One of the most unique cities in North America is the meeting place each summer for the planet’s best jazz, transforming the boulevards of Montréal into musical magnets.
Saturday June 25 through Monday July 4 are the play dates for the 2011 iteration of Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Here are some of the musicians, their venues, and what it will cost you in Canadian dollars:
June 24 at 7 p.m. Robert Plant’s Band of Joy performs at the Place des Arts, 175 Ste. Catherine West. Use the Place-des-Arts Metro stop. Tickets range from $69.50 to $99.50, plus taxes and service charge.
June 25 at 6 p.m. Angélique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright evoke the legacies of Miriam Makeba, Abby Lincoln and Odetta. This too is at the Place-des-Arts. Tickets run from $49.50 to $69.50, plus taxes and service charge.
June 25 at 7 p.m. it’s Paco de Lucia at Places-des-Arts. Tickets run the gamut from $54.50 to $72.50, plus taxes and service charge.
June 26 at 2 p.m. get set for a bit of a throwback, with a battle of the bands between the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra at Place-des-Arts. Admission to this epic blast ranges from $52.50 to $72.50 per person, plus taxes and service charge.
June 27 at 8 p.m. switch gears and get ready for GRUBB: Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats. The venue is different this time: 300 de Masionneuve East. Take the Berri-UQAM Metro. Tickets are $52.50, plus taxes and service charge.
June 28 at 7 p.m. immerse yourself in the sound of the hit group Pink Martini as you head back to the Place-des-Arts. Tickets for the performance range from $38.50 to $62.50, plus taxes and service charge.
June 29 at 6 p.m. Madeleine Peyroux performs at the Place-des-Arts. The price of admission is $24.50 to $44.50, plus taxes and service charges.
As they say, ‘we could go on.’ These are just some of the first-tier jazz performers this stellar festival attracts each year. To keep yourself sane, centered and safe during the sessions remember this is the summertime, and it gets hot – even in Canada.
Bring along a supply of water, and make sure those bottles are reusable. Don’t bring along any alcohol. Know that bikes, skateboards, and rollerblades are verboten. While the festival says child strollers are “tolerated…their use is strongly discouraged.” A front or backpack for the kid, perhaps?
More on the heat and humidity from Festival organizers: “If you prefer not to melt in the sun, shorts and other light clothing are the order of the day, and for most evenings as well.” The folks who put on the show “also recommend some sunscreen, and a hat.” That’s important. But so’s this: don’t forget to bring along a windbreaker for evenings, “the instability of Quebec weather having achieved legendary status.”
Chances are you’ll find the performances a lot more legendary than the weather at this year’s Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: nonanet)
