Toronto trumpeter Lina Allemano brings her quartet to Beat Niq on Friday, October 10 to promote Gridjam, her newest CD

You’ll need a compass this month, because jazz is coming at us from all directions. Edmonton-born (but longtime New York resident) jazz pianist John Stetch hits town mid-month. Utne Reader has described Stetch’s music as “bold and vital jazz for the 21st century.” Seems appropriate for a guy who’s played the Kennedy Center, performed at just about every international jazz festival, been featured on National Public Radio in the U.S. and is set to release his newest CD. Expect to be surprised, though, because there’s nothing ordinary about Stetch’s Beat Niq gig on Tuesday, October 14. Billed as John Stetch and the TV Trio, the quartet will sample TV theme music from the ’70s and ’80, with a twist. Think of theme songs from Star Trek, Looney Tunes and The Price is Right and you’ll get the idea.

For more jazz with a twist, watch for Toronto’s Lina Allemano, a trumpeter with a reputation for inventiveness, risk-taking and quirky compositions. Allemano plays Beat Niq on Friday, October 10. World-class and world renowned, Allemano has been reviewed by Downbeat Magazine, and was recently showcased in New York City’s Festival of New Trumpet Music. She’s in town with her group, the Lina Allemano Four, to promote her newest CD, Gridjam, an awesome, dynamic recording.

At the end of the month, prepare for an explosion of dynamic performances all under one title. The four-night event — dubbed One is the Water, not the Fish — is a festival of creative music put together by jazzman Simon Fisk. This is another October gig that pulls from an international pool, no pun intended. The festival features Jerry Granelli, now based in Halifax and previously a fixture in the San Francisco and Berlin jazz scenes. The lineup also includes J. Anthony Granelli from New York, Gordon Grdina and Kenton Loewen from Vancouver, Dan Gaucher from Toronto and Calgary’s own Sinistrio and Baxter. Watch for this festival at Beat Niq from October 22 to 25.

Rounding out the month, the Jack Singer Concert Hall hosts the jazz vocal legends Manhattan Transfer on Thursday, October 28. The group has been together for 30 years, won Grammy Awards for everything from best jazz vocal performance, duo or group, to best arrangement for voices, and they continue to entertain fans with their vocalese style, which provides lyrics for formerly instrumental jazz tunes.