Friday 19 June 2026
Larnell Lewis and Joy Lapps light up Ottawa Jazz Festival
by Sarah Onyango
On June 19, 2026, devoted Larnell Lewis fans braved a persistent downpour to experience his band’s highly anticipated late-night performance alongside award-winning steelpan artist Joy Lapps on the Elgin Street stage inside Confederation Park. The appreciative crowd saw their patience rewarded by a soulful and high-energy show serving a blend of contemporary jazz, fusion, and Caribbean melody.
Larnell Lewis is a Toronto-based Grammy Award winning musician, composer, producer, and educator who has established himself as one of the most diverse and in-demand drummers currently on the music scene. Along with his long-standing gig on drums in Snarky Puppy, Larnell has led many highly successful groups of his own and toured the globe with some of the most well- known names in music, including Quincy Jones, Etienne Charles, Laila Biali, Jeremy Ledbetter, and Lalah Hathaway. In June 2018, Larnell independently released his debut album, In the Moment, followed by Relive the Moment in 2020.Internationally acclaimed artist and composer Joy Lapps is known for supporting arts educators and community organizations in creating steelpan programs and facilitating team building across multiple sectors through steelpan as well as amplifying women’s contributions in every facet of her work. Her most recent releases include Girl in The Yard and The Caribbean Christmas Mixtape Vol 1 (Joy’s sixth and Larnell’s fourth release as leaders). Besides collaborating on projects such as their Christmas album, this talented musical power couple occasionally perform together at festivals and community events across the country and abroad. .
Learn more about Joy Lapps at: www.joylapps.com
Learn more about Larnell Lewis at: https://www.larnelllewismusic.com/
