The old and the new generation of jazz, as well as dozens of artists for all tastes, will rub shoulders on the stages of the next Festival international de jazz de Montréal (FIJM), from June 29 to July 8. Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Buddy Guy, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Thundercat are notably on the bill, along with Vance Joy, Christine and the Queens, Badbadnotgood, Jean-Michel Blais, among many others.
The poster of 43e Montreal Jazz Festival is as rich as it is varied. Jazz has an increased presence there, but many music lovers, regardless of their preferences, should find what they are looking for, both indoors and during free outdoor shows. “It’s one of the most exciting programs of the last 10 years,” says Maurin Auxéméry, the event’s new programming director.
One of the great prides of the team of FIJM programmers lies in the meeting between the old and the new guard of jazz music: “We were able to get the up and coming of the stage, while keeping a good place for our OG, our originals, says Maurin Auxéméry. We have a real balance. »
PHOTO AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Diana Krall in Washington on the 1er last march
Thus, at the top of the bill are Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Chucho Valdés or even Buddy Guy, who will bow out in the company of the young guitarist and blues singer Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Thundercat, Ibrahim Maalouf, Snarky Puppy and Melody Gardot add their names, giving a more modern touch to this prestigious line-up.
Other well-established artists from different musical affiliations complete the list of headliners, including Vance Joy, Christine and the Queens, Badbadnotgood, Orville Peck, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Natalia Lafourcade, Marisa Monte and Montrealer Jean-Michel Blais. “I think that we are addressing a lot of people with this program,” says Mr. Auxéméry. But the common thread, for us, is music that is thrilling and exciting, that has a lot of color. »
Two-thirds of the more than 350 FIJM concerts will be presented free of charge on one of the outdoor stages. This will notably be the case for concerts by star Thundercat, Jean-Michel Blais, Canadians Badbadnotgood, Vance Joy and a concert celebrating the 50e anniversary of hip-hop, on the main stage of the festival. Young New York singer Danielle Ponder, emerging jazz artist Endea Owens and Ontario R&B singer Savannah Ré will also perform free shows on the Rogers Stage and the TD Stage.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Jean-Michel Blais in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts during the 2022 Montreal International Jazz Festival
A younger audience
Festival-goers will be able to discover many rising stars of the jazz scene next summer. This year’s Grammy winner for discovery of the year, Samara Joy, will notably be performing at the Monument-National.
Like this 23-year-old jazz singer, the FIJM audience is getting younger. “Statistically, we see it, relates Maurin Auxéméry. It will continue, with the presence of artists like Thundercat or Badbadnotgood. In general, there are many borders that are being erased in the way of consuming music and festivals. He cites the example of Ludovico Einaudi, present at the festival last year, who was able to attract festival-goers of very different ages to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
This year, artists like Tiny Habits will directly join Generation Z. The American folk group from Boston is one of those festival takes that programmers see as a kind of bet for the future, convinced that these artists are to achieve great success. “That’s what happened with Rosalia,” recalls Maurin Auxéméry. His first date in North America was with us. And it wasn’t Rosalia from [la chanson ultrapopulaire] unwell, it was Rosalia the flamenco. »
In the series of free shows, we will notably find at Studio TD Gentiane MG, Naïssam Jalal, Mali Obomsawin, Oscar Jerome, Theon Cross, Brandee Younger, CARRTOONS & Friends and Elise Trouw. At Club Montreal TD, Mopao Mumu, Elliot Maginot, Ping Pong Go, Hanorah, Jonah Yano, Alias, Aiza and FELP will come to defend the colors of the Montreal scene.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE ORGANIZATION
Poster of 43e Montreal International Jazz Festival
The economic situation is not easy right now, but the good news is that there will be a hundred artists on these free stages. Artists who speak to a demographic a little younger than those in the room.
Maurin Auxéméry, programming director
In all, nearly a dozen stages will host free concerts. The festival model, which mainly focuses on this free offer, has been somewhat undermined in recent years. In addition, the competition is fierce between all the events of the genre, which take place during the same period. But the organization persists in presenting a program that is sometimes hidden away, sometimes accessible, mostly outdoors, for shows that everyone can attend.
“The context is not obvious, but we want to create the most exciting programming possible, while always keeping this idea of the democratization of music, adds Maurin Auxéméry. We are proud of the work accomplished. I think we’ve managed to deliver programming that will have Montrealers and tourists alike going crazy. »
Tickets for the paid concerts go on sale Thursday, April 6 at 10 a.m.