Montreal Jazz Festival

[Ed Swinnich]

Since I was crabbing about it, I guess I'll start this thread off.

June 26 - July 6, 2003.

I've been going to this thing since 1991. A great festival in a great city. I can't say enough good things about this event. Those of you who have been attending can attest to the excellence of this festival. One of the nice things about it is that they keep making improvements.

I'll be there again this year, this time with the whole family. Once of the nice things about going to Montreal is that there are tons of things to keep everyone busy - sites, shopping, restaurants.

By the way, I got my ticket pre-sale announcement in the mail. Wayne Shorter, Zawinul Syndicate, Dave Holland Big Band....... Not bad for a teaser.

You can check out their 4 minute promotional video here:

Montreal Jazz Festival promotional video

[Pete C]

Ed who?

By the way, I think it would be nice if somebody started a thread about the Montreal Jazz Festival.

[Gary Sisco]

Hey, where'd you get my junior high graduation picture?

[Bill Beran]

Montreal seems to be closemouthed about the artists appearing in the non-featured shows. Tough for those of us whose lives literally revolve around attending the festival.

Does anyone have any idea who Jack DeJohnette will be working with for his Invitation series? He's played with everybody. I recently listened to "Special Edition" with Arthur Blythe and David Murray and was reminded what a great band that was.

Can't wait for the full schedule.

[Gary Sisco]

Bill -- They probably don't know yet themselves, I'd guess, since all of the festivals, all over the jazz world, are all busy booking or trying to book this cat or that. It must be a nightmare of scheduling,really, when you think about it, that whole season. I'm glad all I have to do is buy tix and go the shows, that's for sure.

Ed -- We've been having hangs in Montreal last several years. Keep an eye on the threads, so's you can hook up.

[Ed Swinnich]

Originally posted by Gary Sisco
Ed -- We've been having hangs in Montreal last several years. Keep an eye on the threads, so's you can hook up.

I will keep an eye on the thread. I'm heading up to Montreal July 3,4,5, and 6.

[Gordon B]

Ed, join the party. I'll be there the same days. Same goes for Captain Hate. Gary has promised us he'll me us on one of those days. Chaz Lounge, will you be there then? Anybody else?

[Gary Sisco]

chaz is *always* there during the festival.

Right now I plan on being there one day the first weekend and one day while youse are all up there.

Pete -- Are you still thinking about that first weekend?

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Gary Sisco
Pete -- Are you still thinking about that first weekend?

I doubt it. If I'm out of work I can't afford it and if I'm working I probably can't take enough time to make it worth the trip.

[Gary Sisco]

Frickin' life. Always getting in the way of music. Sorry to hear that, Pete.

[Jazzooo]

Wow--well, it looks as if Glenda and I will have a chance to meet a few of you guys, as we're planing on being there over the 4th weekend as well! It's pretty frustrating not to know the lineup, which would normally influence my travel plans. But I'm sure it will be quite amazing.

[Gary Sisco]

Cool, Doug!

There'll be nuff music, don't worry about it.

[Fred K]

I'm planning to be there for the first weekend, but that could change depending on who's playing. Some of the indoor shows should be announced shortly.

[Gordon B]

Doug, I'm looking forward to meeting you and Glenda. We'll have to discuss '24'.

Everybody going to Montreal should get on the mailing list. We need to discuss the indoor events on May 2 and May 9. Read below from the email sent out by the festival organizers today.

Get ready for a unique event!
Tickets for over 200 concerts on sale May 2 and May 9
Newsletter subscribers get first choice of seats during two days of exclusive sales.

Dear Friends of the Festival,

Again this year, fans of both the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and Les FrancoFolies de Montréal will have the opportunity to liven up their evenings by enjoying an impressive line-up of indoor shows.

Keep checking your e-mail! You'll soon be invited to have first choice of tickets for concerts being presented at both festivals. An advance ticket sale exclusively accessible via the newsletter will take place May 2 for Les FrancoFolies de Montréal and May 9 for Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

So, get ready for this unique ticket sale and prepare to see many legendary performers displaying their exceptional talents in concert!

[Captain Hate]

Be good to meet you and Glenda too, Doug. The more JC'ers the better, I hope.

[Gary Sisco]

Traditionally, we JCers and a few Montrealers) meet up for a hang at the Wyndham Hotel lobby bar, about 3:00 pm.

Thanks for the notice about the tix, Gordon. I also subbed to several other enewsletters of interest to me, as Montreal is the closest real city to where I live.

It'll be nice to save a coupla bux this year, too.

[Gordon B]

Let's hope that Montreal isn't next.

April 23 — Responding to the global spread of the deadly SARS virus, the World Health Organization on Wednesday urged against travel to Beijing, China’s Shanxi province and Toronto, Canada’s business capital. In Beijing, meanwhile, officials suspended school classes for two weeks beginning Thursday because of the outbreak.

[Gary Sisco]

Can't have a global economy without global travel and hence global viruses. I'm not going to worry about it; ain't nothing that can be done about it. It's going to spread where it's going to spread, in wholly unpredictable ways.

[Ed Swinnich]

I'm not going to worry about SARS at this point. Gary is right. The virus will spread unpredictably and there's not much we can do.

[Gordon B]

Tomorrow, we can pre-order for up to 150 indoor concerts. I'll post below the concerts that I would loosely consider to be 'jazz' that occur when Captain Hate, Jazzoo and I (at a minimum) will be there, July 3-5. Can we reach some consensus on some venues to meet at?

The days and scheduled times are listed below each entry.

Should we buy some tickets as a block? Are the seats assigned?

KONITZ-BLEY-MORAN-WERNER *JAZZ
MONUMENT-NATIONAL(L.-DUVERNAY) [info]
7:00 PM
Thursday July 3, 2003
G ALLEN - C CHESTNUT *JAZZ
MONUMENT-NATIONAL(L.-DUVERNAY) [info]
9:30 PM
Thursday July 3, 2003
KENNY WERNER TRIO *JAZZ
LE GESU [info]
10:30 PM
Thursday July 3, 2003
KONITZ - SPRING STRING *JAZZ
MONUMENT-NATIONAL(L.-DUVERNAY) [info]
7:00 PM
Friday July 4, 2003
ABDULLAH IBRAHIM *JAZZ
SPECTRUM [info]
9:30 PM
Friday July 4, 2003
EGBERTO GISMONTI *JAZZ
MONUMENT-NATIONAL(L.-DUVERNAY) [info]
9:30 PM
Friday July 4, 2003
JASON MORAN TRIO *JAZZ
LE GESU [info]
10:30 PM
Friday July 4, 2003
DAVID SANCHEZ *JAZZ
PDA - THEATRE MAISONNEUVE [info]
6:00 PM
Saturday July 5, 2003
YANNICK RIEU *JAZZ
LE GESU [info]
6:00 PM
Saturday July 5, 2003
LEE KONITZ NEW NONET *JAZZ
MONUMENT-NATIONAL(L.-DUVERNAY) [info]
7:00 PM
Saturday July 5, 2003
STEVE COLEMAN *JAZZ
LE GESU [info]
10:30 PM
Saturday July 5, 2003

[Pete C]

The Spectrum is table seating, first come, first served. Most of the concert halls are reserved seats, except that events at Gesu have been sold both ways. If I remember correctly, it's easier to order by phone than online because I think the Admission website treats each concert as a separate order rather than creating a shopping basket for multiple shows (unless they changed it). Also, on the phone you can discuss seating preferences.

[Gary Sisco]

I'll have to check the website. At the moment, I'd be leaning toward Abdullah Ibrahim, of the choices listed here. I'd like to hear Steve Coleman, but it would make way too late a night, driving back. Same with Jason Moran.

[Gordon B]

Gary, I've never seen Ibrahim so maybe we can meet up on the 4th and have a Canadian hang. CH is also interested in Ibrahim. I'd like to see the first concert because I've never seen Bley, Konitz, or Moran. That concert is all duets with Konitz.

Anybody know the skinny on Yannick Rieu?
I guess it's impossible to catch both the Ibrahim and the Moran trio.

[Ed Swinnich]

I've got three discs by Rieu. He's clearly a Coltrane influenced tenor player but not a Coltrane clone or wanna-be. He's got a nice tone, lots of creativity in his solos and lots of intensity. Personally, I like him a lot. But I'm not really good at comparing artists and I know a lot of you guys here are into the avante more than mainstream. As a result, I'm very hesitant to characterize his playing as on the more adventurous side even though that is what I think of it.

For me music falls into two categories - that which I enjoy, and that which I do not. I enjoy Dexter, Henderson, Coltrane, Rollins, Greg Osby, David Murray, Sam Rivers, Donald Harrison, Chris Potter. I guess if pinned down I'd say his stuff is slightly more adventurous than your average post bop mainstream tenor type, but not avant or free.

I've picked up a ton of discs of local and Canadian artists while going to Montreal over the past 10 years or so. Rieu's are among the best.

[Ed Swinnich]

By the way, if he's playing at the Gesu, that means the price is reasonable and the venue is nice. I'd say he's definitely worth checking out.

[Gary Sisco]

I think Gesu is the best room around, but Le Spectrum is our favorite club. We like hearing music there and the doormen always make sure Bronwyn gets a good seat.

Gordon -- I've only heard Ibrahim once live. Unless something comes up of which I'm not aware, that will probably be the day we're in Montreal. Haven't checked the website (or received any enewsletters, though I did sign up) yet, as my computer's barely functioning at the moment.

[Captain Hate]

Hey guys (Gordon, jazzoo, Gary, Ed and anybody that I've inadvertantly left off), should we be getting tickets as a group? I don't know if anybody is coordinating it or not but I'd hate to go there and be shut out of something that I wanna see. Not to sound too much like a weinie or anything.

Ed, thanks for the synopsis of Yannick Rieu; I'm pretty interested in checking him out.

[Bill Beran]

Are y'all only going to be there the tail end of the festival? I was thinking of coming up maybe 6/26 (would love to see the Shorter concert), because I can't get time off from work around the Fourth, and staying for a couple of nights.

I was a little disappointed that the festival is a little light on the free-jazz end, seems to be the way it's been going the last few years. But just being able to walk the streets of Montreal would be reason enough to come, it's probably my favorite city in the world with some of the nicest people, whether French or English speaking.

[Gary Sisco]

Bill -- I'm hoping to be there on the 29th to hear the Dave Holland Big Band. Will you still be there? I *may* try to hit the 26th as well to hear DeJohnette at Gesu. Depends on funds and how much work is happening.

Capt -- It's kind of early to worry too much about tix but I'll probably be buying mine soon, anyway.

A.g.'ers: Keep your eyes on the calendar here: http://casadelpopolo.com/casa/casa.htm.

[Bill Beran]

GS: given my limited funds I'll be lucky to squeeze in 2 nites, so will probably have to leave on 6/28. The Shorter and Jack D. shows conflict, unfortunately, and I think I have to give the edge to Wayne since I missed him when his tour came thru Connecticut last year. But David Murray is on 6/26, too.