Jazz is a big umbrella, diverse and inclusive. “Beyond category,” as Duke Ellington said.

That diversity was fully audible on May 1st, when the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival hosted a fundraising show at Waring House and announced this summer’s festival lineup.

Guitarist Brian Legere brought his regular quartet, veteran drummer Harold Ellis, bassist Kyle Heide and saxophonist Brian Coughlan, and welcomed several guests: trombonist Dan Douglas, pianist Gord Sheard and singer Lenni Stewart. While this sounds a lot like a “round up the usual swinging suspects of the County,” the music was fresh, invigorating and full of variety, ranging from jazz classics by Ellington, Monk and Mingus to Mississippi delta blues, original compositions, Great American Songbook standards and Leonard Cohen. Swing and bebop alternated with Latin rhythms.

The music had a playful joy to it, like a happy family reunion. These team players were donating their performances for the fundraiser, and taking great pleasure in each other’s company. Mr. Douglas and Mr. Coughlan are a very sympatico front line, perfectly synchronized. Ms. Stewart, as usual, brought her charm and professionalism to the stage, making well-known songs her own. Holding it all together was Mr. Legere, whose guitar playing ranges from the acoustic bossa nova to the thick sound of electric blues.

“I have so many different styles I’ve played since I was a kid,” says Mr. Legere. “I like everything, and I try to put it under the same umbrella and do the best I can in my own style. I love playing all types of music and there’s bits of it all with me.”

And that umbrella is jazz: “I can’t think of another style of music that’s more accepting of that.”

The diversity of the music on hand, and the range of talent available is, unsurprisingly, a feature of this year’s jazz festival, its 25th, which takes place the week of August 12. 

The lineup is a blend of the new and the familiar. The street energy of the Big Smoke Brass launches the week at Huff Estates. “We’d be fools not to,” said Artistic Director Sarah Kim Turnbull, “they’ve already sold out!”

Moving from Big Smoke’s postmodern New Orleans sound, a new group, the Doghouse Orchestra, blends jazz, funk and gospel with a country twang, also at Huff Estates. Ms. Turnbull singled out leader and singer Donovan Locke and especially “the absolutely amazing Trombone Charlotte McAfee-Bruner. You just have to come and check her out.”

Young singer Caity Gyorgy was a hit at St. Mary Magdalene in 2023. This year, she comes back for an intimate afternoon show at Sandbanks Winery.

Another afternoon show at the Waring House Gardens features vocalist and composer Ahmed Moneka, whose ensemble draws on his Afro Sufi roots to make Middle-Eastern-inspired contemporary jazz with a joyful, dancing message of universal love.

The Saturday night show at The Regent Theatre has Guitarist Eric St-Laurent returning to the Festival to organize an all-star band including singers Alana Bridgewater and Christopher Plock. They celebrate the wide-ranging career of Quincy Jones, from early jazz compositions through collaborations with Frank Sinatra, R&B musicians, and, most famously, Michael Jackson. “They couldn’t have picked a better figure to celebrate the open-mindedness of this music,” said Mr. Legere.

These mainstage events wrap up at Waring House with Cuban pianist Dánae Olano and her brand of straight-ahead modern jazz with a strong Latin leaning.

And all around the edges, Mr. Legere is organizing satellite shows with local musicians at a dozen different County locations.

Echoing the collaborative sounds and sentiments of the evening, and reflecting on the long history of the PEC Jazz Festival, board member John Puddy said, “the festival is a work of love. It really is. On the part of the performers and the volunteers and the sponsors.”

This year’s festival promises an unprecedented range of musical styles at many venues. 

Information and tickets available here.