Kaiso Street Collective is our flagship ensemble, composed of some of Toronto’s most exciting improvisers and composers who share deep musical and cultural connections to jazz and Afro-Caribbean musical traditions.

Led by Juno-nominated, Trinidadian-born saxophonist Jesse Ryan, the grandson of the late calypso veteran Clifton Ryan ‘The Mighty Bomber”; the ensemble is dedicated to presenting fresh arrangements of the music of calypso legends to new audiences, re-imagined through the lens of modern jazz.

Each season the ensemble will feature the music of a calypsonian to preserve and honor their legacy while celebrating calypso’s global impact as music for social change and its connections to the jazz tradition. The ensemble is currently presenting the music of Clifton Ryan, The Mighty Bomber, and one of his mentors and biggest influences, Theophilus Philip, The Mighty Spoiler.

In 2024, we are honored to receive a music recording project grant from the Ontario Arts Council to record the collective's debut, "The Music of The Mighty Bomber."

Supporters: