SASKATOON — Keegan Isaac doesn’t just dress snazzy, he lives jazzy. Performing July 7 on the free stage at Saskatoon’s Victoria Park as part of the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Isaac — accompanied by a 13-piece band comprising rhythm and horn instruments — captivated the multi-generational audience with the Itsy-Bitsy Big Band.
In an interview with SaskToday, Isaac described himself as a crooner and brought Michael Bublé vibes while nailing Frank Sinatra tunes during his set. At just 21 years old, his goal is to foster an appreciation for big band music in Saskatchewan.
Jazzing it up, the young Saskatchewan performer engaged his audience with ease, enlisting them to sing and clap along while others danced to the many easy listening numbers featured in the performance.
Isaac said in his interview that he first started music with violin lessons at age eight but didn’t begin singing until he was 14. Most of his early performances were in seniors’ homes, which taught him how to engage with an audience — often requiring him to speak first. He quickly learned that a few early, thoughtful remarks drew the audience in and personalized the performance.
“It is a goal of mine to invite the audience to join the show either by clapping, dancing or singing along,” said Isaac.
Initially a trombone, violin and piano player, Isaac transitioned to vocalist as he fell in love with the crooning and jazz style, though he mused about how unexpectedly that part of his career started.
“I was a big Star Trek fan and in Deep Space Nine there was a character named Vic Fontaine who was a Sinatra-style singer. That actor was also a performer and that was the first crooning album I ever listened to, and it didn’t take me long to find out who Sinatra was.”
Performer credits many influencers in his career
Isaac credits his brother for helping develop his love of music.
The singer-performer says it’s hard to credit all of his mentors and influences in the Battlefords — there are too many to count.
“Some major ones in North Battleford include Jack Tatchell, Paul Suchan and Ross Ulmer, as they were raised in the Battlefords and are big names in the Sask. jazz community. I grew up listening to Jack and he is a hero of mine — such a pleasure to play with him. Ross is another, as is Paul — I have many experiences working with him in workshops. He is also a sessional instructor at university and a great teacher. Professor Dean McNeill, who is part of the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra, is another influencer and a big supporter of my big band projects.”
He also thanked Don Tatchell, who has performed with his band, for influencing his career, and cited Lisa Hornung of North Battleford as an early influence.
Isaac said if it were up to him, he would perform with his band all the time.
“In Saskatchewan, you have to be versatile as a musician as there are not a lot of opportunities to perform with a whole band. I’ve often performed solo with a keyboard and a microphone. My band has as many as 17 and as few as five, depending on the style of event, venue size and other components.”
While living in North Battleford for the summer, Isaac will enter his fourth year of music education at the U of S this fall. In addition to his Jazz Festival performance, he’s helping administrate a camp — the USask Jazz Intensive — co-sponsored by the Jazz Festival and the university.
Not just a musician but a fan, Isaac says he’s taken in and will attend several Jazz Festival shows, including Joshua Redman on July 8, local groups, the two big bands that followed his performance, and the Blu Beach Band.
Not intentionally blowing his own horn, the inaugural performance of Isaac with the Itsy-Bitsy Band came shortly after they formed in 2024 and took place in the resort village of Meota. It was the first big stage Isaac performed on and launched the big band project. The concert, entitled My Kind of Town, was a spin on a Sinatra song and sold out, raising more than $11,000 for the North Battleford Cancer Centre — a cause close to the artist’s heart following the loss of his mother.
Next up for Isaac and the Itsy-Bitsy Big Band is a show at the Broadway Theatre on Aug. 30 that will feature new music along with favourites from the Jazz Festival. The performance will include three vocalists performing as the Andrews Sisters.
Music encompasses much of Isaac's life
Isaac also credits school band programs for developing young musicians, including Jackie Krocynski at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, who he says cared deeply about jazz and its context.
“She ensured you knew who the person was whose music you were playing.”
Isaac is a Canadian singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. Currently on summer break from his music studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Isaac and the Itsy-Bitsy Big Band are making the most of their summer performance schedule.
He is also the manager, vocalist and lead trombone player with the USask Jazz Ensemble.
In August 2024, Isaac founded the Itsy-Bitsy Big Band, which includes musicians from across the province who are committed to preserving the golden age of entertainment.
The young performer has arranged music for various ensembles, including the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra, USask Wind Orchestra and the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band. He has also performed alongside Juno Award-winning jazz artists Caity Gyorgy, PJ Perry and Alastair Kay, as well as Brad Shigeta, an alumnus of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Isaac released his debut album, Wonder of Grace, on CD and major streaming platforms in June 2022. Since then, he has accumulated over 75,000 streams on Spotify alone.
