Shuffle Demons were very grateful and excited to be nominated for a 2026 Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year (Group)!
It’s been 39 years between The JUNO Awards nominations, but we are SO back! (Keep following your dreams, kidz!)
Congratulations to our fellow nominees, everyone who put out new music last year and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra who won the trophy!
The ‘Group’ category is so appropriate for 'Are You Really Real' as producing it really was a total group effort. Each band member contributed fabulous compositions to the project and played like demons! Studio wizard Jono Grant not only produced the album but also edited, mixed AND mastered it to perfection!
We recorded it with Julian Decorte and Jeremy Darby at the LEGENDARY Canterbury Music Company. Don Breithaupt provided the excellent cover art and layout and Camille Neirynck captured the band with a stellar pic. And we couldn’t have done any of it without the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario.
Once we had it all done, we handed off to Peter Cardinali at Alma Records/Universal Music Canada to run with it!
Scroll to the bottom of the page for purchasing and listening options! Or Buy a CD here!
Shuffle Demons celebrate their 40th anniversary with Are You Really Real, an electrifying new album that showcases their unique and unmistakable sound. The release highlights their trademark fusion of jazz, funk, blues, and rap with finely crafted compositions from all five band members.
Are You Really Real album will be available on CD, Streaming, Digital + Hi-Res Digital Platforms. Pre-order/Pre-save NOW!
Shuffle Demons have captured the magic of their renowned live performances with this new release, recorded at the iconic Canterbury Music studio in Toronto with producer Jono Grant and engineer Julian Decorte. The stripped-down combination of bass, horns, and drums creates a bold and full-bodied sound, setting the stage for high-level improvisation and dynamic grooves.
Born out of Toronto’s vibrant street scene in 1984, Shuffle Demons have built a legacy as innovators of genre-defying music. Are You Really Real celebrates this history while pushing their music forward, blending traditional jazz elements with modern funk, blues, and rap influences. From intricate horn lines to joyful chaos, the album promises a listening experience like no other.
“We feel fortunate to be able to make music, to celebrate the spirit of being in a band that has a unique sound and breeds a supportive atmosphere, to the tour the world spreading our joyful music to those who crave art that is emotionally uplifting.”
Joining Alma Records’ esteemed roster of artists, Shuffle Demons continue to deliver music that uplifts and energizes. With Are You Really Real, they invite fans old and new to celebrate four decades of fearless creativity.
Shuffle Demons: The real deal!
About
Shuffle Demons are a high-energy Canadian band that blends virtuosic playing with eye-catching costumes and over the top stage antics to produce an incredible show. A hit at festivals all over the world, Shuffle Demons are a crowd pleasing, full-on musical group that backs up wild stage antics with phenomenal playing by some of Canada's most talented musicians.
Shuffle Demons first broke onto the Canadian music scene with an electrifying musical fusion that drew in equal measure from Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. The band was one of the first indie acts to break out on MuchMusic. This band was genre bending, highly visually entertaining, funny, and best of all, could really PLAY. All their eye-catching, crowd pleasing stunts were backed up by incredibly solid musicianship and real ground-breaking playing.
Over the course of their illustrious career Shuffle Demons have released eleven albums, seven videos, won several music awards, done numerous tv and radio appearances and toured nationally and internationally including 25 cross Canada tours, 5 US tours, 17 European tours, as well as tours of The Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Africa playing on big festival stages, theatres and clubs.
The band continues the tradition today with a great line-up of players that includes Juno Award winner Richard Underhill -alto sax & vocals, Kelly Jefferson and Matt Lagan - tenor saxes and vocals, Juno Award winner Mike Downes - bass and vocals, and Juno Award winner Stich Wynston -drums and vocals. Expect the same exciting, no holds barred performances that feature wild romps in the crowd, free jazz moments, danceable funk, poetry, killer solos and more. We are a crowd pleasing, full on musical group that backs up our stage antics with some phenomenal playing by some of Canada's most talented musicians. We play a mix of jazz, funk, rap, hip-hop and world music, wear spectacular hand painted suits and love to parade through the audience, a perfect festival, theatre or club act.
For music and merch, visit our bandcamp page!
