Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
34th Festival from June 28 to July 7.
By: Jazz - Apr 30, 2013
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, presents super music from June 28 to July 7. Tickets for these concerts go on sale this Saturday, May 4, at noon… although Spectra Newsletter subscribers can buy them starting tomorrow upon reception of their latest issue of the newsletter, and until Friday at 6 p.m. Everyone can subscribe free of charge by visiting infolettrespectra.ca.
Please note that this the 2013 edition will be dedicated to great American pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, who passed away last December on the eve of his 92nd birthday, 6 months after having delivered his final concert, at the Festival. Mr. Brubeck was a proud partisan, champion and habitué of our event, which he honored with 14 concerts between 1981 and 2011, notably with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Angèle Dubeau and Pietà, and during the 30th edition of the Festival, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the legendary Time Out, the first jazz album to sell over one million copies.
The Festival transforms Montreal into Planet Jazz for 10 days and nights, creating the perfect musical environment for exploring every facet of taste. Performers include Aretha Franklin, Wayne Shorter, Chucho Valdés, George Benson, Oliver Jones; the absolutely essential Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, John Abercrombie, Ravi Coltrane, Bill Frisell Holly Cole and Boz Scaggs such hot-hot-hot sensations as Trombone Shorty, Caravan Palace, Serena Ryder and Nicolas Repac; emerging talents on the jazz scene including Jason Moran, Thierry Maillard, Gwilym Simcock, Thomas Enhco, Phronesis and Gregory Porter; stars of the indie scene like Austra, Leif Vollebekk, Mother Mother, Rhye, Thus:Owls, SUUNS, Woodkid, She & Him; ambassadors of exotic rhythms Vieux Farka Touré, Alpha Blondy, Xavier Rudd and Alex Cuba; and because the Festival has always been utterly devoted to promoting homegrown jazz and voices, some of the premier figures in the genre, including Alain Caron, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Vic Vogel, Julie Lamontagne, Elizabeth Shepherd, Michel Donato, Jaques Kuba Séguin, Sienna Dahlen, André Leroux, Yannick Rieu, Nikki Yanofsky, Joel Miller.
Double bills and special projects include —Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak, Dr. John & The Nite Trippers and Leon Russell, Champion and his G-Strings with I Musici, Katia and Marielle Labèque, and of course, the ever-dazzling Invitation TD series and a pair of three-night runs hosted first by Charles Lloyd at the opening of the Festival, followed by Vijay Iyer.
Summer means it’s time to shake up another serving of Pink Martini, the preeminent suave multicultural, multilingual orchestra renowned for their dexterously blended musical cocktail of swing, jazz, classical, pop and lounge. Under the leadership of Thomas Lauderdale, the group has racked up years of sold-out shows around the world, including numerous gigs at the Festival since 2005.
Soweto Gospel Choir closes the Festival. Assembling some thirty members, the Soweto Gospel Choir was born 11 years ago in South Africa. Adored for their irresistible repertoire melding gospel, soul, reggae, pop and religious hymns, the vocal ensemble vocal has won an array of international awards—including two Grammys. They’ve collaborated with Céline, Robert Plant and Bono, and in their first Festival visit, they offer us music both poignant and jubilant. July 6, 7 p.m. (also at 3 p.m.), Maison symphonique de Montréal (Le Festival à la Maison symphonique series). Presented in collaboration with CBC/Radio-Canada.
The program, series by series
Événements spéciaux TD series, 7:30 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, PdA
presented in collaboration with CBC/Radio-Canada, La Presse+, Rouge FM, CHOM and Virgin 96
♫ Pink Martini kicks off the party June 27, before the official launch of festivities the following day (June 28). ♫ On June 29, “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin returns to Montreal, 5 years after her sole Festival appearance. She offers us the rare privilege of a performance bringing us such immortal titles as Respect, Chain of Fools and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. ♫ The following evening (June 30), Festival fans can expect a formidable program featuring The Hits by George Benson (opening act: Morgan James): two years after his tribute to Nat King Cole, the gifted jazz guitarist and admired R&B singer is back with his smash songbook. ♫ On July 3, we welcome Zooey Deschanel, star of TV series New Girl and such films as (500) Days of Summer, and M. Ward, heard on dreamy folk-rock albums, united here as irresistible retro-pop duo She & Him (opening act: Camera Obscura). ♫ They turn over the stage July 4 to a double bill starring two artists making Festival debuts: Texas singer-guitarist Lyle Lovett, legendary cult figure of the alt-country scene, rides through his eclectic repertoire with an acoustic combo. Then, crooner-rocker Chris Isaak and his musicians make us swoon with such unforgettable tracks of oneiric Americana as Blue Hotel and Wicked Game. ♫ On July 5, it’s the very first Festival visit by Scottish cult stars Belle & Sebastian. Their leader, Stuart Murdoch, has spent over 15 years crafting a literate and tuneful songbook, with the added bonus of a melodic sensibility that recalls the pop goldsmiths of the ’60s (opening act: Here We Go Magic). ♫ The following night (July 6), Champion tunes up his G-Strings and invites in I Musici de Montréal conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni for the premiere of his new electro-lounge spectacle, °1, featuring arrangements by Jean-Nicolas Trottier.
Grands concerts Rio Tinto Alcan series, 8 p.m., Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA
presented in collaboration with CBC/Radio-Canada, CJAD 800 AM, CHOM and 98,5 FM
♫ In his first visit in 4 years, Chucho Valdés, a master among masters, hailed as “the most complete pianist in the world” by Jazz Magazine, rolls in June 28 with the album Border Free, with his superb quintet Afro-Cuban Messengers. ♫ Then, get set for a concert-event that promises to make history June 29 with the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade and their 80th Birthday Celebration: they’ll herald the 80th birthday of the legendary saxophonist with over 3 hours of music and a stage shared with some illustrious friends—quintet Sound Prints headed by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas (with Lawrence Field, Linda Oh and Joey Baron) and star trio ACS featuring Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding. ♫ The following evening (June 30), rock legend Boz Scaggs, the man behind the timeless Silk Degrees and Grammy winner for Lowdown, pulls in with his new album Memphis. ♫ On July 3, an incredible double bill transports us to roots heaven, starring New Orleans singer-pianist Mac Rebennack, alias Dr. John (with The Nite Trippers), armed with a recent supercharged R&B-blues-rock-funk album entitled Locked Down, and then another living legend, singer/multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell, who made his legendary name as a solo artist with his amalgam of blues and southern rock in the ’70s. ♫ On July 4, Martha Wainwright takes on her first headline Festival gig since 2006 to present pieces from her excellent new album, Come Home to Mama, some tracks from the soundtrack to TV show Trauma, and perhaps even a little Piaf! (opening act: Dear Criminals). ♫ Then, July 5, rising Canadian jazz star Emilie-Claire Barlow unveils songs from her charming all-French album Seule ce soir, as well as other tracks from her rich jazz vocal repertoire (opening act: Michael Kaeshammer). ♫ Finally, suave-voiced singer Madeleine Peyroux (July 6) presents her latest, The Blue Room, marrying country and jazz with sensitivity and subtlety (opening act: Kat Edmonson).
Le Festival à la Maison symphonique series, 7 p.m., Maison symphonique de Montréal
presented in collaboration with The Gazette and CJAD 800 AM
♫ The series opens June 28 with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, one of the most respected Big Bands on the planet, marrying tradition and modernity under the leadership of supremely gifted American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and spreading the gospel of jazz since the late ’80s. ♫ The festivities continue June 29 with a 20-year friend of the Festival, charismatic saxophonist Joshua Redman, who dazzles us with every visit. This year, the Joshua Redman Quartet will showcase songs from Walking Shadows (expected in May) accompanied by Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson and an 18-piece string orchestra. ♫ On July 4, sister-pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque deliver the magnificent West Side Story + suite based on the Leonard Bernstein masterpiece, in a special arrangement for two pianos and percussion. ♫ The following day, they soar through Minimalist Dream House and a program presenting works by Erik Satie, John Cage, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, William Duckworth, La Monte Young, Arvo Pärt, Brian Eno, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Suicide, Glenn Branca, Laurie Anderson and many others. ♫ And before presenting the closing Festival concert on July 6 at 7 p.m., the Soweto Gospel Choir deliver an early hallelujah! at 3 p.m.
Tout en voix series, 8 p.m., Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
presented in collaboration with Rouge FM, MusiMax and The Gazette
♫ Two stars of Canadian jazz vocals take turns in the spotlight during this series. Talented Nova Scotia native Holly Cole, passionate purveyor of jazz and pop, returns to us June 27, 28 and 29 with her new album, a genuine masterpiece entitled Nights, in her 25th visit to the Festival. ♫ On July 4, 5 and 6, Quincy Jones presents Nikki Yanofsky, the darling of Montreal jazz, who’s been heralded in the Olympia in Paris, the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York, at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and, in her most recent Festival stop, in Place des Arts with the Orchestre Métropolitain. She’ll present a new album due in June.
Rythmes series, 8:30 p.m., Métropolis
presented in collaboration with MusiquePlus, CKOI 96,9 and Virgin 96
♫ In his first Festival concert in 15 years (June 28), Garou gathers special guests to reconnect with his first love, Rhythm and Blues, a song catalogue including Otis Redding, Nina Simone, Gilbert Bécaud, Joe Dassin, the Black Keys and Alicia Keys, and an album that sold over 200,000 copies. ♫ On June 30, duo Rhye—a collaboration of two leading lights on the electro scene, Denmark’s Robin Hannibal and Canadian Mike Milosh, seduce us with the romantic electro-pop of their debut album Woman. ♫ Versatile French artiste Woodkid—all the rage buzz overseas with a video, Iron, that’s been seen over 20 million times on YouTube!—heads in July 1 with the tunes from a debut album, The Golden Age (opening act: Mozart’s Sister). ♫ Sharon Jones, passionate female reincarnation of the immortal James Brown, brings in her loyal Dap-Kings (July 3), an old-style soul-funk-R&B revue combo, with special guests James Hunter and his musicians. ♫ Next comes a female double bill to die for on July 4 starring a grand dame of soul, Bettye LaVette, who celebrated her 50th year as a singer with the extraordinary Thankful N’ Thoughtful, and Wanda Jackson, considered THE first female rock’n’roll singer, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. ♫ Stage demolishers The Cat Empire, known worldwide as the Party Band to watch, arrive July 5 in better form than ever with a collection of their classics and new ones from their 5th studio album (opening act: Colin Moore). ♫ Canadian-Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd comes July 6 with his debut album Spirit Bird (2012), in which the Ohnia:kara Singers and the Perpetual Peace Project invoke traditional Amerindian music and dance (opening act: Jon and Roy) ♫ The spearhead of the ska revival that swept over the UK in the ’70s, The Specials, reformed in 2009, crank out the same energy they cranked in their glory days and roll into the Festival for the first time July 7 (opening act: Little Hurricane).
Couleurs SAQ series, 7 p.m., Club Soda
presented in collaboration with Rouge FM, CJAD 800 AM and CIBL 101,5 Radio-Montréal
♫ The series kicks off in fine fettle June 28 with the super-celebratory musical cocktail shaken up by joyous Parisian troupe Caravan Palace, here to unleash the electro-gypsy jazz-swing of their excellent album Panic. ♫ In Sarah Slean with Strings June 29, the Toronto singer revisits her refined pop repertoire with inventive arrangements, including her latest album, Land & Sea, accompanied by a string quartet. ♫ Charismatic and brilliant young New Orleans trombonist Trombone Shorty takes command June 30, flanked by his explosive combo Orleans Avenue, rolling out his latest For True, a contagious blend of funk, rock, R&B and hip-hop. ♫ The following evening (July 1), welcome the American singer who proudly holds aloft the torch handed down from the great Afro-American singers of the ’60s and ’70s: Gregory Porter. ♫ Next, on July 2, talented Toronto singer Serena Ryder builds on the success of her new album Harmony and hit Stompa, a powerhouse female country-pop-folk-rock blend. ♫ On July 3, the “Hendrix of the Sahara,” Vieux Farka Touré, visits with a new solo album, masterfully collapsing the boundaries between Malian blues, rock, reggae and soul. ♫ Also from Africa, legendarily committed pacifist reggaeman Alpha Blondy and The Solar System stop in on July 4 to unfurl the standard-bearing songs from a new album, Mystic Power, released this past spring. ♫ The party rolls on July 5 with the Montreal premiere of new album Ruido En El Sistema/Noise in the System by Cuban native and adoptive Canadian Alex Cuba, cruising between Latino soul and pop-rock, and nominated for the JUNO for Best World Music Album! ♫ The following night (July 6), actress Molly Ringwald, discovered and beloved by a billion boys in the ’80s for her roles in Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club, reveals the songs from her debut, Except… Sometimes, including such standards as I’ll Take Romance and I Get Along Without You Very Well ♫ Closing the series out with a burst of energy July 7, Vancouver quintet Mother Mother break out their latest—and catchiest—album, The Sticks.
Jazz Beat Hyatt Regency Montréal series, 9:30 p.m., Théâtre Jean-Duceppe, PdA
presented in collaboration with CBCMusic.ca
♫ Returning after a 5-year absence, brilliant saxophonist and iconic New York jazz figure Ravi Coltrane is back June 28 with his Quartet and a new album hailed by the experts, Spirit Fiction, his first for Blue Note. ♫ Considered one of the most enlightened jazzmen of his generation, pianist-composer Jason Moran returns June 29 with his Fats Waller Dance Party, a tribute to the legend accompanied by exceptional collaborators (including Meshell Ndegeocello). ♫ The following evening (June 30), returning after a 22-year absence, crack British saxman Courtney Pine brings in his virtuosity and a quintet to present House of Legends, an Afro-Caribbean-inflected album shaking up calypso, ska, mento and merengue with passion and imagination. ♫ Then, the lights blaze in an incandescent concert July 1 starring Macy Gray (making her Festival debut), joined by the renowned David Murray Infinity Quartet in a show firing up funk, blues and alternative pop. ♫ High-octane combo the Kurt Rosenwinkel New Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis and Justin Faulkner take charge July 2 with a program based on the daring young jazz guitarist’s recent album Star of Jupiter. ♫ On July 4, Benoît Charest et le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville present the 10th anniversary of Triplettes de Belleville in a show combining jazz, cabaret ambience and diabolically swinging rhythms, with a remarkable array of collaborators (Dan Thouin, Jim and Chet Doxas, Dany Roy, Dave Martin and Simon Meilleur) and a rear projection of the film itself! ♫ In another historic rendezvous July 5, legendary ensemble the Preservation Hall Jazz Band return 25 years after their sole Festival visit to transport us to the deepest roots of jazz. ♫ With their mandate to herald the global jazz repertoire, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal make a first Festival appearance July 6 playing pieces by Christine Jensen, Marianne Trudel and Jean-Nicolas Trottier, a tribute to Joni Mitchell with Karen Young, and excerpts from the Africa/Brass Sessions by John Coltrane, starring André Leroux on tenor saxophone. ♫ Finally, July 7, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet pay homage to a late, lamented legend with their Tribute to Dave Brubeck with guests Lorraine Desmarais, Adrian Vedady and Chet Doxas, celebrating a repertoire that is quite simply the living memory of jazz.
Invitation TD series, 6 p.m., Théâtre Jean-Duceppe, PdA and Gesù — Centre de créativité
presented in collaboration with The Gazette
♫ All genuine, full-blooded music fans, take heart: the Invitation TD series returns with concept-concerts spanning several evenings. In the first series, famed American reedman Charles Lloyd celebrates his 75th birthday starting June 28 in Théâtre Jean-Duceppe in a Quartet with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland. ♫ For his second performance, Sangam, Charles Lloyd teams up with Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland to revisit the subtlety and refinement of the major concert presented at the Festival in 2005, inspired by a tribute to drummer Billy Higgins. ♫ To close out his series in perfect form June 30, Charles Lloyd delves into musical conversations in duos and trios with Jason Moran and Bill Frisell, who channel their respectively remarkable improvisational sensibilities. ♫ On July 4, genius-level New York pianist Vijay Iyer settles into the Gesù in a Trio with Justin Brown and Stephan Crump, performing the acclaimed Accelerando, 2012 Jazz Album of the Year according to the International Critics Poll in DownBeat Magazine. ♫ In his second concert July 5, Vijay Iyer shakes up the formula masterfully in a duo with another keyboard magician: Craig Taborn ♫ Finally, piano master Vijay Iyer, universally celebrated for his creativity and named Pianist of the Year at the 2012 Jazz Awards, rewards us with Vijay Iyer solo, a format in which he excels—witness his album Solo, released in 2010. Do not miss this!
Pianissimo series, 7 p.m., Cinquième Salle de la PdA
presented in collaboration with Radio-Classique 99,5
♫ Celebrating the brilliance of the world’s pianists, this series opens with the virtuosity and passion of France’s Thierry Maillard, launching us June 28 in two very promising formats: solo and trio, accompanied by drummer Yoann Schmidt and double bassist Matyas Szandaï, with whom he recorded the dazzling Beyond the Ocean released this past winter. ♫ Montreal’s Alexandra Stréliski follows June 29 with pieces from her album Pianoscope, a combo of melancholy and lighthearted music, accompanied by a string ensemble and projections. ♫ She cedes the spotlight to brilliant English pianist Gwilym Simcock, who showcases the full range of his jazz and classical affinities solo on June 30. ♫ Cuban prodigy Harold López-Nussa takes over July 1 with two versions of his artistry, armed with a new album: solo to open, then in a trio featuring Felipe Cabrera on double bass and his brother Ruy López-Nussa on drums. ♫ Young French pianist and violinist Thomas Enhco performs in the same format July 2 to present his latest, Fireflies, first solo, then in a trio accompanied by Chris Jennings on double bass and Nicolas Charlier on drums. ♫ A number of solo concerts follow, starting July 4. First, Festival fans can enjoy the brilliance of Italian pianist and composer Enrico Pieranunzi, who has wonderfully interpreted the music of Morricone and Fellini films alongside his own pieces. ♫ The venerable Oliver Jones next takes the stage solo on July 5 and 6 with a blend of compositions and standards. ♫ Finally, after over 30 Festival concerts in our history in every configuration imaginable, Montreal pianist, composer, trombonist and bandleader Vic Vogel closes us out solo on July 7.
TD Jazz d’ici La Presse+ series, 6 p.m., L’Astral
presented in collaboration with Espace.mu
♫ Lean into this series June 28 with music oscillating between modernity and tradition, courtesy of the 2012 Radio‑Canada Discovery, versatile trumpeter and composer Jacques Kuba Séguin: ODD LOT, fusing Eastern European music, jazz harmony and electronica. ♫ He hands the baton over on June 29 to the André Leroux Quartet, led by one of our most eminent saxophonists, accompanied by friends Ben Charest, Fred Alarie and Christian Lajoie, and delivering his brilliant debut album as a bandleader, Corpus Callosum. ♫ Then, get ready for a summit meeting of Montreal’s highest-profile musicians, from the indie-rock, jazz and folk scenes (June 30): Muse Hill with Chet Doxas, Brad Barr, Andrew Barr, Joe Grass and Morgan Moore. ♫ Montreal saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen is next on July 1 with guests Ingrid Jensen and Gary Versace, weaving an evening of refined melodies and daring improv. ♫ Next (July 2), welcome two jazz masters, one on double bass, the other on drums, Michel Donato and Pierre Tanguay, as they fuse their talents in a duo for a jazzy exploration of the Bach repertoire: Groove en Bach. ♫ The series powers forth July 3 with Joel Miller (2013 JUNO for Best Jazz Album) and Honeycomb, here to spellbind us with the world-infused jazz of their latest album released this past winter, alongside Kiko Osorio, Rémi-Jean Leblanc and John Roney. ♫ On July 4, enjoy a trio pulsing with life in Trifolia starring the Marianne Trudel Trio, uniting Marianne Trudel on piano, Wurlitzer, accordion and vocals, Étienne Lafrance on double bass and Patrick Graham on percussion; we all dug their album Le refuge in 2013. ♫ Then, July 5, the legendary Guy Nadon, a one-man chapter in the history of this Festival, celebrates 60 years behind the skins and his 30th visit to the event with a Big Band. ♫ Pianist Julie Lamontagne follows July 6 with Opus jazz orchestra, reconnecting with the classical repertoire—Rachmaninov, Debussy, Bach, Ravel, Chopin, Haendel, Brahms, Fauré and André Mathieu—she explored on the album Opus jazz, Album Jazz Création award winner at the 2012 ADISQ Gala. ♫ Closing out the series, three-time Félix winner for Jazz Album of the Year (1996, 2000 and 2006) and 2006 Oscar Peterson Award honoree, saxophonist Yannick Rieu returns July 7 with the new music of Spectrum 4, accompanied by Jean-Sébastien Williams, Samuel Joly and Rémi-Jean Leblanc.
Le Club series, 9 p.m., L’Astral
presented in collaboration with Galaxie and CIBL101,5 Radio-Montréal
♫ Brilliant American saxophonist Tia Fuller kicks off this series June 28 with her first headline performance at the Festival, following the 2012 release of a 4th solo album, Angelic Warriors. ♫ Next (June 29), renowned, exquisite jazz guitarist Bill Frisell makes his 10th Festival visit in a 40+ year career with a solo performance of selections from his vast repertoire. ♫ The grand dame of Korean jazz, Youn Sun Nah (June 30) serenades with her sumptuous voice and takes Festival fans beyond the boundaries of jazz vocal, armed with her dazzling recent album, Lento. ♫ Another rising star on the international jazz scene jazz, trio-with-piano Phronesis featuring Danish double bassist Jasper Høiby, British pianist Ivo Neame and Swedish drummer Anton Eger, return July 1 after a 2-year absence with their latest, Walking Dark. ♫ The musical voyage continues July 2 with globetrotting Frenchman Titi Robin, making a debut Festival visit in a trio with a musical style that soars beyond borders on guitar, oud and bouzouki, and some 15 albums including Les Rives, released in 2011. ♫ Then, French guitarist Nicolas Repac invites Festival fans on a trip to the very roots of the blues with The Black Box July 3, melding grooves and electric guitar to recordings of black prisoners’ work songs recorded in the ’30s by Alan Lomax, a shaman’s chants, and the voices of Bo Diddley, a gypsy singer, Haitian storytellers... ♫ In her first Festival stopover, young Brazilian cellist and singer Dom La Nena (July 4) spellbinds in Portuguese and Spanish with songs from her gorgeous, melancholy debut album recorded with Piers Faccini. ♫ Next (July 5), the Lionel Loueke Trio, led by the exquisite Benin guitarist, present a new album released on Blue Note, Heritage, featuring vibrant jazz accented by West African sounds, melodic grooves and daring improv. ♫ Jazz-rooted pianist Laurent de Wilde, who distinguished himself at the Festival a decade ago with electronic adventures, takes over July 6 to unveil Over the Clouds, an all-jazz album recorded with a trio. ♫ The series closes out on July 7 with the Festival baptism of a young singer-guitarist gifted with a retro soul, JD McPherson, captaining a captivating trip through time shaking up old-skool rockabilly and R&B as brilliantly represented on his sizzling debut album, Signs & Signifiers.
Jazz dans la nuit series, 10:30 p.m., Gesù — Centre de créativité
presented in collaboration with Espace.mu and CBCMusic.ca
♫ Two virtuoso guitarists take turns solo on June 28 to lead into this series with an all-guitar double bill, specially scheduled for 7 p.m.: Peppino D’Agostino takes us on a melodic voyage accented with jazz, flamenco, pop and folk rock, and Martin Taylor unfurls his new album, The Colonel & The Governor. ♫ The following evening (June 29), the Festival is delighted to welcome Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart, hailed by the New York Times in the ’90s as the best organ trio of the decade, now armed with 8 albums and a peerless creative chemistry. ♫ On June 30, another trio rolls in, this one led by brilliant Franco-American pianist Jacky Terrasson, celebrating a 20-year career with Gouache, combining original compositions with covers of pop and jazz-funk hits. ♫ Maintaining the trio formula, The Bad Plus, Ethan Iverson (piano), Reid Anderson (double bass) and Dave King (drums), with a 10-year history of burning down Festival stages, barrel in July 1 with their latest album, Made Possible. ♫ Next, the Steve Kuhn Trio visit July 2 with material from Wisteria, their solid album released on ECM last year, featuring the wonderful playing of Steve Swallow and Joey Baron. ♫ Legendary bassist and former member of jazz fusion masters UZEB Alain Caron takes over July 3, accompanied by his six-string bass and his latest album, Multiple Faces. ♫ Super American guitarist Charlie Hunter, devotee of blues and soul, thrills us July 4 in a duo with an old compadre, drummer Scott Amendola, who accompanied him on the recent album Not Getting Behind Is the New Getting Ahead. ♫ They’re followed July 5 by American saxophonist Tim Berne, presenting his scintillating Snakeoil, a gem of contemporary jazz unanimously hailed by critics, benefiting from the unbridled creativity of a quartet completed by Oscar Noriega, Matt Mitchell and Ches Smith. ♫ Drummer and composer Antonio Sanchez, leader of solid combo Migration with Dave Binney, John Escreet and Matt Brewer, comes in July 6 to reveal a new album, New Life, fusing tradition and innovation. ♫ And finally, jazz guitar virtuoso John Abercrombie has the last word on July 7, accompanied by a remarkable Quartet featuring Joey Baron, Billy Drewes and Drew Gress.
Musique au MAC series, 8 p.m., Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
presented in collaboration with CISM 89,3 FM
♫ Chassol opens the series June 28, 29 and 30 with a genuine film/music hybrid: Indiamore, the film of a voyage of discovery in India, in which Chassol replicates images, playing with the montage to create a rhythmic and visual motif. ♫ Swedish singer Erika Angell and Montreal guitarist Simon Angell, united as Thus:Owls, take over July 2, 3 and 4 with the dark, cinematographic folk of their fascinating 2nd album, Harbours. ♫ Finally, July 5, 6 and 7, adoptive Montrealer Leif Vollebekk delivers the piercing ballads and delicate and vibrant blues-laced folk of his new album North Americana, released in March.
Concerts in times series, 7 p.m., Savoy du Métropolis
♫ In her first Festival visit, Canadian artist Sienna Dahlen, heralded for her spellbinding voice and magnetic presence, comes in June 28 and 29 to present a 5th album, Verglas, delving into the roots of jazz, folk and country. ♫ Toronto’s Elizabeth Shepherd, who pushes jazz vocal beyond its usual boundaries, invites us in June 30 and July 1 to discover Rewind, a remarkable album of standards (Poinciana, Prelude to a Kiss…) featuring her own arrangements and production. ♫ The only man among an array of Canadian female vocalists, Italian composer-guitarist-accordionist Peppe Voltarelli arrives solo July 3 and 4, with customary humour and ironic sensibility and a repertoire of songs crossing traditional Italian music, ska, onomatopoeia and festive rhythms. ♫ On July 5 and 6, Toronto jazz vocalist jazz Daniela Nardi brings in 4 musicians to plunge into pieces from her recent album Espresso Manifesto—The Songs of Paolo Conte, in which she brings her own slant to classics by the Piedmontean master. ♫ Closing the series July 7, supertalented Nova Scotian Mo Kenney, armed with her acoustic guitar, shines with the luminous pop-folk blend of his debut album, released last year.
Nuits Heineken series, 11 p.m., Club Soda
presented in collaboration with CISM 89,3 FM and NIGHTLIFE.CA
♫ An evening of Kannibalen [Live] with Black Tiger Sex Machine, Dabin, Apashe and Snails (June 28) promises decadence and contagious fun, with raw funk-disco-house that may unleash the animal within and transport everyone into a collective trance-state. ♫ The Herbaliser, the Brit group led by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba, continue the assault June 29 with a savvy blend of hip-hop, soul and jazz, brilliantly immortalized on albums Very Mercenary and Something Wicked This Way Comes, along with songs from the excellent There Were Seven released last year. ♫ The next evening (June 30), it’s New York group The Virgins, who mine the motherlode of ’70s and ’80s rock on a 2nd album, Strike Gently, five years after they got jiggy and funky on their debut. ♫ Next, we usher in A Tribe Called Red, led by Ottawa Amerindian DJs Shub, Bear Witness and NDN, here to kick off a party July 2 with an “Electric Pow Wow” of pulsing sounds mixing reggae, hip-hop, electronica and dub with First Nations music. ♫ They cede the stage July 3 to the head-turning voice of Torontonian Katie Stelmanis and collaborators Dorian Wolf and Maya Postepski, united as the New Wave group Austra, whose highly-anticipated 2nd album, Olympia, is due in June. ♫ The following day, July 4, party animals Fitz and the Tantrums land with a new album, More Than Just a Dream, fusing electronica, hip-hop and ’80s influences. ♫ On July 5, David Lynch presents his newest muse, Chrysta Bell, in a nocturnal rendezvous with a dream-turned-reality (or vice-versa), courtesy of the 11 tracks of This Train. Take a trip into a spellbinding Twin Peaks ambience guided by an otherworldly, captivating and sexy feminine presence. ♫ The power-party element returns July 6 in the presence of Marseille trio Chinese Man, consisting of DJs Zé Mateo and High Ku and beatmaker Sly, disciples of abstract hip-hop with the most diverse possible influences and samples (heavy rock, soul, funk, electronica, swing and… Chinese pop). ♫ Finally, Montreal band of the moment, SUUNS, zoom in from the zenith of indie rock stardom with a 2nd album, Images du futur, to close the series out with perfect cool and energy July 7.
The Croisière Jazz, 6:30 p.m., Bateau-Mouche,
Jacques-Cartier Quay, Old Port of Montreal
♫ Christine Tassan et les Imposteures have carved out a well-earned niche in gypsy jazz, now ranking among the most respected in the genre. While excelling in the studio, these veteran musicians are particularly comfortable onstage: for proof, look no further than their Festival appearance in 2010, when they reeled out the joyous album Pas manouche, c'est louche. Renowned for their enthusiasm and contagious good vibe, this unstoppable swing quartet takes to the waves to helm the jazz cruise with C’est l’heure de l’apéro. It’s Happy Hour! June 29 and 30, July 2, 3 and 4. Boarding at 6:15 p.m. from Jacques-Cartier Quay in the Old Port of Montréal, returning at 10:30 p.m. Reservations required: 514 849-9952, 1 800 361-9952 or bateaumouche.ca.
Don’t miss the Soirées jazz Upstairs at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill (1254 MacKay St.), at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., with The Barry Harris Trio with Ray Drummond and Leroy Williams (June 28 and 29), Bebop Band : Nir Felder, Greg Osby, Orlando le Fleming and Terri Lyne Carrington play Dexter Gordon (June 30), Nir Felder 4 with Aaron Parks, Orlando le Fleming and Mark Guiliana (July 1), Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music (July 2), Helen Merrill (July 3 and 4), Bill Charlap (July 5), Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato (July 6) and Ranee Lee (July 7).
Finally, the Le Dièse Onze au Festival will be presented at 9:30 p.m. at Dièse Onze (4115-A, St. Denis Street), with Benoît Charest Trio (June 28), Matt Herskowitz Trio (June 29), Kalmunity, Jazz Project (June 30), Trabuco Habanero, Cuban Jazz (July 1), Alex Bellegarde Trio with Al McLean (July 2), Daphne Cattellat Trio (July 3), Paulo Ramos Trio and guests (July 4), Rafael Zaldivar Trio (July 5), Montreal Hard Bop Four (July 6) and Kalmunity, Jazz Project (July 7).
The Festival, 24/7, thanks to Bell
For all true fans, the Festival is a year-round experience, thanks to Bell. With montrealjazzfest.com, everyone can stay constantly connected to the passion of the music, whether before, during or after events. Video excerpts, information on the artists, access to archives from previous editions of the Festival, video channel (montrealjazzfest.TV, etc.—in short, it’s the ideal online destination for every music fan. We remind you that the Festival is on Facebook (facebook.com/montrealjazzfest) and Twitter (@mtljazzfestival) and that you can follow and experience every aspect of it using mobile applications for iPhone and, new this year, an Android version (montrealjazzfest.com/mobile).
Tickets go on sale this Saturday, May 4 at noon
Exclusive pre-sale for Spectra Newsletter subscribers: starts tomorrow!
Place des Arts and Maison symphonique de Montréal: 175 Ste. Catherine Street West; 514 842-2112, 1 866 842‑2112 or laplacedesarts.com
Métropolis and Savoy: 59 Ste. Catherine Street East; ticketmaster.ca, admission.com or 1 855 790-1245 — metropolismontreal.ca
L’Astral (Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan): 305 Ste. Catherine Street West; ticketmaster.ca, admission.com or 1 855 790-1245 — sallelastral.com
Club Soda: 1225 St. Lawrence Boulevard; 514 286-1010 or clubsoda.ca
Gesù — Centre de créativité: 1200 De Bleury Street; 514 861-4036; admission.com or 1 855 790-1245 — legesu.com
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde: 84 Ste. Catherine Street West; 514 866-8668 or tnm.qc.ca
Bateau-Mouche au Vieux-Port de Montréal: 55 St. Paul Street West; 514 849-9952 or 1 800 361-9952 — bateaumouche.ca
Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal: 185 Ste. Catherine Street West; ticketmaster.ca, admission.com or 1 855 790-1245 — macm.org
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Info-Jazz: indispensible information tools
You can pick up the official free brochure Info-Jazz Indoor Concert Schedule right now in concert venues, in most CD and bookstores, in public spaces, major downtown businesses, Montreal tourist information centres, and SAQ locations in Greater Montreal. You can also call the Info-Jazz La Presse+ Line at 514-871-1881 or, toll free, at 1 85JAZZFEST, or visit montrealjazzfest.com.
Complete programming for free outdoor concerts and activities at the 34th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will be announced this coming June 4.