Sherwood Park Unforgettable Natalie Cole Tribute

UNFORGETTABLE
Natalie Cole Tribute 
An all-female big band project
featuring vocalist Maria Manna

UNFORGETTABLE: About the show
The Natalie Cole Big Band Tribute is a one-night concert event that brings Natalie Cole’s timeless music to celebrate Cole’s legacy while highlighting the extraordinary artistry of female instrumentalists and vocalists, offering audiences a rare and inspiring musical experience. The repertoire draws primarily from Cole’s iconic albums Unforgettable… with Love and Take a Look, with 22 carefully selected songs arranged for a full big band. These arrangements capture the elegance of jazz standards, the soul of gospel and R&B, and the crossover appeal that made Cole a household name. The evening will feature special guest performers, adding variety and depth to the program.
As producer and vocalist, Maria Manna is leading the project from concept through execution, ensuring both artistic excellence and emotional resonance. The concert will combine masterful arrangements, powerhouse vocals, and dynamic storytelling to create an immersive experience that celebrates heritage, uplifts women in jazz, and connects with audiences on a deeply soulful level. This project not only celebrates a legendary artist, but by producing this concert in Edmonton, it creates an opportunity for 19 jazz artists to present a world-class production.

Why An All-Female Big Band Project?
In the summer of 2025, the Edmonton International Jazz Festival hosted a networking event in collaboration with Women in Music Canada. It was there that several women who are now part of this ensemble began talking about the challenges women in jazz can face in accessing the same opportunities as our male counterparts as we build our careers. In a small local scene, and even a small national one, where musicians need to hold onto established gigs whenever possible, it can be difficult to find room — but it also presents an opportunity for women in music to create opportunities to encourage (and hire) one another.
Across Canada, cities including Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Calgary have seen successful all-female jazz projects emerge, with some growing into established professional big bands that present full seasons of shows each year. Edmonton had yet to have a project with this particular framing, and the opportunity to present a Natalie Cole Tribute felt like the perfect way to bring the idea to life. More than anything, the goal was to create an exceptional musical experience while opening a few more doors — both for the women in this ensemble and for those who come next. With musicians at every stage of their careers, including emerging artists and those with more than five decades of professional experience, the all-female aspect is ultimately a bonus: what stands out most is simply the incredible calibre of musicianship in the room.