Music: The World of Jazz
27th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal: A superb indoor program
By Ann Braithwaite
Photo:
Etta James.
Paul Simon, B.B. King, Brad Mehldau, Etta James, Salif Keita, Tony Bennett, John Pizzarelli, Dave Brubeck, John Zorn, Amadou and Mariam, Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Biréli Lagrène and many more!
Photo:
Dee Dee Bridgewater.
It's the time of year for balmy days and nights, happy crowds and cool grooves, and this year's going to be something truly special. In two months' time, more than 2000 musicians from the four corners of the earth will be filling the downtown streets and concert halls with jazz, rhythm & blues, soul; contemporary sounds and traditional; from world beat to electro, Latin and gypsy. It'll all be happening at the 27th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal-presented by General Motors of Canada, chief sponsor and official presenter of the event set to take place from June 28th to July 9th, 2006. Over 140 ticketed indoor concerts thematically divided into a total of 15 series are scheduled in a variety of downtown venues, from the classiest to the funkiest.
Photo:
Paul Simon.
This year, there's an unusual number of luminaries on the roster, names like Paul Simon, B.B. King, Tony Bennett and McCoy Tyner, plus Brad Mehldau, who's this year's recipient of the Prix Miles-Davis. Etta James will be awarded the Prix Ella Fitzgerald and Salif Keita will receive the 2006 Prix Antonio Carlos Jobim. John Pizzarelli will be opening the event and Dave Brubeck will be closing it. John Zorn, Nils Petter Molvaer, Ravi Coltrane, Yusef Lateef and many other exponents of everything cool and eclectic will be blowing into town, too, keeping up the momentum as the Festival rolls into its second quarter-century.
Photo: B.B. King
Amadou and Mariam, Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris; Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint; Ani Difranco, Baaba Maal, David Clayton-Thomas and The Roots together give a good idea of the variety in store. And Year 2000 winner of the Prix Ella-Fitzgerald Dee Dee Bridgewater will be back in the city that served as a springboard for her re-entry to the Americas, way back in 1993. Some other musicians for whom the jazz fest has been a launching pad will also be on hand: Yannick Rieu, this year's winner of the Prix Oscar Peterson (with François Bourassa), Susie Arioli in an all-new show, the Lorraine Desmarais Big Band, Steve Amirault, Michel Donato and Jean François Groulx. Brazil will be featured this year, represented by some new discoveries like Seu Jorge, Badi Assad and CeU. But Europe will get some glory too, especially via the Invitation series of which the first part will be entrusted to guitar virtuoso Biréli Lagrène and the second to drummer Aldo Romano. Italy, in fact, will have a special place of honor at this year's festival through the Suono Italia series that will be presented every night at the Cabaret. Ciné-Jazz series will be happening at the Cinémathèque québécoise (at 4 & 6 p.m.), featuring Frank Cassenti. And about 350 free outdoor shows will be announced this coming June 6th, for a total of 500 musical events involving about 2500 musicians plus hundreds of street performers and animators.
Photo:
Elvis Costello.
This
year's program, series by series.
The
Pleins feux General
Motors
series, 8 p.m., Salle Wilfrid Pelletier at Place des Arts
B.B. King (June 28) An evening with the King of the Blues and his
beloved guitar Lucille. King recently celebrated his 80th birthday.
John Pizzarelli Big Band Dear Mr. Sinatra (June 29) The
guitar virtuoso with the mellifluous voice and one of Montrealers'
favorites in a tribute to one of his mentors. An Evening with Tony
Bennett (June 30) After a 50 year career and as many millions of
albums sold, the immortal Tony Bennett last year won a Grammy for his
more recent album, The Art Of Romance.
Photo: Bonnie Raitt.
Photo:
Jamie Cullum.
E
tta James (July 1) The legend of soul, R&B and blues and winner of a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement stops off in Montreal to reprise some of her best-loved songs. Opening act: singer/songwriter and acoustic bluesman Eric Bibb. Elvis Costello & The Imposters plus The Piano and Songs of Allen Toussaint with his New Orleans Horn Section, The River in Reverse Tour 2006 (July 3) Eleven musicians on stage including a full horn section-bound to be a crowd-pleaser!Paul Simon (July 5) One of the greats of contemporary American songwriting, this will be Paul's first visit to the Festival. With selections from his latest album Surprise, produced by Brian Eno. Daniel Lanois and special guest Emmylou Harris (July 6) The celebrated producer, singer, songwriter and guitarist on stage with the Grande Dame of American country-folk music. Bonnie Raitt, with Keb'Mo' as opening act. (July 7) A major exponent of the blues followed by the legendary songbird and winner of 9 Grammies. In 2000 Bonnie was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Dave Brubeck Quartet (July 8, closing concert) Dave takes no Time Out from his long and lauded career. The 85-year-old giant of jazz and good friend to the Festival is back for what promises to be yet another unforgettable concert event.
Photo:
Emmylou Harris.
The
Les Grands Concerts TD Canada
Trust series,
6 p.m. in the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts
Brad Mehldau Trio Special Concert
(June 28) Accompanied by his trusted bass man Larry Grenadier and new
drummer Jeff Ballard, the winner of the 2006 Prix Miles-Davis will
perform selections from his new album Day is Done. John Zorn
Acoustic Masada (June 29) The iconoclastic America saxophonist
and composer will perform an acoustic version of his epic Masada,
inspired by the famous episode in Jewish history. Dee Dee Bridgewater
J'ai deux amours (June 30). Recipient of the 2000 Prix
Ella-Fitzgerald, Dee Dee's finally back in Montreal to sing six of the
greatest French songs of all time: La mer, Ne me quitte pas,
Avec le temps, La vie en rose, Les feuilles mortes and
J'ai deux amours. Wayne Shorter Quartet with Brian Blade, John
Patitucci, Danilo Perez (July 1) This will be Wayne's first visit to
the Festival since 2003. The pre-eminent sax-man will offer up
selections from his album Beyond the Sound Barrier . Opening act:
Montreal sax player Chet Doxas and his Quartet. McCoy
Tyner Septet with Dave Leibman, Nicholas Payton, Donald Harrison, Steve
Turre, Eric Gravat and Charnett Moffet - The Story of Impulse!
Records (July 2) A rare chance to see and hear this fine pianist
accompanied by peers who've also backed luminaries like Miles Davis,
John Coltrane and Bud Powell. Jamie Cullum (July 3) His first
album Twentysomething sold more than 3 million copies, so the
young and explosive British singer and pianist followed up with
Catching Tales. Opening act: American singer/songwriter Sonya
Kitchell.
An evening with Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Solo, trio and in quartet with special guest David Sanchez (July 5) A major force in contemporary jazz piano, Cuban-born Gonzalo teams up with Puerto Rican sax man David Sanchez. Both have worked on legendary projects with Charlie Haden. Guy Nadon / Vic Vogel & The Jazz Big Band (July 6) Both musicians have been perennials at the Jazz festival. "King of Drums" and 1998 winner of the Prix Oscar Peterson, Nadon opens; then get set for the pianist and band-leader who closed the very first festival in 1980, Vic Vogel. Gonzales Pianovision (July 7) The brilliantly talented musician is bursting with wild musical ideas. Get set for a magnificent evening of piano solo, joyous, intelligent and entertaining. Chris Botti (July 8) On To Love Again, Chris offered some brilliant re-readings of jazz/pop standards in duets with both Sting and Michael Bublé.