Island Jazz marks 400 shows at Baba’s Lounge in Charlottetown

Ian Toms, left, Dan Rowswell and Chris Martell performing at Baba’s Lounge in 2019 in one of Island Jazz nights. / Photo by Jing Cui, contributed. 

(Story originally published by PNI Atlantic News on Aug 05, 2025)

Dan Rowswell hadn’t picked up his saxophone in years.

It was 1986 when he studied jazz arranging and composition at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., one of the first universities in Canada to offer a jazz degree.

But in 2010, after decades focused on work and family, Rowswell returned to music.

“Music was missing in my life,” he said. “And my kids were like, ‘Dad, you're a musician. Why are you not doing this?’”

It was enough to push him back on stage—rusty at first, but gradually it led him to create Island Jazz, one of the longest-running live music series on P.E.I.

Next Thursday, Aug. 7, Rowswell will present the 400th Island Jazz night at Baba’s Lounge, marking 10 years of weekly jazz programming, nearly uninterrupted—save for snowstorms and the pandemic.

“It’s not easy to do something on a weekly routine like that,” said Ryan Abdallah, who owns Baba’s Lounge and co-runs the series. “But the nice thing about Island Jazz is every Thursday, doesn’t matter what season, you know you’re going to come in and see a quality jazz show.”

What started in 2013 as a modest experiment quickly evolved into a rhythm. Abdallah remembers taking it month by month at first.

“He’d ask, ‘Are we doing another month?’” Abdallah said. “We’d reevaluate after every show, tweak things here and there. And it just kept going.”

Rowswell never envisioned Island Jazz as a band. Instead, he calls it a presentation series.

“We do three things,” he said. “A weekly jazz show at Baba’s Lounge, Island Jazz at the Movies, and Island Jazz Presents.”

The weekly series highlights a different band each Thursday, often pairing local musicians with touring players. That rotation is deliberate.

Rowswell said there are about 40 to 50 active musicians in the Island Jazz scene, and he works to ensure a fresh lineup each week by not having a house band.

“I’m very proud of the fact that it’s a different band every week,” he said. “There must be live, improvised solos … It’s live, improvised collaboration. Spontaneity, organic—those are the keywords.”

That commitment to improvisation defines Island Jazz. Even the name, Rowswell admits, can be misleading.

“People have preconceived notions about what those words mean—jazz and classical—and it’s a very significant marketing challenge,” he said. “I call it Island Jazz, but really what we’re doing is we’re focusing on improvisation.”

The programming is curated collaboratively, with Rowswell often bringing in artists and Abdallah helping shape the venue experience.

“He does a great job diversifying what kind of artists and what kind of guests there are,” Abdallah said. “I usually leave most of the programming to Dan—he definitely touches base with me and runs things by me.”

Over time, that partnership has built a loyal following.

“It definitely just gets stronger and stronger,” Abdallah said. “It’s got more of a built-in crowd.”

The 400th show will feature the Island Jazz Quartet, with Rowswell himself performing alongside guitarist Ian Toms and bassist Chris Martell. The set list will include this year’s highlights, such as a duet with Toms on “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2, Paul Simon’s 1974 song “Kodachrome,” and a segment of free improvisation. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Baba’s Lounge.

Later in August, the series will present Island Jazz at the Movies—a project led by Roving Picture Shows for several years—in which musicians perform improvised soundtracks to silent films. The next screening will take place Aug. 10 at 2:30 p.m. at Milton Hall and will feature Chicago (1927).

“It’s kind of like being the old-time piano player at the movies,” Rowswell said. “Except there’s a band—and it’s improvised.”

Also coming up are two longer-format performances titled The Island Jazz Double Header, happening Aug. 14 and 21, and featuring the Caedda Enright Quartet, as well as Sean Ferris with Norm Zocher performing music by Pat Metheny.

Ten years in, both Rowswell and Abdallah agree Island Jazz has become more than just a gig.

“We’re really appreciative and really happy that we have the support to put 400 on,” Abdallah said. “And we hope to do another 400.”