MA:Q

Mary Ancheta leads her newly branded group MA:Q [pronounced M-A-Q], a quartet which pushes the boundaries of genre drawing inspiration from Weather Report, Betty Davis, McCoy Tyner, and David Byrne. In 2025 MA:Q toured in Australia / Japan (World Expo) and past opening slots include BADBADNOTGOOD, Seamus Blake, and Molly Lewis. This summer MA:Q will be opening up for The Headhunters at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

A Canadian Filipina, Ancheta is based in Vancouver, Canada. Her new upcoming album 'When the Light Comes to Play,' deals with themes of resilience, moments of clarity, and the transitional state between waking and sleeping. The LP incorporates more piano than her 'Level Up' EP as MA:Q moves toward modern jazz with elements of funk, hip hop, afrobeat, and world; Guitarist Mike Stern is a featured guest on the track '20 Feet From the Street.' Mary Ancheta: keys, Dominic Conway: sax, Matt Reid: bass, and Paul Clark: drums. Ride the wave as MA:Q brings their groove-driven music of future-facing funk and jazz-fusion.