ES:MO is Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti, two imaginative genre-defying musicians who create music that is uniquely their own. ES:MO fuses a love of songwriting with the inventive musicianship they’re known for as perennial Juno Award nominees (19 JUNO nominations between the two!) and veterans of the Toronto music scene.

Michael Occhipinti’s huge palette of sounds and versatile skills has made him one of Canada’s most admired guitarists. He leads jazz orchestras, plays afro-pop, R&B, funk, and Sicilian folk music, and does it all with finesse, curiosity, and virtuosity.  He’s played with Bruce Cockburn, Bill Frisell, Trey Anastasio, Laila Biali, Andrea Bocelli, the Toronto Symphoni and many more.

Elizabeth Shepherd is a classically trained pianist who turned to jazz through her love of old-school hip-hop. She’s been hailed as “wholly unique and unclassifiable,” a “jazz virtuoso with a pop sensibility” blaring the boundaries between jazz, R&B, pop and hip-hop. Her soulful and ethereal voice and keyboard work stunned listeners on ES:MO’s debut album The Weight of Hope, which received a JUNO nomination in 2022. The album was built around the duo’s unique interpretations of songs by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Cockburn, Jackie Shane, Nick Drake and others.

The second ES:MO album SUNSHINE IN MY BONES which comes out just before this tour is a celebration of the duo’s own compositions built on hours of jam sessions, found sounds such as washing machines, improvised voice and guitar loops, and the magical connection Elizabeth and Michael have when they create music together. Their thoughtful songs explore everything from war crimes to cruise ship class warfare, love among tulips, and the need for human connection. On the recording they’re joined by guest drummers Larnell Lewis, Jinu Isac, Tony Ferraro, and Marito Marques. For this west coast tour they’ll be joined by Tony Ferraro on drums and Derek Fillippo on bass.