Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Canadian jazz singer-songwriter Ori Dagan has cultivated a growing international following. With a rich bass-baritone and unmistakable sense of swing, he brings wit, warmth, and musical sophistication to standards, inventive pop reinterpretations, and original compositions alike. A dynamic live performer, Dagan collaborates with many of Canada’s finest musicians, creating performances that are joyful, inventive, and rooted in jazz tradition.
Dagan has performed across Canada and internationally in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Macedonia, Israel, and Germany. In 2023, he placed in the DownBeat Critics Poll (Rising Male Vocalist). His recordings reflect continual reinvention: S’Cat Got My Tongue (2009), Less Than Three <3 (2012), Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole (2017), and Click Right Here (2022), his first all-original album exploring 21st-century themes through swing and bebop.
His newest album, Live in the Market (G-THREE Records, 2026), captures Dagan in his natural habitat: performing for a live audience. Recorded at Toronto’s historic Kensington Sound, the album celebrates the spontaneity, humour and human connection at the heart of great jazz. Fueled by interplay and improvisation, Live in the Market offers a vibrant portrait of Dagan as both vocalist and bandleader, inspired by an exceptional ensemble featuring Stu Harrison on piano, Brandi Disterheft on bass and Ben Wittman on drums.
Beyond the stage, Dagan is an active producer, curator and passionate advocate for Toronto’s live music community. His work with JazzInToronto reflects a commitment to championing artists, creating meaningful opportunities for musicians and making live music welcoming and accessible to audiences of all kinds.