Aug 29, 2023 11:41 AM
Blindfold Test: Christian McBride
Christian McBride turned 51 this May 31 and is still pushing far beyond what many might consider conventional career…
Jazz will be more prominent than ever on both indoor and outdoor stages at this year’s Montreal Jazz Festival.
(Photo: Victor Diaz Lamich)Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Rio Tinto in downtown Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles, has announced the full lineup of artists who will be performing at this summer’s 43rd edition, which takes place June 29–July 8.
Over the course of 10 days, world-renowned artists including Buddy Guy, Diana Krall, Chucho Valdéz, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily, Robert Plant & Alison Krause, Brad Mehldau, Anouar Brahem, Melody Gardot, Herbie Hancock and George Benson will rub shoulders with jazz’s rising stars, sometimes even sharing the same stage.
Many established artists will be performing at the festival for the first time, and jazz will be more prominent than ever on both indoor and outdoor festival stages. A total of 350 concerts will be presented, and more than two-thirds of the are free-admission.
“It sounds cliché in the festival world, but it’s worth saying because it’s so true: We are incredibly proud to present a truly balanced program that is jam packed with gems,” said Maurin Auxéméry, the new director of the FIJM programming. “With the full backing of the big festival family, each member of the programming team passionately defends their vision of jazz, which has sparked engaging discussions and a program that embodies what the genre is today. Jazz from the 21st century is changing and mutating, drawing on other musical styles, and our programming reflects this refreshing change. Jazz lovers are becoming more diversified, new generations are tuning in, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Paid concert tickets will go on sale Thursday, April 6 at 10 a.m., and newsletter subscribers will enjoy an exclusive access to a presale on Wednesday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. To view the complete lineup of performers, visit the festival’s website. DB
Christian McBride and writer Ashley Kahn meet for a DownBeat Blindfold Test hosted by New York University’s Jazz Studies program.
Aug 29, 2023 11:41 AM
Christian McBride turned 51 this May 31 and is still pushing far beyond what many might consider conventional career…
Samara Joy brought fans to their feet in the middle of her Newport set!
Aug 8, 2023 3:53 PM
“Something for everybody” was the strategy of the Ed Sullivan Show, the most successful variety show in TV history,…
Ceramic Dog is, from right, Shahzad Ismaily, Ches Smith and Ribot.
Sep 12, 2023 2:03 PM
There’s an unrepentant snarl to Marc Ribot’s voice on twisted tunes like “Subsidiary,” “Soldiers In The Army…
“He was the coolest,” Fortner says of Nat “King” Cole. “Didn’t break a sweat.”
Sep 26, 2023 12:48 PM
Before taking a live Blindfold Test in Indianapolis during the American Pianists Association Awards last April, pianist…
Person’s esthetic took shape in an era when jazz functioned as neighborhood social entertainment and moved with a deep dance groove.
Aug 22, 2023 11:52 AM
When tenor saxophone soul maestro Houston Person talks about his life and career — like the time he was studying at…
