Baba & Da Boyz

Baba & Da Boyz Betty Ann Bryanton, bandleader and vocalist, put together a band of friends, all life-long musicians, who really care about the song lyric and invoking a mood. Each member is in great demand, performing locally with various other ensembles, big and small, and on stages such as the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, the Merrickville Jazz Festival, the NAC Fourth Stage, and the Shenkman Centre. The band easily wins the hearts of their audiences and has enjoyed several sold-out shows.

Devon Woods plays a range of wind instruments, including tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet (a metal variety from 1929), flute and melodica. He studied and played with Tom Bergeron in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has travelled widely with his soprano, playing with groups in Cuba, Brazil and Japan, as well as several countries in Europe.

David R. Miller, on keyboard, was a full-time musician in the late 1970s/early 80s. He played in several local bands, including Atlantis (which performed on Parliament Hill on July 1, 1981) and Exit 18 (which won an MTV video award). David also taught classical and popular music, and composed scores for TV shows and commercials. Then he grew up, cut his hair, got a real job. But now that he’s retired, he’s back to music full-time.

Charles Shadeed started playing electric bass in the mid-70s. After developing an interest for mainstream jazz performace in the 90s, he transitioned to the double bass and has been very busy since then. Lately, he’s learning drums and percussion, too. (If only he were an octopus, he could form his own rhythm section!)

Dave Finlayson has been drumming since he was a kid in England, later in the musically-rich environment of New York City area, where he played and recorded with John Scofield, Don Elliott, and Ethan Winer. For the last several years, he has been playing all kinds of music with many bands in Canada. 

Betty Ann Bryanton is a life-long vocalist across a variety of genres. She has been described as being “the full package: she sings like a bird, is warm and engaging with her audience and has great rapport with her very talented band members.” Follow her via https://www.bettyannbryanton.com