The sounds of punk rock saxophones, 1980s-inspired pop and "steampunk big band" will fill theatres, bars, streets, parks and a church during the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, June 24 to July 3. But according to Rainbow Robert, manager of artistic programming, for the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, some of the most exciting sounds are being generated by musicians who hail from Vancouver.

"Vancouver's home to many extremely talented people and a lot of the really major talents that are emerging on the U.S. and European scenes are also from Vancouver," Robert said.

Top of her mind is Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, an 18-piece steampunk big band led by the Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based composer and conductor, Argue.

"This band has just been making massive waves in the European creative music festival community, and interestingly enough, everybody started talking to us about them all over the world," Robert said. "And we said hey, we've got to bring them to town, which takes quite a bit of work to bring an 18-piece band to town."

The Secret Society plays at The Vogue, June 26.

Robert's also quick to highlight local favourites Fond of Tigers, who will play Venue, a new spot for the festival and a hub for hipster acts including Twin Shadow, a.k.a. George Lewis Jr., who's been compared to Morrissey and Depeche Mode.

Fond of Tigers recently won a Juno for instrumental album of the year for Continent and Western. The group includes guitarist/composer Stephen Lyons, JP Carter, Jesse Zubot and two drummers.

"Total movers and shakers," Robert said. "JP Carter has been touring with Destroyer this summer and Jesse Zubot's been touring with Tanya Tagaq. There're a lot of people who are really tapped on the shoulder a lot for some of the most important projects in Canada and abroad that are actually all in this band."

Robert lauds the act's indie rock jazz edge. "The composition is really brilliant, it's really driving but there's a lot of detail and beauty in it."

Montreal-based solo bass saxophonist Colin Stetson opens the Fond of Tigers show. "It's just the biggest dang thing you've ever seen," Robert said of Stetson's instrument.

"He has been doing solo saxophone opening acts for Arcade Fire across the world," she added.

Wipe thoughts of '80s era saxophone solos from your mind. With circular breathing, Stetson's utterances can sound more akin to Tagaq's throat singing, with the sound coming in waves.

Stetson will also play with Fond of Tigers, July 2.

"That's something really special about the type of work that we do, is bring someone like this to town so that they can be exposed to what he's doing and also really cross-pollinate," Robert said.

Mats Gustafsson played with Fond of Tigers at jazz fest two years ago. "Mats is actually the only person that could perhaps be compared to Colin Stetson just in terms of being kind of a punk rock saxophone monster, which is something there aren't too many of in this world," Robert said.

Gustafsson, who's worked with Sonic Youth and Otomo Yoshihide, brings his Nordic punk rock trio, The Thing, to the Roundhouse Performance Centre, July 2.

"These are the people who really embody some of the irreverence of punk rock and the virtuosity of jazz," Robert said.

The local Gordon Grdina Trio, "the heaviest, most blistering jazz trio in Canada," according to Robert, will play with Gustafsson and members of Scandinavian group Atomic at the Roundhouse, July 1.

"I have a feeling that the result is going to be staggering," Robert said.

The final night "blowout in the Ironworks Series will combine local Drip Audio label trumpeter JP Carter and cellist Peggy Lee with German saxophonist Ingrid Laudbrock and American percussionist Tyshawn Sorey in a first-time collaboration that is set to sizzle into the wee hours of July 4, with a second show starting at midnight.

For more info, see coastaljazz.ca.

crossi@vancourier.com

Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi