The Exterior Program for the 27th Edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
Quality & Variety Free Shows
Montreal will soon host the great jazz event!
Picture this: it’s downtown Montreal, every day from noon to midnight, June 29th to July 9th, 2006. The site is alive with happy festival goers, perambulating in twos, threes and en famille, and they’re all grooving to the astonishing sounds of over 350 different live shows on Festival stages, ALL COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE! There’s music of every possible genre under the sunny skies and starry nights, the collective pulse of Planet Jazz, all gathered in fair city. Music from New Orleans, starring the immortal Neville Brothers; from the Balkan peninsula, Goran Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Band; and the world renowned music of a New York icon in Tribute to Paul Simon – who is playing at this year’s Festival – for the Grand Événement General Motors! Italy will be enjoying prominence at this year’s fest, as well, with Suono Italia, highlighting the long and venerable musical traditions of that country. And the terrific Montreal Musician and Musical Instrument Show (MMMIS) will be tripling the number of exhibitors for this second year, underscoring the huge success it was for its inaugural year in 2005.In order to present this 27th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, we are happy to once again thank our loyal sponsors, beginning with General Motors of Canada, who remains the main sponsor and official presenter of the event. Alcan is back on board, too, as an official sponsor and co-presenter of the Festival. And that’s not to mention the many other corporations and organizations who’ve come together to make the event possible, including Bell Canada, Loto‑Québec, Samsung, TD Canada Trust, the SAQ, Molson, Best Buy, Italian Trade Commission (Suono Italia), XM Radio Satellite, CBC TV, Radio‑Canada Télévision, Bravo!, TV5 and ARTV. Some 350 outdoor shows, all free of charge!Over 2000 musicians from 5 continents and about 30 countries plus six Canadian provinces will be appearing on 12 outdoor stages within almost 30 different series of concerts. Many are major stars on the international scene; others are relatively unknown and on their way up. So the exterior site is THE place to be to discover new acts and old favorites, not to mention the various strolling Dixie Land bands and other street performers who’ll be entertaining throughout the site.
Scène General Motors (corner of Ste. Catherine Street West and Jeanne-Mance). The main concert series, Les Performances General Motors, will take place at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the Scène General Motors. Among the 10 concerts scheduled, you won’t want to miss Afrodizz, the best Montreal Afrobeat band, inspired by the late, great Fela Ransome-Kuti. Also on hand will be Monica Freire—our favorite Brazilian singer—back at the Festival after the launch of her magnificent 2005 Bahiatronica album. Also on that stage will be brilliant, Dallas-born Demi Evans, presenting selections from her new album Why Do You Run? And Montreal’s favorite couple-in-real-life Bet.e & Carlos will be there, too, a musical synthesis of the charms of both Brazil and Cuba.
Photo:
Olivia Sellerio
Among artists and groups who’ll be appearing in the Gammes General Motors series this year (on the same stage at 6 p.m.) will be Alister Spence, considered one of the finest pianists and jazzmen in Australia today. Montreal bassist Alex Bellegarde—winner of the 2005 Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors—will be there, too. In fact it’s on the very same stage that the 2006 winner of the Grand Prix de Jazz general Motors will appear on Saturday, July 8th at 6 p.m. Homegrown winners of the prize enjoy, among many other benefits, exceptional exposure. Galaxie, CBC’s Continuous Music Network of Radio‑Canada, will also offer a prize Prix Étoiles Galaxie de Radio-Canada to composer of the best new composition, selected from among several musical groups and projects in competition. Those include Karine Chapdelaine, who won the 2003 prize, this time appearing with her group The Sketches. Festival visitors are cordially invited to attend all the concerts to hear everyone in competition. Contestants are all clearly indicated in the Festival program, and it’s a unique opportunity to discover who’s who and who’s coming up in the world of contemporary Canadian jazz.
Scene of the Carrefour General Motors (on the corner of Jeanne‑Mance and De Maisonneuve Boulevard West). The Carrefour General Motors is home to the Contact General Motors series, which consists of two separate event schedules. For example, at 6:30 p.m., you can see Amalgáma, starring Suzie Auclair who’ll be presenting selections from her CD Brisa de Verano, a warm and sunny work that’s captivated critics in her native Quebec. Accordionist Arnaud Méthivier, alias Nano, is a technical wizard who’s also master of the “loops.” Magneto, formed by Rick Haworth (guitar), Mario Légaré (bass) and Sylvain Clavette (drums) creates far-out musical ambiences, totally free-form, but melodic and resembling film sound tracks. On the same stage at 9 p.m. is the Contact General Motors series. Billed for the series is virtuoso of the bansuri flute Catherine Potter with her Duniya Project, a fascinating fusion of classical Indian music and jazz. Lubo Alexandrov, master of the fretless guitar will appear with the group Kaba Horo, combining the energy of Bulgarian dance, the festive spirit of gypsy songs, the intensity of Turkish music and a universal, urban groove. Singer, guitarist and clarinetist John Jorgenson will appear as well, ones of the pioneers of gypsy jazz in the U.S.
Demi Evans CONTINUES ON P120