Getting Jazzy in Montreal

Posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007, 4:56 PM by Lonely Planet

On a budget? Love festivals? How about music in one of North America's most diverse and vibrant cities? Get yourself to Montreal right now, as the city comes alive in the unparalleled musical and cultural extravaganza that is the 28th Annual Montreal Jazz Festival.

If you're just arriving, a bed may be tough to find in the city, but the music and the parties are not. The festivities are centered around Montreal's always-beating heart, the Place des Arts; most events are with a four-block radius. Outdoor performances, of which there are over 350 on 12 stages, are free to all. The 150 indoor concerts rage from noon to midnight; you can purchase tickets (about $14-80) on-site or via the website.

Starting modestly in 1979 with only 12,000 spectators, the event has swelled over the years to become the world's largest such festival, drawing over two million visitors annually. The offerings are remarkable, from the greatest jazz musicians in history (Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Corea, Ray Charles, Miles Davis) to budding hip-hop artists, some of whom found their big breaks on Montreal's stages.

That's right - hip-hop. And blues and flamenco and reggae, electronica, salsa. This event, birthed in a city noted for its tolerance, honors those same ideals and celebrates the far-reaching effects that jazz has had on countless music genres. "There is the strict definition of jazz," says festival co-founder Andre Menard, "that it has to be music that has some content, spirituality, and capacity for improvising. You can find that in many other music forms now. Jazz is the great classical music of the 20th century, so for us it's the main trunk, it's where everything starts."

A relatively new addition to the program is the Montreal Musician and Musical Instrument Show (MMMIS; July 5-8, noon-9pm) which promotes music-making through over 150 exhibits, workshops, interactive activities, tutorials, jams - all free!

This year the party starts on Thursday, June 28, and continues for 11 days with performances by Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Ravi Coltrane, Cesoria Evora, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Femi Kuti, Chaka Khan, Manu Chao, Pink Martini, The Coup, Skye, and heaps of musical geniuses you may have never heard of...yet.


- Emily K Wolman

Labels: Festivals and events, The Americas

Join the Discussion: