Ladyfinger with Kayla Milmine and Diane Roblin, Creative jazz interpretation of original, Shorter, Bley, Tyner tunes
Ladyfinger with Diane Roblin (piano, keyboards) and Kayla Milmine (soprano sax) is an ensemble of two distinguished players within Toronto’s creative music scene. They are composers of original music and interpreters of compositions by jazz greats like McCoy Tyner and Carla Bley. Jazz music is all about improvisation and interpretation, and it’s clear that Ladyfinger is a group that takes this approach to heart. By creating their own original compositions and interpreting the works of established jazz composers, they are able to showcase their own unique musical voice while also paying tribute to the artists who have inspired them. Both playful and expressive they explore their original compositions through whimsical dialogues and progressive improvisation.
Diane Roblin’s dynamic career has earned her a place among Canada’s most respected women in jazz. Known for her powerful compositions , Diane is an International Songwriter Competition winner. Her powerful compositions and expressive keyboard style blend technical agility with a deep commitment to the connective power of music. As a composer, pianist, electric keyboardist, improviser, and bandleader, Diane’s spirited, genre-crossing work has led to collaborations with artists ranging from avant-garde improviser Charles Gayle to the iconic rock band Rough Trade. Her new album, Breath of Fresh Air, released on Zsan Records in late 2024, continues this legacy. It showcases Roblin’s expansive musical voice, weaving jazz, funk, and impressionist harmony into compositions that are both adventurous and deeply moving. Leading her six-piece ensemble, Life Force, Diane explores high-energy soundscapes punctuated by intricate, emotionally resonant improvisations. A classical pianist by training, Diane pursued a diverse music education at York University in Toronto, immersing herself in jazz improvisation, world music, and electronic composition with David Rosenboom. She has also studied with mridangam master Trichy Sankaran and participated in the Ornette Coleman/Karl Berger workshop in NYC, where she worked with luminaries like Lee Konitz, and in the Dutch Improv Academy with drummer Hans Bennink. Diane’s collaborations span an impressive range of Canadian jazz and experimental musicians, and she regularly performs in both traditional and experimental contexts, including telematic music with Sarah Weaver’s NowNet Inc. Lab Ensemble. Her performances have reached audiences at major venues and festivals in North America and Europe, from Toronto’s Kensington Market Jazz Festival to Amsterdam’s Bimhuis and New York’s Smalls. Diane is also an active member of the Association of Canadian Women Composers, committed to advancing Canada’s jazz and compositional community. www.dianeroblin.com
Critics say of her CDs;
Their masterful collaboration has created an extraordinary, multifaceted musical journey that sparks the imagination and uplifts the spirit. Highly recommended!”..midwest.com
Diane Roblin is respected as one of Canada’s important women in jazz. Not only is she an expressive and master keyboardist, she’s a powerful composer. Her performances, along with this recording, exemplify her technical agility and spirited genre-crossing arrangements that sparkle under the umbrella of jazz. This newly released album “Breath of Fresh Air” continues her legacy. Dee Dee McNeil, Making the Scene:
“Roblin reminds us of her skill, not only as a pianist, but as a new music composer” – Leslie Mitchell-Clarke, The Whole Note
www.dianeroblin.com
Kayla Milmine loves the new and under-explored sonic possibilities that only the soprano saxophone can offer. Her unique approach has the edginess and brashness of Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell yet also a warmth and thoughtfulness reminiscent of Steve Lacy. In 2019, Milmine released a solo album called ‘Straight Horn Magick’; a mixture of field recordings and solo soprano saxophone improvisations, followed by another solo album she released in 2022 called ‘Moods of Yellow’. She plays regularly in trio form with vocalist/dancer Susanna Hood, and pianist Tania Gill, and in duo form with pianist Diane Roblin in their project called ‘Ladyfinger’. In February 2019, she was invited to record with celebrated bassist, William Parker in a chamber-improv sextet in NY, where she often travels to study with mentor/collaborator, Sam Newsome. She is co-founder of the Women From Space Festival in Toronto
Kayla Milmine (soprano sax)
Diane Roblin (piano/keyboards)