Author: Bob WolfensonEliane Elias
“I think it’s one of the most important festivals in the world. I’ve been there so many times. What’s brought to the festival – the variety of music that is brought, the caliber of all the artists that are presented there – is just wonderful,” says pianist Eliane Elias of the Montreal International Jazz Festival (the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal).
Celebrating its 36th anniversary this year from June 26 to July 5, the Festival was named the “world’s largest jazz festival” in the Guinness Book of Records in 2004. The long-running music celebration, which is presented by TD in collaboration with Rio Tinto Alcan, is set in the heart of downtown Montreal and features a rich catalog of musicians performing across multiple indoor and outdoor stages, theaters, clubs and concert halls.
The lineup
This year’s event includes a stellar lineup of artists, singers and performers from around the globe, including Joshua Redman, Nigerian-born King Sunny Ade, Franco-American singer Madeleine Peyroux, Montreal-born Haitian singer Marie-Christine, Robert Glasper, instrumental fusion band Snarky Puppy and composer pianist Vijay Iyer.
Elias, who hails originally from Brazil, is known for her bossa nova recordings as well as her jazz and classical compositions. On Friday, July 3 at Salle Ludger-Duvernay Monument National, the five-time Grammy award nominee, who first performed at the festival in 1988, will showcase songs from her album Made In Brazil, released earlier this year..
Reflecting on the Jazz Fest, Elias says, “If I were someone who loved music, I would get myself to Montreal every year and go around listening to the wonderful opportunity that people have to hear so many great artists. I’m happy to be a part of so many times. You know that you’re going to get quality music there and quality presentation, quality sound, quality everything.”
Bebel Gilberto, daughter of legendary boss nova inventor João Gilberto, plays to a sold-out audience on Friday, June 26 at Club Soda. Erykah Badu performs on Monday night, June 29, with hip-hop artist Charles Hamilton as her opening act at Salle Wilfrid-Pelleteir, PdA. The next night, Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriel, known for their “fiery acoustic guitar skills and cutting-edge flamenco rhythms,” hit the same stage, where they’ll serve up a helping of music fusion.
On July 2 at 9:00 pm, East African vocalist and songwriter Somi returns to the festival after first performing there in 2009. “I’m excited about it and I’m happy to be back. I haven’t had a chance to play in Canada for a while so I’m looking forward to it,” says the chanteuse of her upcoming appearance at L’Astral (Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan). She’ll be playing music from her critically-acclaimed album The Lagos Music Salon.
Also on July 2, renowned South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim begins a three-day run with a fusion of modern jazz, African tribal music and blues. On July 3, he’ll present music from his latest album Mukashi (Japanese for “once upon a time”); this next day, Ibrahim’s musical repertoire will feature a combination of “the oral musical tradition of South Africa and the vibrant legacies of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.”
Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, along with jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, perform at Théâtre Maisonneuve on July 3 and Ontario’s jazz trio Badbadnotgood take over the Métropolis stage with Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan on July 4. British soul singer Joss Stone helps wrap up the festival on Sunday night, July 5, with her debut performance at Métropolis.
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