Kaythe ft. James Dunbar bring a night of jazz standards, soul, bossa nova, R&B and blues to life - two Toronto-based musicians who've spent their whole young careers earning the stage they now own.
James Dunbar started performing before most kids finish grade school: by age 11 he'd landed a 6-8 solo piano residency at The Jazz Bistro, a residency he went on to hold for four years. Since then he's shared stages with JUNO-winning artists, professors, and some of Canada's most promising new musicians. His talent has been recognized with the Niagara Jazz Festival's "Jazz For The Ages" award three years running, a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music, and a $20,000 Canadian Musicians Spotlight Grant from Kellogg's Canada. He's recently returned from Berklee's First Year Abroad program in Valencia, Spain, and now leads as a producer, composer, bandleader and performer with the charisma that comes from a decade on stage.
Kaythe (Katerina Dimitrova) is a vocalist and songwriter originally from Bulgaria, now based in Toronto. Seven years of vocal training and four years of live performing have shaped a sound that moves fluidly between jazz, soul, R&B, blues and pop, with original music that leans indie-pop-jazz. She was accepted to Berklee College of Music for Vocal Performance and Songwriting on scholarship, has performed on Bulgarian national television three times, and shared a stage with British singer-songwriter RAYE in front of 20,000 people during her 2026 European tour. Her debut EP, released last December, has already crossed 50,000 streams. Around Toronto she's filled rooms at The Emmet Ray, Poetry Jazz Cafe, Madison Avenue Pub, The Handlebar and Harmony Cafe in Kensington Market, plus a set at the Niagara Parks Festival.
Together, Kaythe and James pull from the greats — Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Aretha Franklin — while weaving in more recent influences like Amy Winehouse, Olivia Dean, SZA and RAYE. The result is a set of songs that never go out of style, reworked in the duo's own feel, with a few surprising dance numbers thrown in to keep things lively.
What makes this act incredible isn't just the résumé, it's the chemistry. James's playing is intuitive and responsive, built from years of reading a room and knowing exactly when to hold back and when to lean in. Kaythe's voice carries the warmth and control of someone who trained for it, paired with a stage presence that only comes from performing in front of thousands. Together they create a relaxed, intimate evening that still feels like an event, the kind of show where you came for dinner and stayed for the music.
Whether you're a lifelong jazz head or just want something special playing while you eat, Kaythe ft. James Dunbar promises a professional, polished and genuinely fun night out.
