Anita Eccleston

Vocalist and trumpet player Anita Eccleston writes music deeply influenced by jazz – catchy songs that resonate.

Jazz sweetheart Anita Eccleston is a multifaceted vocalist, instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Born in Kamloops, she was raised in a musical family who encouraged her music when she fell in love with the trumpet and vocal jazz. She pursued it in Montreal, studying at McGill University, and eventually landed in Vancouver, releasing her debut solo album, Jazz EP (2011).

Upon releasing So It Goes (2014), her first album of original songs, she toured eastern Canada, showcasing at Canadian Music Week in Toronto. She has also led her band at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival several times, melding her eclectic songs with her jazz in spectacular style.

Eccleston’s records have been played on radio stations across Canada. Her most recent jazz album, More Trumpet (2016) hit #5 on the !earshot National Jazz Charts. She has also performed for CBC Radio One’s jazz program, Hot Air, and her music has been featured on European radio. 

Anita has traveled internationally with Canada’s premiere all-women mariachi band, Las Estrellas de Vancouver, performing at festivals in Mexico, Los Angeles, and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. As a sideman she plays with local salsa and reggae bands and various summer festivals.

Her holiday single Long Nights (2021) received a warm reception, garnering over 20k streams on Spotify.

While Anita has been dazzling jazz audiences for a long time, in recent years her chops have been honed as a music producer and beat-maker. 

In 2022 Anita produced and mixed an instrumental lofi dream jazz album, Gala Gardens. On !earshot the album charted for 16 weeks and reached #1 on CFUV Jazz charts and #4 on Top 30 charts for CJSF and CFBX. . She created 2 stop motion videos to go along with it and it has recently received airplay on CBC Music’s radio program Afterdark.

“I just wanted to do something different. I didn’t realize how much I would love creating these new songs from the beats up as a producer. The Gala projects have taken on so much life and given me such a liberated feeling.”

Wielding her horn as her primary voice of expression, Anita builds ambient electronic beats overlaid with jazz chords, the palette on which she paints her instrumental polyphony. Vinyl horn lines trade off with haunting lofi electric ukuleles and pianos weave their refrains through synths and organs while she wraps the compositions with layers of velvety vocal pads.

Last fall Eccleston released “Winter Gala”, a nostalgic reinvention of traditional wintertime songs. They are jigsaws pulled apart and remade with fragments of age-old melodies intertwined with counterpoint and memorable beats and bass grooves, all adorned with bells - like tinsel on the tree. Last winter “Winter Gala” charted on !earshot National: Top 50 (#21), Electronic (#3), Jazz (#5). 

Amy Winehouse, Madeleine Peyroux, Jeff Buckley, Sarah McLachlan, Sia, Poe, Esthero, Radiohead, Fiona Apple,  Portishead, Gwen Stefani, The Tragically Hip, Terrace Martin, Tennyson, Patrick Watson, Dan Mangan
 
Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall, Ingrid Jenson, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Betty Carter, Louis Armstrong, Charles Mingus, Joni Mitchell, Marquis Hill, Kamasi Washington

Anita Eccleston Gala Band - Instrumental Lofi Dream Jazz – Quartet or Sextet

“I just wanted to do something different. I didn’t realize how much I would love creating these new songs from the beats up as a producer. The Gala projects have taken on so much life and given me such a liberated feeling.”

Wielding her horn as her primary voice of expression, Anita builds ambient electronic beats overlaid with jazz chords, the palette on which she paints her instrumental polyphony. Vinyl horn lines trade off with haunting lofi electric ukuleles and pianos weave their refrains through synths and organs while she wraps the compositions with layers of velvety vocal pads. 

Anita Eccleston Jazz Band - Straight Ahead Jazz  – Solo, Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet, PLUS horns and/or strings

The Anita Eccleston Jazz project is a an ever evolving ensemble, thriving in any configuration, be it a Duo, Trio, Quartet or Quintet or 12 -18 piece band. In addition to traditional jazz songbooks, they delve into the vibrant waters of contemporary influences, mixing and shaking up old customs with new innovations with choice covers and originals.

Girl A Girl B - Trio: Twins plus cello

A beautiful musical place where harmonies resonate and melodic nostalgia lives. Girl A Girl B is Elizabeth Eccleston (Vocals, Ukulele, Oboe, English Horn) and Anita Eccleston (Vocals, Electric Ukulele, Trumpet, Flugelhorn) with Doug Gorkoff (Cello). Past special guests include Michelle Cormier (Las Estrellas de Vancouver), Jocelyn Waugh (Giraffe Aftermath, Super Trumpets, Dan Mangan), John Kastelic (Salt Thief), Mariah Mennie (Plastic Acid) and Wesley Eccleston (Serious Options).
 

Website: girlagirlb.com Email: girlagirlb@hotmail.com Instagram: @GirlAGirlBMusic Twitter: @GirlAGirlB Facebook: @girlagirlbmusic

Las Estrellas de Vancouver - All-Woman Mariachi Band

Formed during the Summer of 2014, Mariachi Las Estrellas is Vancouver's only all-female Mariachi Band. It is made up of a diverse and talented group of women from a variety of backgrounds including classical, jazz and world music. Like their Facebook page to keep up with the ladies. 
Available for parties, private events, festivals and any other occasion. Bookings: estrellasdevancouver@gmail.com