Entertainment
MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Eleven days of weed and music in Quebec’s most cosmopolitan city.
Thu, Jul 17, 2003 12:00 am
Story by Mitch Myers
Photos courtesy of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal
It was good to be back in Montreal for the 24th International Jazz Festival (which ran from June 26 to July 6). While the festival’s music schedule was hit and miss and there were some fairly quiet periods in the middle of the 11-day run, it’s still fun to celebrate Independence Day in the progressive environment of Quebec’s most cosmopolitan city. The festival is big business in Montreal, where they close the downtown area from traffic to accommodate over 1.7 million attendees, most of whom are from out of town. The annual celebration includes over 500 music acts on more than 20 stages—many of which are outdoors and free to the public.
With Canada’s marijuana laws being so relaxed, I was able to find some good herb with the minimum of hassle. And it’s not just the ease of getting weed—mostly at speakeasies on main drags like Sainte-Laurent Boulevard or Sainte-Catherine—that makes Montreal so compelling; it’s the liberal attitudes towards smoking in contrast to the United States. Walking the festival grounds, one could smell pot being smoked all over the place. The one time a security guard did catch a friend and I smoking a joint (right before going into an auditorium to see Elvis Costello perform), she merely asked us to put it out and then left us alone.
So, with some great summer weather, a handful of concert tickets, plenty of weed, complimentary airfare and half-priced hotel accommodations, I was able to stay fairly busy in Montreal. There’s all sorts of different music at this festival, encompassing not just jazz, but pop, rock, and electronica as well old-fashioned Dixieland, urban blues, modern soul, and all world music. Hosting assorted perennials like Ray Charles and Bobby McFerrin along with the jam-friendly Medeski Martin and Wood, the festival had loads of entertainment for the casual listener as well as the most serious jazz connoisseur.
The great Miles Davis has been dead and gone for quite some time, but the late trumpeter still casts an imposing musical shadow since his onetime sidemen are now the elder statesmen of jazz. This includes saxophonist Wayne Shorter, whose quartet kicked off the opening night festivities with a solid performance at the Theater Maisonneuve. Meanwhile, at the exact same time, former Davis cohorts pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette played only two blocks away in the more intimate Monument-National theatre. Ex-Miles keyboard player Joe Zawinul also performed at the festival but while his young fusion group had plenty of technical skill, Zawinul’s music hasn’t really evolved all that much since his days leading Weather Report
Another interesting aspect of the festival is that all of the venues are within walking distance downtown. Clubs and theaters are so close together that it’s often tempting to leave one show just to walk around the corner and catch something completely different on another stage. Some of the summer’s high-profile touring acts came through town and attracted much attention, especially new diva-lite Norah Jones as well as elder-punk-auteur Elvis Costello. Chicago’s Wilco shared a fine double bill with singer Neko Case at the Metropolis and impressed the crowd mightily, as did rising cult hero and HIGH TIMES favorite Ben Harper.
Medeski Martin and Wood are truly beloved in Montreal and the trio hosted their fourth-annual dance party with fusion-jammers Metalwood opening the show. The Blind Boys of Alabama are also festival regulars and they performed at the Spectrum nightclub for the third year in a row. While singers Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter are still remarkable after 50 years of singing the gospel, they seemed a little more tired than usual. Still, no one can say that the Blind Boys don’t have the spirit; Carter amazed the crowd with his mighty voice, holding notes for extraordinary lengths of time.
The electronica concerts (held at Club Soda every midnight) were well attended, but not always great. French recording artist Rueben Steiner was a festival standout using jazzy rhythms, recorded beats, and an upright bass to produce a throbbing dance groove. Later that same night Portishead DJ Andy Smith pushed the crowd relentlessly with his mix of rare funk and old-school hip-hop. Less impressive were appearances by Montreal’s Ramasutra, France's Laurent De Wilde, Philadelphia's spoken word queen Ursula Rucker, and Germany’s Jazzanova, who sent a lone DJ to Montreal in lieu of their usual ensemble of funky technicians. Still, Club Soda was a fine late-night hangout where out-of-towners mixed easily with local music lovers.
Besides the pop, rock and, electronica, some of the festival’s traditional jazz shows were worthwhile. The lovely Monument-National staged a fascinating series of solo piano concerts, which included performances by Brazil’s Egberto Gismonti, Germany’s Joachim Kuhn, New York’s Myra Melford, Cuba’s Omar Sosa, and Italy’s Stefano Bollani, whose comic-theatrical nature makes him the Roberto Benignni of jazz. Piano-led threesomes were also in evidence at a small converted church called the Gesu, which hosted excellent performances from both the Kenny Werner Trio and the Jason Moran Trio.
Also of special interest was the two-part "Invitation" series, which gave drummer Jack DeJohnette and altoist Lee Konitz four nights each to bring in their favorite musicians from across the world to accompany them. Besides his sensational evening with Hancock and Holland, DeJohnette’s efforts came up short and his duets with Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso were one-dimensional. Still, DeJohnette’s work with a gang of talented Latin musicians was particularly rhythmic and his joint venture with McFerrin was well received. Konitz was far more consistent, playing alongside a Quebec jazz band, dueting with three different pianists (Werner, Moran, and Montreal’s own Paul Bley), collaborating with a string quartet, and finally leading a nine-piece band through an evening of his original compositions.
Other shows were notable without fitting into a larger theme (except that most of the artists seemed to come from New York). Eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter prodded his new quintet through a stirring jazz-funk romp, drawing mostly from his latest album, Right Now Move. Steve Coleman and Five Elements amazed their audience with a freeform gig at Gesu, morphing from African rhythms to left-field improvisations. Saxophonist David Murray sounded more powerful than ever as his longtime quartet harked back to the avant-garde jazz of the ’60s. Murray played two nights at the Gesu and then sat in at the after-hours jam sessions held in a little place called the Upstairs. Yet another high note at Gesu was violinist Billy Bang, who led an all-star band through the inspiring music of his current album, Viet Nam: The Aftermath.
While the festival’s much-celebrated, multi-cultural centerpiece, "Le Grand Eventment" drew well over 100,000 people into the downtown streets to watch the Spanish Harlem Orchestra perform on the main outdoor stage, the music of the "Big Event" was overshadowed by special effects, gigantic video screens, and choreographed dancers. Why the festival doesn’t just book a crowd-pleaser like George Clinton is beyond me; the one thing this festival needs is more funk. Still, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings provided two nights of dance grooves at one of the main outdoor stages and the reformed Orchestra Baobab blended ska with Afro-Cuban rhythms that kept everybody moving to the beat.
With all the great musicians gathered in Montreal, there were nightly jam sessions at several locations, and it wasn’t unusual to catch artists like saxophonist James Carter or guitarist Russell Malone playing informally with the local musicians. Admittedly, the festival is often commercial, but the mood in Montreal is never too straight-laced. Clearly, the experienced Montrealers know how to throw a great 11-day party and everyone is always invited. Next year, will be the festival’s 25th anniversary, so if you enjoy good bargains on weed, an open-minded environment, great food, late nights, have a soft spot for Francophiles, and don’t mind fighting your way through huge crowds to hear some decent music, Montreal’s International Jazz Festival is for you.
It was good to be back in Montreal for the 24th International Jazz Festival (which ran from June 26 to July 6). While the festival’s music schedule was hit and miss and there were some fairly quiet periods in the middle of the 11-day run, it’s still fun to celebrate Independence Day in the progressive environment of Quebec’s most cosmopolitan city. The festival is big business in Montreal, where they close the downtown area from traffic to accommodate over 1.7 million attendees, most of whom are from out of town. The annual celebration includes over 500 music acts on more than 20 stages—many of which are outdoors and free to the public.
With Canada’s marijuana laws being so relaxed, I was able to find some good herb with the minimum of hassle. And it’s not just the ease of getting weed—mostly at speakeasies on main drags like Sainte-Laurent Boulevard or Sainte-Catherine—that makes Montreal so compelling; it’s the liberal attitudes towards smoking in contrast to the United States. Walking the festival grounds, one could smell pot being smoked all over the place. The one time a security guard did catch a friend and I smoking a joint (right before going into an auditorium to see Elvis Costello perform), she merely asked us to put it out and then left us alone. So, with some great summer weather, a handful of concert tickets, plenty of weed, complimentary airfare and half-priced hotel accommodations, I was able to stay fairly busy in Montreal. There’s all sorts of different music at this festival, encompassing not just jazz, but pop, rock, and electronica as well old-fashioned Dixieland, urban blues, modern soul, and all world music. Hosting assorted perennials like Ray Charles and Bobby McFerrin along with the jam-friendly Medeski Martin and Wood, the festival had loads of entertainment for the casual listener as well as the most serious jazz connoisseur.
The great Miles Davis has been dead and gone for quite some time, but the late trumpeter still casts an imposing musical shadow since his onetime sidemen are now the elder statesmen of jazz. This includes saxophonist Wayne Shorter, whose quartet kicked off the opening night festivities with a solid performance at the Theater Maisonneuve. Meanwhile, at the exact same time, former Davis cohorts pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette played only two blocks away in the more intimate Monument-National theatre. Ex-Miles keyboard player Joe Zawinul also performed at the festival but while his young fusion group had plenty of technical skill, Zawinul’s music hasn’t really evolved all that much since his days leading Weather Report
Another interesting aspect of the festival is that all of the venues are within walking distance downtown. Clubs and theaters are so close together that it’s often tempting to leave one show just to walk around the corner and catch something completely different on another stage. Some of the summer’s high-profile touring acts came through town and attracted much attention, especially new diva-lite Norah Jones as well as elder-punk-auteur Elvis Costello. Chicago’s Wilco shared a fine double bill with singer Neko Case at the Metropolis and impressed the crowd mightily, as did rising cult hero and HIGH TIMES favorite Ben Harper.
Medeski Martin and Wood are truly beloved in Montreal and the trio hosted their fourth-annual dance party with fusion-jammers Metalwood opening the show. The Blind Boys of Alabama are also festival regulars and they performed at the Spectrum nightclub for the third year in a row. While singers Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter are still remarkable after 50 years of singing the gospel, they seemed a little more tired than usual. Still, no one can say that the Blind Boys don’t have the spirit; Carter amazed the crowd with his mighty voice, holding notes for extraordinary lengths of time.
The electronica concerts (held at Club Soda every midnight) were well attended, but not always great. French recording artist Rueben Steiner was a festival standout using jazzy rhythms, recorded beats, and an upright bass to produce a throbbing dance groove. Later that same night Portishead DJ Andy Smith pushed the crowd relentlessly with his mix of rare funk and old-school hip-hop. Less impressive were appearances by Montreal’s Ramasutra, France's Laurent De Wilde, Philadelphia's spoken word queen Ursula Rucker, and Germany’s Jazzanova, who sent a lone DJ to Montreal in lieu of their usual ensemble of funky technicians. Still, Club Soda was a fine late-night hangout where out-of-towners mixed easily with local music lovers.
Besides the pop, rock and, electronica, some of the festival’s traditional jazz shows were worthwhile. The lovely Monument-National staged a fascinating series of solo piano concerts, which included performances by Brazil’s Egberto Gismonti, Germany’s Joachim Kuhn, New York’s Myra Melford, Cuba’s Omar Sosa, and Italy’s Stefano Bollani, whose comic-theatrical nature makes him the Roberto Benignni of jazz. Piano-led threesomes were also in evidence at a small converted church called the Gesu, which hosted excellent performances from both the Kenny Werner Trio and the Jason Moran Trio.
Also of special interest was the two-part "Invitation" series, which gave drummer Jack DeJohnette and altoist Lee Konitz four nights each to bring in their favorite musicians from across the world to accompany them. Besides his sensational evening with Hancock and Holland, DeJohnette’s efforts came up short and his duets with Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso were one-dimensional. Still, DeJohnette’s work with a gang of talented Latin musicians was particularly rhythmic and his joint venture with McFerrin was well received. Konitz was far more consistent, playing alongside a Quebec jazz band, dueting with three different pianists (Werner, Moran, and Montreal’s own Paul Bley), collaborating with a string quartet, and finally leading a nine-piece band through an evening of his original compositions.
Other shows were notable without fitting into a larger theme (except that most of the artists seemed to come from New York). Eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter prodded his new quintet through a stirring jazz-funk romp, drawing mostly from his latest album, Right Now Move. Steve Coleman and Five Elements amazed their audience with a freeform gig at Gesu, morphing from African rhythms to left-field improvisations. Saxophonist David Murray sounded more powerful than ever as his longtime quartet harked back to the avant-garde jazz of the ’60s. Murray played two nights at the Gesu and then sat in at the after-hours jam sessions held in a little place called the Upstairs. Yet another high note at Gesu was violinist Billy Bang, who led an all-star band through the inspiring music of his current album, Viet Nam: The Aftermath.
While the festival’s much-celebrated, multi-cultural centerpiece, "Le Grand Eventment" drew well over 100,000 people into the downtown streets to watch the Spanish Harlem Orchestra perform on the main outdoor stage, the music of the "Big Event" was overshadowed by special effects, gigantic video screens, and choreographed dancers. Why the festival doesn’t just book a crowd-pleaser like George Clinton is beyond me; the one thing this festival needs is more funk. Still, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings provided two nights of dance grooves at one of the main outdoor stages and the reformed Orchestra Baobab blended ska with Afro-Cuban rhythms that kept everybody moving to the beat.
With all the great musicians gathered in Montreal, there were nightly jam sessions at several locations, and it wasn’t unusual to catch artists like saxophonist James Carter or guitarist Russell Malone playing informally with the local musicians. Admittedly, the festival is often commercial, but the mood in Montreal is never too straight-laced. Clearly, the experienced Montrealers know how to throw a great 11-day party and everyone is always invited. Next year, will be the festival’s 25th anniversary, so if you enjoy good bargains on weed, an open-minded environment, great food, late nights, have a soft spot for Francophiles, and don’t mind fighting your way through huge crowds to hear some decent music, Montreal’s International Jazz Festival is for you.