For Toronto-born, Ottawa-based vocalist, composer/arranger, and tuba player Kim Kaskiw, music isn’t just a passion—it’s the pulse of her life. Her latest album, The Latin Jazz Fusion Project, is a testament to that devotion: a vibrant, soul-baring collection that bridges jazz, Latin jazz, funk, and fusion. With every note, Kaskiw invites listeners into a soundscape shaped by her most profound moments—transforming hardship into harmony and emotion into rhythm. We had the opportunity to discuss her love of music and her new album.
Kim, thank you for taking the time to speak with Occhi. Can you describe the moment you first realized music would be your lifelong path, and how that early spark has evolved?
Thank you so much for reaching out to me! Grateful.
I don’t remember ever not hearing music. My mother said when I was a baby and would cry, it sounded like singing. She said it sounded like, Laaaa, Laaa Laaa when I cried. I remember shaking the bars of my playpen in frustration, before I had words, trying to get my mother to take me to the piano that she was playing right in front of me. I wanted to touch the keys myself!
When I was around 7 years old, the radio was on at home. Suddenly; I heard this voice!! THE VOICE!! It was Aretha Franklin belting out R.E.S.P.E.C.T. All the hair on my body stood up, and I started dancing in the living room. It was life-changing! It was visceral! The spark was lit again only this time with my own voice.
Then in grade 7, we were given a choice of three instruments we wanted to play. I chose Trumpet, Alto Saxophone, and flute. I didn’t have braces, so I got… the TUBA. That was the spark. I loved it! I found my tribe so to speak. I met like-minded people who were music and sound-oriented. I don’t think my life would be nearly as rich in music and joy had there not been a junior High School and High School Music Program. As a result of my life-changing, and dare I say, lifesaving experience in Junior High and High School music programs, I am a huge advocate of music education in the school system. Parents, educators, and decision makers must insist that music programs remain in Canada’s education curriculum. It’s imperative!
I also joined concert bands outside of school and quintets, eager to learn more and be better. I met more like-minded people with whom I have remained friends with to this day. My music teacher took me aside and told me I should pursue a career in music. I was in grade 8! I was shocked, but the thought filled me with excitement. Another spark from a great mentor and music teacher.
I had some friends who were older than me and had a music collection. I was introduced to Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Tom Scott, Miles Davis, Earth Wind, and Fire, Seawind, Herbie Hancock, and still my favourite band of all time, Tower of Power. The spark grew into a full-blown fire at that point. I auditioned for Humber College in Toronto right out of High School. I was thrilled when I got accepted! I was terrified, but I knew I had a chance to become a musician.
How has your experience as a vocalist, composer, and tuba player shaped your artistic identity, especially within the jazz and fusion genres?
For many years, I mostly listened to horn players. I would try to sing David Sanborn solos to figure out what he was doing. Singing along with the Brecker Brothers was such an exciting thing to do. I loved how they merged funk and Jazz to make their own unique sound. I still encourage my students to sing horn solos. It is such a great ear training exercise and immersion into the art of swing, feel, time, and groove.
Then I made several trips to Cuba and Brazil, and I was blown away by the music and the level of musicianship everywhere. Everybody sang, danced, and played. Music is their very culture. So now another piece of my musical puzzle was coming into play. I wanted to find a way to involve Jazz, Latin Jazz, Samba, Bossa Nova, Funk, and fuse it all together and somehow involve the tuba and my singing. It was a monumental task but it was a driving force to figure it out. There were no female funky tuba player/singer role models for me to emulate. I had to create my own identity, and it wasn’t easy and I was met with many prejudices, obstacles, and closed doors.
The composing came later in life through many observed experiences and personal experiences. I wrote my first song in a church chapel as I was waiting for my student to arrive for a lesson at a private school. It was quiet and peaceful in the chapel. I had just learned that a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. They told him he wouldn’t see the snow fly, and he didn’t. It was April. I wrote Here and Now. It’s about a lover coming home to tell his partner that he has cancer and what to do next. Anyone who has lost a love to cancer will identify with this song. What you learn to do next is to live fully every day, in the Here and Now. That is the gift.
My own partner, George Burke, died in my arms of cancer, and I have dedicated Here and Now to him and the many friends and family I have lost to cancer. Robert van der Mark was the initial recording engineer of The Latin Jazz Fusion Project, but he died before he could complete this project. The song is also dedicated to him. He loved hearing me shout, “YEAH!” which was caught on a take at the end of Waltz for JP. We kept it for him. Everything on this album is intentional.
What drew you to blend jazz, Latin jazz, funk, and fusion on this album, and how did you approach uniting these influences into a cohesive sound?
It all came together out of many years writing, tweaking, adjusting, and condensing but mostly living and feeling. Each song came to me in a different way with a different emotion attached to it. Jazz and Latin music, and Funk have always been a part of my soul. It was natural for the music to come out in that style. Each song evokes an emotion and a concept. The concept of what instrumentation I wanted, what groove, what key, what rhythmic pattern and time signature, what tempo and then most importantly, the story I want to tell in the music. Having Joey Berkley arrange my work so beautifully on three of my compositions was a dream come true. He also did the horn arranging on track 6. He is a true genius.
Your music often transforms personal hardship into harmony. How do you channel moments of loss or struggle into creative energy when writing or performing?
That happened by the very creative force inside me. It’s a way for me to channel those bone-crushing losses that everyone faces in life. I don’t know how others get through it, but I write music, or I paint or I play my old dear friend, the tuba. Then music comes out, and then the connection between composer and listener happens. I feel the story when I write. I cry, I laugh, I get angry… all of it. The greatest gift I get is when someone feels something or identifies with the story I am telling. When I performed, many people would tell me after the show that they cried when they connected with a song I wrote. Mission accomplished.
It’s not that I want people to cry, I want them to feel! Crying is a good thing. It is a natural thing and makes us human. I also love it when someone laughs. You will hear the humour in Black Rooster and also the ‘crooked’ melody in Waltz for JP. It was written for J.P. Allain, my musical mentor when I saw him walking in the pouring rain with his wife’s crooked purse size umbrella. It was mauve with little white flowers on it. It is an image I will never forget. When I sat down at the piano, I imagined JP walking down the Champs-Élysées in Paris in the pouring rain with this broken mauve flowered umbrella. It’s a gorgeous flugelhorn solo by Fred Paci, and the melody is crooked like the umbrella. JP, now in his 80’s came out of retirement to play on this song. He was brilliant! He is another gift in my life.
Being diagnosed with focal dystonia can be devastating for a musician. What was your initial reaction, and how did you find the resilience to keep creating?
Musicians’ Focal Dystonia is, in one word, devastating. Imagine singing like you always have, as your way of self-expression, your very soul and your livelihood, but suddenly, every time to try to sing and play, muscles twist painfully to one side and hijack your sound. It hijacks YOU! I would be playing my tuba, and suddenly my jaw would twist sharply to the left with no warning and cut my bottom lip open! I would be singing, and there would be this shake in my sound, an unwanted vibrato that I couldn’t control. It felt like an entity was literally hijacking my own body, but I would never know when it would happen, and I certainly didn’t know why. WHY??? And the big kicker is, it only happens when the musician is playing their instrument or singing!
Like many who get Dystonia, I tried practicing more, then less, then lessons with embouchure specialists, advice from friends. I couldn’t figure it out.
I was diagnosed with Musicians’ Focal Dystonia in 2020 by a neurologist during the pandemic on a Zoom call. I had to keep asking her to repeat what she was saying because the words weren’t going in. I knew enough about dystonia to know it was a career-ender. Dystonia falls under the umbrella of ‘parkinsonism”. It is a neurological disorder, not psychological, and to date, there is no cure. It affects millions of musicians of all ages worldwide.
There is nothing like having the greatest love of your life, your very existence and identity stolen from you to make you fight to get it back. That’s where my journey began…
I started researching and consulting with neurologists. They offered drugs which didn’t work, Botox injections that worked for a few weeks only to revert back to the same issues. There was no consistency in my playing or singing which is essential to performance. I started reaching out to other musicians, teachers, anything I could think of. I read books, joined a support group on Facebook and paid attention to what these people were saying.
I reached out to Joey Berkley who also lives with musicians’ focal dystonia. Imagine getting to a musical level to make a living as a jazz tenor saxophone player, composer and arranger in New York City but then not able to hold the instrument due to the muscle contractions! Five years ago, Joey courageously underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery at The National Institutes of Health hospital in Washington DC. They were doing this experimental treatment specifically for musicians with Focal Dystonia. It worked! One listen to Joey’s tenor and arranging on The Latin Jazz Fusion Project will attest to that. Joey encouraged me to go down to NIH in the hopes that they would treat me too. So off we went, me and my tuba to Washington. The Neurologists were kind enough to see me and make suggestions to my neurologist in Canada but unfortunately, due to being Canadian, I wasn’t eligible for treatment. Devastated again.
Then Joey said to me, “How bad do you want it?” He said he asked himself the same question. I knew exactly what he meant. He encouraged me to record my music. He championed me and my music, and I will be forever grateful to him. He is a true genius and imagine my excitement when he told me he would arrange and play on my recording! Dystonia cannot steal your creativity, only the means by which you create it.
Then I had to find the funds to do it and produce it all. I got a grant from the City of Ottawa Arts funding program and then worked and saved to finance the rest. Then trying to get through the painful muscle twisting and shaking in the studio. Normand Glaude, my recording engineer and coproducer, who is also back-up singer, Acoustic Bassist, and Harmonica player on my recording, made it all possible. He is a gifted musician and his patience, kindness and helpful suggestions helped me get through the recording and cheat dystonia in the process. I think I succeeded! Thank you, Normand!
The Latin Jazz Fusion Project was born.
How has living with focal dystonia changed your relationship with your instruments, and has it influenced your approach to composition or performance?
Well, right now, performing is out of the question. I never know when the dystonia will strike, but I have learned that dystonia cannot take my creativity. If you are a creative soul like me, it has to come out somehow. That’s how The Latin Jazz Fusion Project came to life. Dystonia has made me grateful for every note I can play.
I have had to change my phrasing to work around the dystonia. It is still me, just different. My high range so far has not been affected, as you will hear on Come To Me. The tuba playing is difficult, but despite that, I feel very comfortable in the studio and was able to do a solid performance which I am proud of. I feel so grateful and fortunate to be able to express myself musically in the studio. Me and my tuba and some superb musicians who are like family to me now and always will be.
You certainly haven’t heard the last of me. I would love to do another recording of more of my compositions…. and hopefully learn of a cure for Musicians Focal Dystonia.
You collaborated with Joey Berkley, who also lives with focal dystonia. How did your shared experiences influence the creative process and the final sound of the album?
Joey has been a stalwart support of my music from the get go. We have a shared understanding of what it is like to be a musician with this wretched disability. He helped me learn how to work around it and be successful. He is incredibly patient and encouraging. Both of us were dedicated to getting it right. All of it. Failure was simply not an option. It is a commonality in our personalities that deeply connects us. I learned so much from him and I am a better musician and a much better person as a result. Thank you, Joey!
Looking at the current music industry landscape, what excites you and what concerns you about the future for independent artists?
There is a wealth of creative genius, young and old, out there now. The internet and technology in general have connected musicians on a worldwide stage like never before. My own project involved musicians from three different cities and two countries to make The Latin Jazz Fusion Project. It is a superb cast of musicians from Ottawa, Toronto and New York City. They are like family to me. Real musicians making real music and dedicated to getting it right.
What concerns me deeply is twofold.
- In Canada, the cancelling of junior high and high school band and string music programs across the country. It has been scientifically proven that kids who learn to read music and learn to play a musical instrument excel in maths and sciences. Parents and teachers must insist that their child get a musical education, a complete education. No other country would dream of doing such a thing!
It isn’t just for kids who have musical talent, it is for musical appreciation. Without educated listeners, we dumb down what we are hearing on the waves. This is deeply disturbing to me. I point out everywhere I go when I am being involuntarily assaulted by AI ‘music’. It is just another way for the ‘business industry’ to make money without paying musicians. There are no musicians to pay. That’s right. Much of the ‘music’ you are listening to when you go into a coffee shop, and store, a restaurant, put on hold on the phone, is AI. But many won’t be able to tell because they haven’t been taught how to listen for it. Please refer to paragraph 1.
- Musicians are not being paid for their work. Period. How can this happen? Every other profession on the planet gets paid for their work. Why not musicians? When I tell people this, they say, “Yes but look at the exposure you are getting!” I respond with, “People die of exposure.” Or, “yes but you do it because you love it and its fun.” Again, there must be emphasis on adequate musical education.
Musicians spend a lifetime of unpaid practice just to be good enough to even get to a stage and bring you music. What an insult to be told that because you love your job and have fun, that you don’t deserve to be paid. I know architects, doctors, lawyers, massage therapists, truck drivers, consultants, you name it, that love their jobs and are really good and they enjoy it. They all get paid for their work. Musicians deserve to be paid for their work. Not paying musicians has to stop.
Young musicians are forced into a life on the road selling ‘merch’ off the stage so that they can afford to feed themselves. Even the highly successful 1% of musicians that do make money are going home every night after an exhausting show, signing 2000 t-shirts, CD’s, Hats, etc. so they can tour their latest release and make enough money to pay the musicians, tech, trucks, travel, drivers, airfare. Now you are seeing all the old rockers coming out on tour again. Why? They aren’t making any money because of streaming.
500,000 streams= minimum wage for 1 week. I will leave it there.
The Latin Jazz Fusion Project feels deeply personal. Which track holds the most significance for you, and why?
Wow, tough question! I wrote them all and love them all for different reasons. So here it goes…
Sol Sista was written for my sister for her 50th birthday. I love the lyrics. The two time signatures add up to 5, and the melody is based on the 5th degree of the scale to commemorate her 50th. I cry every time I hear the incredible Steve McDade play that flugelhorn solo. This song gets me every time. I have known Steve my whole life and I have always been amazed at his incredible musicality and versatility on the trumpet and flugelhorn. My sister is the most special human being in my life.
Here and Now is a close second because I wrote it from a deep place of personal loss. I hope that this song can help others who have lost a loved one to cancer, cope with the grief and loss. It helped me with many losses in my life. The song that keeps on giving! Sigh..
HER is a composition I am proud of. I love the hard right turn in the lyric. It is a nod to one of my favourite songs, Guess Who I Saw Today, by Murray Grand as sung by Nancy Wilson. HER is a haunting ballad that took on a new life when Normand Glaude added his evocative harmonica solo. Find a quiet place and listen to this with headphones on.
Waltz for JP for reasons stated previously.
Black Rooster, which is a funny song but technically difficult. The song is instrumental, but it is about the time I was in Brazil being kept awake by a crowing rooster (in minor seconds) all day and ALL NIGHT. The fast part is the rooster and all the chickens running around and the slow part is me trying to get back to sleep! Joey Berkley even surpassed himself with this arrangement! You will hear fantastic solos from Steve McDade on trumpet, Joey Berkley on tenor sax, and the incredible Sarah Cion on piano.
Come to Me is a funky Latin love song. It includes full horns as well as the tuba, a full rhythm section, which allowed me to really stretch out vocally and with my tuba. It’s a fantastic arrangement by Joey Berkley.
Rise Up is dedicated to all those recovering from the disease of alcoholism and addiction. There is help, and you are not alone. It is also a nod to my favourite band, Tower of Power.
If you could advise artists facing their own challenges—whether personal, physical, or creative—what would you want them to know?
DON’T GIVE UP!! I will say that again, DON’T GIVE UP!!
If it is personal, find someone who can help you sort it out. Seek out people who lift you up, not tear you down. You will know instinctively what the difference is by how you feel after an interaction. Ask yourself, “Do I feel good about myself with this person in my life?” I’m talking about both professional and personal relationships here. That should be your guide. It has never steered me wrong. Find your tribe! Don’t settle.
Musicians need to stay healthy physically as well. Swimming and cycling are my favourites. It’s great for singers and wind players, especially. If you are having difficulty with your instrument, get help before it becomes a chronic problem. There are lots of teachers who can help you. It is about establishing healthy habits every time you practice. Always come from a place of peace and joy when you approach your instrument or your voice. Feel it, hear it, then relax and play it.
Substance abuse is huge in our industry. If you think you might have a problem with addiction, there is help and you are not alone. Have a listen to my song, RISE UP and see if it resonates with you. If it does, you deserve better than what you are giving yourself. “You can do it!”
If you are a young musician, practice with joy! Dreams don’t come true by just dreaming. Dream, then do the hard work to make your dream come true…and did I mention practice?
Create, create, create! I get inspiration on my bike. I will be riding along, and a line will come to me. I will get off my bike and dictate it into my phone and then visit it at the piano later. Do it right away before you forget the thought or line!
My saddest and happiest moments have inspired me to write beautiful songs, and then I share them with those that are also having a sad or happy moments. We need to connect more on a real and emotional level that commands respect and love if we are to survive as a species.
What do you hope listeners will take away from this album, especially those who may be unfamiliar with Latin jazz or the realities of living with a neurological condition?
JOY, JOY,JOY!! It is all I hear when I listen to these songs and these superb musicians! Even the sad songs have hope or closure. I hope listeners will feel and identify with these songs and also appreciate the courage it took for me with Musicians’ Focal Dystonia to make this recording. It is musical and beautiful, and I am extremely proud of it.
This is original music and I hope that a new listener to my music will find something they really like. Always keep an open mind when listening to music. “There are simply two kinds of music, good…and the other kind.” Duke Ellington.
If you have been diagnosed with Musicians’ Focal Dystonia or you suspect you have it, leave no stone unturned. Research, connect, ask, learn. Find what works for you. You are not alone.
I did this recording to bring awareness to the plight of musicians with focal dystonia. You have my support. Always. Together, we will find a lasting cure for this disability, which affects millions of musicians, young and old, worldwide. In the meantime, keep doing your thing. It may be different than before, but it is still your thing. It has led me in a direction I never dreamed I would achieve! That is the gift. Find yours and run with it!
Kim Kaskiw THE LATIN JAZZ FUSION PROJECT is available on CD (you can have a signed copy!) through her website at www.kimkaskiw.ca, Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
Kim would like to acknowledge the musicians who brought so much joy and talent to this project:
Kim Kaskiw: All compositions, Lyrics, Producer, Vocal Arranger, Arranger tracks 3, 5, 6 and 7,Vocalist, Tuba ∙ Joey Berkley: Arranger, tracks 1,2,4 horn arranger track 6, Tenor Saxophone ∙ Normand Glaude: Recording engineer, coproducer, recording and mixing tracks 3,7; Recording all Vocals and Tuba on all tracks; Background vocals, Acoustic bass and Harmonica ∙ J.P. Allain: piano tracks 3,5, and 7 ∙ Mark Kelso: Drums and percussion, Groovy Drums Studio engineer for Drums, Percussion ∙ Pat Kilbride; Electric bass tracks 1,2, 4 and 6 ∙ Sarah Cion; Piano tracks 1, 2, and 4 ∙ Steve McDade; Trumpet/flugelhorn Tracks 2, 4 and 6 ∙ Fred Paci; Trumpet track 1 ∙ Phil Disera; guitar track 1 ∙ Al Orlo; Guitar tracks 2 and 6 ∙ Don Johnson; Percussion track 5 ∙ Theo Kornblum; 2nd Tenor Saxophone Track 6 ∙ Bill Harris; Flute Track 2 ∙ Colleen Allen; Alto Saxophone Track 1 ∙ George Guerette; Trombone Track 1 ∙ The late great Guido Basso; Track 5.
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