THE BLUE ROOM COLLECTIVE

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Blue Room Cabaret Series

Showcasing the very best in live jazz, blues, soul, and beyond, curated by our newly formed House Jazz Combo, the Blue Room Collective, a powerhouse ensemble with over 100 years playing experience between the 3 members. Each concert with the collective features a special guest.

Two Concerts in 2026-27 will feature a special guest perfomers (with the host band taking the night off)

With rotating vocalists, special guests, and a sound inspired by rich instrumentation (including the Polaris Theatre’s 1957 Hammond organ), every show delivers a fresh, unforgettable musical experience in an intimate cabaret-style setting.

A man with a beard and short hair, wearing a black shirt, posed against a black background, with a circular logo reading 'Blue Room Collective' in the bottom right corner.
A smiling man with glasses, wearing a tuxedo with a black tie, at an event with purple lighting, with a logo reading 'Blue Room Collective' in the bottom right corner.
A man in glasses, wearing a light gray suit, pink shirt, and striped tie, is smiling and holding a trumpet. The background is dark, and there is a logo in the bottom right corner that says 'Blue Room Collective' in a circular design.

  • Carlos Foggin is a Calgary-based organist, pianist, conductor, and composer. He holds a Master of Music from the University of Calgary and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

    He is Founder and Music Director of the Marquis Chamber Orchestra and Music Director Laureate of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, which he led from its founding in 2016 to 2025, shaping its artistic vision through orchestral, choral, chamber, and collaborative programming.

    As a composer, his works include The Litany of St. Joseph, written in 2025 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of St. Joseph's patronage of Canada and presented to Pope Leo XIV.

    He is a PhD student in the University of Calgary's Transdisciplinary Research program, where his work bridges music, religion, and ritual studies. His research explores the transmission of ritual knowledge in contemporary Catholic worship through Gregorian chant and organ improvisation.

    Mr. Foggin is a recipient of the Alberta Emerging Artist Award, and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

  • Founder (Trombone)

    Award-winning Trombonist Dylan Martin has performed extensively on 3 continents, winning the coveted Drum Corps International Performers' Showcase in 2014 as a member of the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps. Dylan received his Music and Education degrees at the University of Calgary, studying with James Scott. Dylan's influences include Joseph Alessi, Alain Trudel, and Christian Lindberg.

    Lead Trombone of the Calgary Jazz Orchestra, and Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University of Calgary Big Band, Dylan is a sought after lead trombonist and improviser.

    Dylan holds an MMus in performance, and a B.Ed.

  • Founder (Trumpet)

    Solo trumpet with the internationally recognized Foothills Brass Quintet, Principal Trumpet of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, and finalist at the 2004 Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition, Jay Michalak is in demand as one of Canada’s leading trumpeters, and is a dedicated and passionate band director and educator.

    When not teaching the next generation of music lovers in his concert and jazz bands, Jay can be found performing in professional concerts across Canada. As a trumpet soloist he has performed with the Calgary Civic Symphony, the Kensington Sinfonia, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra among others, and was a finalist at the 2006 Jeju International Brass Competition. Additionally, Jay was a featured soloist with the Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. He has previously held positions in the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra or Chicago, and performed with ensembles across Canada, including the Land’s End Ensemble, Calgary Jazz Orchestra, Auto-Rickshaw and Theatre Calgary.

    He has given masterclasses at universities across North America, including the universities of Nebraska, Miami, British Columbia, Alberta and Prince Edward Island, and recitals across the globe including performances at UCLA, South Korea, Malaysia, Brazil and Estonia.

    Jay, a native of Chicago, IL received his B. Mus from Northwestern University, M. Mus from the University of British Columbia in 2000, and Master of Teaching degree from University of British Columbia in 2019.

Meet the Blue Room Collective