[JPL] Montreal hosts jazz's biggest party

[Jazz Promo Services]

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Article published Jun 30, 2007

Montreal hosts jazz's biggest party

MONTREAL ­ The weather was perfect for the opening night of the Montreal
International Jazz Festival, or Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
as it is officially called, reputedly the world's largest. It was cool but
not cold on Thursday as thousands of revelers filled a several-block area in
the center of Montreal to hear the biggest jazz stars in world, as well as
lots of up-and-comers. There were serious music-lovers, as well as many just
there to party.

The major opening concert said it all. Wynton Marsalis, perhaps America's
greatest jazz figure, packed the 3,000-seat Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for a
performance with his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Yacub Addy and
Odadaa. Not only was the charismatic performance brilliant, precise and
beautiful, its presentation was visually striking.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival, June 28-July 8, is presenting 500
concerts, 350 of them free, by musicians from 30 countries, in the area
around Place des Arts.

Despite the 2 million people who attend, the festival seems intimate as
there are so many separate places to go in a relatively small area. St.
Catherine Street is blocked off between Place des Arts and the Complexe
Desjardins, the huge mall and hotel across the street. The General Motors
Stage, the festival's biggest, closes off the West end, while smaller stages
and concessions line the street. While there is one major concert, always
free, going on outdoors, three separate concert halls in Place des Arts are
hosting concerts. Simultaneously, several nightclubs and outdoor stages in
surrounding blocks are presenting festival concerts.

Marsalis has long been an icon in the jazz world since making his debut as a
young virtuoso trumpet player, coming from a family of professional jazz
musicians. Marsalis brought together his virtuoso big band, the Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the drumming ensemble, Odadaa, led by Ghanaian
drum master Yacub Addy, for this concert of contemporary big band music
mixed with African percussion music.

The major work was Marsalis' "Congo Square," named for the place in New
Orleans where slaves got together to play their own music in the 18th and
19th centuries. The music is full-bodied big band, with some contemporary
harmonic language, interspersed with complex but compelling African drumming
and chanting. The music was performed with a precision and understanding not
often heard anywhere in jazz music by some of New York's best.

Marsalis was the consummate showman, leading his band with spirit, playing
his trumpet with passion and virtuosity, and prancing about stage with the
joy of a little boy. But, this superstar never hogged the limelight,
frequently turning it to the elderly Yacub Addy, or the individual members
of his own band, including fellow trumpet players. The virtuoso improvising
between individual members of the band with a drummer from the percussion
ensemble was rapid-fire, precise and musically amazing.

That this was a big event was evidenced by the television cameras
surrounding the performance ­ though they never intruded. The concert, which
was beautifully staged, was being filmed for upcoming broadcast on the Bravo
network.

Two hours earlier, an adoring crowd awaited the entrance of another African
musician at The Spectrum, a big club in the block west of Place des Arts.
Pop singer Angélique Kidjo, another charismatic performer, focused more on
African-flavored world music than traditional. Still, the brash-voiced,
energetic singer kept the audience roused throughout. Her band was expert,
clearly seasoned jazz players on guitars, brass, saxes and drums, and the
light show added to the brilliance for the packed-to-the-gills club.

Traditional jazz was offered by French singer Anne Ducros at the more
intimate Club Soda, a block east of Place des Arts. The world-traveling
mezzo-soprano clearly knew what she was doing, from scat to ballad singing,
as did her accompanying pianist, saxophonist, bass player and drummer.
Although her approach was a bit impersonal, her performances were polished
and beautiful.

During these concerts, the outdoor stages were filled with a wide variety of
bands and singers, while the General Motors Stage hosted a Brazilian
carnival with Carlinhos Brown. In the evening, many nearby streets are
blocked off, making more outdoor stages available. Most stages opened at 4
p.m. Thursday, but for the remaining 10 days, the music begins at noon. On
Thursday at 1:30, scores of toddlers sat enthralled and entertained in the
center of the Complexe Desjardins mall by the fun-loving Little School of
Jazz ­ including dancing to jazz versions of "Für Elise," "London Bridge"
and "Frere Jacques." (There is even a mini-jazz theme park for the kids
during the afternoon.)

At midnight St. Catherine Street was still filled with happy people
listening to the last strains of music ­ and this was just the first day.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival is amazingly user-friendly.
Virtually everyone involved is bilingual. Those fortunate to arrive early
enough can find parking in the underground garage at Complexe Desjardins for
$15 Canadian. (Despite the barriers, take the left off René Levesque onto
Jeanne Mance and look for the parking sign on the right hand side.) From
there, you take an elevator into the mall and you're in the hub of the jazz
festival. There are information booths all around, including in front of
Place des Arts. Restaurants and festival food and drink (alcoholic as well)
concessions abound, and the food court in the mall has fast food for every
taste, including Canadian, Chinese, Lebanese, Mexican, Thai, as well as
pasta, salads, burgers and dogs.

Walking between venues is easy and enjoyable as it affords an opportunity to
view the incredible variety of visitors from around the world. In short,
it's one fun festival ­ with great music.