Tara Kannangara - Some Version of the Truth (2015)

After quickly making a splash as a performer on the Toronto music scene, trumpeter/vocalist/songwriter Tara Kannangara is now poised to release her accomplished debut album, Some Version of the Truth.Set for release on September 25th, 2015, it introduces us to a multi-faceted artist with a fresh musical approach.Categorizing her diverse sound is a difficult proposition. Tara's preferred tag is "Groove-Based Indie Jazz," for elements of melodic indie pop are seamlessly meshed with fresh jazz grooves. Similarly, the mellow feel of her trumpet playing neatly complements the subtle nuances of her unaffected vocal style.
Growing up in Chilliwack, BC, she studied classical piano and singing from an early age. She was active in musical theatre and choirs, then picked up the trumpet in high school, concentrating on classical before later moving into jazz. Tara studied at the University of Victoria and concentrated on classical trumpet and vocals; later, Tara moved to Toronto to pursue jazz studies at the University of Toronto where she came into her own as a performer and songwriter.
As a bandleader, Kannangara has quickly made a splash on the Toronto jazz scene. She has become a regular fixture at jazz hub The Rex via well-received residencies and a Toronto Jazz Festival gig there this summer. Tara has also had a chance to shine south of the border. This summer she performed a full set reimagined music made famous by Ella Fitzgerald tribute at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, dazzling the crowd with both her playing and singing. She also had gigs in Baltimore, Brooklyn, and New York City's Jazz Gallery.

Tara has had the opportunity to work and perform with leading international jazz artists, including Esperanza Spalding, Theo Bleckmann, Tim Hagans, Ran Blake, Donny McCaslin, Tim Ries, Kirk MacDonald, Andrew Downing, and Elizabeth Shepherd.