out crowd, adhering to classic big band instrumentation: five saxophones, four trumpets, three trombones, and a rhythm section.

James Danderfer — the VJO's artistic director and principal creative force — is a Vancouver-born multi-instrumentalist specializing in clarinet and saxophone. He studied at Interlochen Arts Academy (Michigan), earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Music in Jazz Composition from McGill University. A LEO award-winning film composer and active educator at Capilano University and the VSO School of Music, Danderfer has performed internationally alongside musicians including Steve Nelson, Joel Ross, Brad Turner, and Don Thompson, and has appeared on CBC Radio and at major Canadian jazz festivals. His sixth solo album, "If Not Now" (Cellar Music Group, 2025), was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The VJO's debut recording, "Vancouver Jazz Orchestra Meets Brian Charette" (Cellar Music Group, December 2025), pairs the orchestra with New York-based Hammond B3 organist Brian Charette, born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1972. Charette studied at the University of Connecticut under Kenny Werner and Charlie Banacos, relocated to New York City in 1994, and built his reputation as a sideman and bandleader through over 27 albums on SteepleChase, Posi-Tone, and Cellar Live — performing along the way with Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, George Coleman, and Oz Noy. A first-place winner in the 2014 DownBeat Critics Poll "Rising Star: Organ," Charette's Hammond B3 functions on the debut album as both featured solo voice and rhythmic connective tissue, drawing comparisons to classic B3 masters Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Jimmy McGriff. The album's repertoire features music written or arranged entirely by Vancouver composers — including Brad Turner, Fred Stride, Jill Townsend, and Danderfer himself — alongside Charette's original "Honeymoon Phase" and an arrangement of Herbie Hancock's "The Sorcerer."

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Fun Facts

• Brian Charette experienced partial hearing loss as a child, requiring ear tubes twice (1979 and 1981) — making his mastery of the nuanced Hammond B3 organ all the more remarkable.
• Charette holds a black sash in Fujian White Crane kung fu (earned 2008) and has trained in Chinese martial arts since 2004, pursuing the discipline alongside his music career.
• The VJO's debut album was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio — the same room where countless Blue Note and Prestige classics were made in the 1950s and '60s.
• James Danderfer's composition 'Oh Brother' appears on both the VJO debut album and his solo album 'If Not Now,' released just months apart in 2025 on the same label (Cellar Music Group).

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Kenny Werner - Brian Charette studied under Werner at the University of Connecticut, foundational jazz piano and organ training
• Charlie Banacos - Brian Charette studied under Banacos at the University of Connecticut, formative jazz education
• Jimmy Smith - Primary Hammond B3 influence on Charette's organ style and lineage [Foundational influence]
• Jack McDuff - Cited Hammond B3 organ lineage influence on Charette's playing [Foundational influence]
• Jimmy McGriff - Cited Hammond B3 organ lineage influence on Charette's playing [Foundational influence]

Key Collaborators

• Brad Turner - Vancouver trumpeter, VJO member and arranger — contributed arrangements to the debut album (Vancouver Jazz Orchestra Meets Brian Charette (2025))
• Cory Weeds - Co-founder and executive director of the VJO; founder of Cellar Music Group; runs Frankie's Jazz Club in Vancouver
• Oz Noy - Brian Charette has performed and recorded extensively with guitarist Oz Noy
• George Coleman - Brian Charette performed with veteran tenor saxophonist George Coleman
• Steve Nelson - James Danderfer has performed with vibraphonist Steve Nelson
• Joel Ross - James Danderfer has performed with vibraphonist Joel Ross
• Don Thompson - Canadian jazz legend; Danderfer has performed alongside bassist/vibraphonist Don Thompson

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia