{"id":712913,"date":"2026-06-03T19:42:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/712913\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T19:42:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:42:12","slug":"vox-populi-set-to-bring-the-funk-to-the-td-winnipeg-international-jazz-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/712913\/","title":{"rendered":"Vox Populi set to bring the funk to the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Vox Populi<\/a> takes the stage at the <\/a>Cube in Old Market Square <\/a>on June 17 as part of the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival’s Groove Together night<\/a>, audiences can expect far more than just a concert. They can expect a celebration of groove, rhythm, and community led by one of Winnipeg’s most exciting contemporary funk ensembles.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The free outdoor event promises an evening dedicated to the infectious sounds of R&B, hip-hop, and funk, and few bands are better suited to deliver that experience than Vox Populi. Led by keyboardist and composer Carter Graham<\/a>, the group has built a reputation for crafting deeply rooted funk music that pays homage to the genre’s golden era while bringing a fresh, modern perspective to the stage.<\/p>\n

Following the release of their debut album Invasive Species last September, the band arrives at Groove Together <\/a>with a growing catalogue of original music and a renewed sense of momentum.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

A Debut Album That Resonated<\/p>\n

For Graham, one of the most gratifying aspects of releasing Invasive Species has been seeing audiences continue to embrace physical copies of music in an increasingly digital world.<\/p>\n

“It’s gone well. I’m surprised that I sold as many copies as I was able to,” Graham says. “There seems to be somewhat of a still a desire for physical copies, even though you’re always told that’s not true anymore.”<\/p>\n

The keyboardist admits there is something special about holding a recording in your hands, studying the liner notes, and engaging with an album as a complete artistic statement.<\/p>\n

“Music is such a difficult thing to sell. It’s just this thing that lives in the ether. So to have something to give to someone, even if they don’t really use it, I mean, I love albums,” he says.<\/p>\n

For Graham, albums represent more than just collections of songs. They provide insight into the creative process and the musicians behind the music.<\/p>\n

“In this album, it explains who was on it and what instruments we played, with things I was always interested in as a musician. Like I always wanted to know what instruments were being used and, where was it made and who made it and all that kind of stuff.”<\/p>\n

That appreciation for musical detail and craftsmanship is evident throughout Invasive Species, an album filled with sophisticated arrangements, infectious grooves, and performances that reflect the band’s collective chemistry.<\/p>\n

Discovering the Power of Funk<\/p>\n

Although Graham is too young to have experienced funk’s heyday firsthand, the music has had a profound impact on his artistic development.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, his path into funk began through jazz.<\/p>\n

“When I was 14, I went to the Brandon Jazz Festiva<\/a>l,” he recalls. “And that’s where I kind of fell in love with jazz. And that was my gateway music into every other… all other kinds of music that I’d never heard before.”<\/p>\n

A pivotal moment came during the bus ride home.<\/p>\n

“On the way back from the trip to Winnipeg on the bus, someone had bought a Best of Parliament Funkadelic<\/a> CD,” Graham says.<\/p>\n

The experience was transformative.<\/p>\n

“I’d never heard that before. And for some reason, even when I was a kid, I always was attracted to bass.”<\/p>\n

Hearing Parliament-Funkadelic’s iconic grooves opened an entirely new musical world.<\/p>\n

“I heard this bass playing on the Funkadelic album, like specifically Tear the Roof Off<\/a>, which was like, I’d never heard that before. I never heard that kind of groove pocket before. And I went, I didn’t know music like this even existed.”<\/p>\n

The impact was immediate.<\/p>\n

“And then when I heard it, I was like, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”<\/p>\n

That fascination eventually evolved into a desire to write music that captured the same energy and spirit. However, Graham quickly discovered that creating great funk music is far more challenging than it appears.<\/p>\n

“I wanted to try to write music like that, which I found out is actually very hard to write. And for that band, like for what George Clinton did was to essentially create a universe of characters and storylines and everything through the music.”<\/p>\n

He continues, “To have the melodies be that strong and the grooves and the writing, it’s really arranged. It’s really hard to write that kind of music. It sounds sort of off the cuff, but it’s not.”<\/p>\n

The Cube and the Arrival of Summer<\/p>\n

This year’s Groove Together performance will not be Vox Populi’s first appearance at the Cube, and Graham has developed a deep appreciation for both the venue and its atmosphere.<\/p>\n

“I enjoy it for so many reasons,” he says.<\/p>\n

For him, the performance represents more than just another date on the calendar.<\/p>\n

“One is the time of year. This means it’s for me… it’s like the harbinger of summer. It’s like summer is now here finally.”<\/p>\n

The annual festival also provides valuable opportunities for local musicians while connecting performers directly with enthusiastic audiences.<\/p>\n

“You’re really putting on a show for people. So you’re not just playing somewhere to be there. Your people are coming to be involved in the music.”<\/p>\n

The setting itself contributes to the experience.<\/p>\n

“Being outside in the park, downtown, it always just has a nice vibe to it.”<\/p>\n

Perhaps most importantly, Graham appreciates the energy audiences bring to the Cube.<\/p>\n

“People are generally, I find at that venue, very enthusiastic about the music.”<\/p>\n

That enthusiasm aligns perfectly with Vox Populi’s mission of creating music that invites participation rather than passive observation.<\/p>\n

Balancing Originals and Beloved Influences<\/p>\n

One of the challenges Graham faces heading into the festival is deciding what material to include in the band’s hour-long set.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it is a challenge he welcomes.<\/p>\n

“I’m finally in a really nice position of, at least for an hour-long set, to have too much music.”<\/p>\n

While the group has spent years performing material by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Jamiroquai, and others, Vox Populi now possesses a substantial catalogue of original music.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been writing enough where now I have I’d say about 14 originals.”<\/p>\n

As a result, Graham generally prefers to highlight his own compositions whenever possible.<\/p>\n

“For me, when I get the opportunity to present an hour with my band, I generally want to showcase the original music.”<\/p>\n

Still, a few carefully selected covers will make their way into the Groove Together set.<\/p>\n

One song Graham is particularly excited about is Bill Withers’ lesser-known “Heartbreak Road<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

“It was just like, oh, this song is amazing. And it doesn’t get radio play.”<\/p>\n

Fans can also expect a tribute to another major influence.<\/p>\n

“George Duke<\/a>. I love George Duke. A huge influence.”<\/p>\n

The band plans to perform Duke’s “Reach Out<\/a>,” a tune Graham describes as both challenging and rewarding.<\/p>\n

“That’s a banger tune.”<\/p>\n

Music That Brings People Together<\/p>\n

For the June 17 performance, Vox Populi will feature a slightly different lineup than usual. Joining Graham will be drummer Ben Kidd and acclaimed bassist Karl Kohut.<\/a><\/p>\n

“Ben Kidd on drums,” Graham says. “He’s just a killer fusion player.”<\/p>\n

As for Kohut, Graham’s admiration is unmistakable.<\/p>\n

“Karl Kohut on bass, who is a force of nature of music.”<\/p>\n

Despite the personnel changes, the band’s commitment to groove remains unchanged.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Graham hopes audiences leave the Cube feeling energized, connected, and uplifted.<\/p>\n

“I hope they get a good feeling from the music.”<\/p>\n

He also hopes listeners will appreciate both the band’s influences and its contemporary perspective.<\/p>\n

“I hope I do justice with the music that I’ve written, that it is a callback to that, but it’s also a modern take on it and a more contemporary lens on some of the content matter.”<\/p>\n

Most of all, however, he wants the music to do what great funk music has always done.<\/p>\n

“I hope that they feel good, they want to dance, they want to move, and are feeling good together. That’s always my goal with this project and music in general.”<\/p>\n

If the infectious grooves of Vox Populi’s debut album are any indication, audiences attending Groove Together on June 17<\/a> should have no trouble accomplishing exactly that. With a potent mix of original music, beloved influences, stellar musicianship, and undeniable rhythm, Vox Populi is poised to turn the Cube into one of the summer’s most vibrant dance floors and deliver a performance that celebrates the enduring power of funk to bring people together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Vox Populi takes the stage at the Cube in Old Market Square on June 17 as part…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":712914,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-712913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=712913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/712914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=712913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=712913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=712913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}