Toronto Jazz Festival Gets Set for 23rd Edition
Toronto Festival Brings Jazz To The Fore Every Summer In The City
May 7, 2009
The Toronto jazz festival has over the years become one of the major highlights of Toronto summers; Not only for jazz musicians and fans, but also for the jazz curious, small shop owners and for the city.
This year the festival runs from June 26th to July 5th.
Showcasing The Stars
Over the twenty three years of it’s’ existence the Toronto festival has showcased many of the greats of the genre. Names like Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Joe Henderson, John Scofield, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, JJ Johnson, Betty Carter and Dee Dee Bridgewater are amongst the jazz luminaries that have played to many satisfied jazz aficionados,
This year with names like Sonny Rollins, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny and Tony Bennett highlighting shows, Jazz fans can rest assured that this edition of the Downtown jazz festival is striving to bring you the best in available jazz talent.
Starting The Jazz Affair
The Toronto festival came screaming into life in 1987. A pre-festival concert featuring Canada’s own legend Oscar Peterson, got things started in the right way and the festival featuring the great Dizzy Gillespie United Nation Festival Superband, with many top-notch players in tow; Monty Alexander, James Moody, Paquito D’Rivera to name but a few, cemented the fact that Toronto had the audience and the will to host these great festivals.
The festival has moved around the City, Memorable spot was the King & John venue which hosted many great nights. Trumpet whiz kid Roy Hargrove toured there behind his great Habana album and came back a few years later to play Hard Groove with his funk band to an overflow audience of all ages.
Chucho Valdes, McCoy Tyner and Gonzalo Rubalcaba shared great piano licks with awe struck audiences. John Scofield first fell in love with the city while playing at King & John.
In 1989 a then not so well known Harry Connick came to town. Sarah Vaughan gave what was to be her last Toronto performance at the magnificent Roy Thompson Hall; she died almost a year later. And Sun Ra brought his Arkestra just to give us an out of world jazz experience.
Gerri Allen, Cyrus Chestnut, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, Hammiett Bluiett, Charles Lloyd, Yusef Lateef and many other also brought joy to many fans at the Harbourfront Centre as part of the Jazz festival.
Finding A New Home
At the turn of the century the Jazz festival organizers had to make a move, a new location was needed and they found one at Nathan Phillips Square in the heart of the city. It has been the home of the festival since 2000 and is getting set to play host once again to what should be a great festival.
Knowing that the festival is too big to have all events in one spot, festival organizers have used some of the city's great halls and clubc for special series; The Next Wave, Jazz By the Lake and Piano Solo, Duos and Trios.
Some of these places included The Hummingbird Centre where Oscar Peterson in 2004 once again held court. George Benson, Etta James, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins and Al Green have helped raised the profile of the festival
The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts will once again host some of the highlighters of this year’s festival.
Places like The Rex, The Trane Studio, The Danforth Music Hall, The Opera House, Dominion of Queen, The Gladstone Hotel and Lula Lounge will be sure to keep toes tapping into the wee hours of the night.
The Stars Of The Festival
Some of the international artist on tap to showcase their musical hardware this year; include Branford Marsalis, Dave Holland, Eliane Elias, Sado Watanabe, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Dave Brubeck, Madeleine Peyroux, Hiromi, Medeski Martin & Wood Freddy Cole and Al Dimeola
The festival has also been a place where local jazz musician thrive and a high percentage of the performances around the city will feature many great local talent.
Bands like Kollage, DMBQ, Rich Brown & Rinsethealgorithm, Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass.
Singers like Amanda Martinez, Shannon Butcher, Eliana Cuevas, pianists Joe Sealy, Ron Davis, Robi Botos, along with other splendid Toronto musicians; Brandi Disterheft, Michael Occhipinti, Russ Little and Mike Murley are all set to satisfy varying jazz palates this summer.
With all those listed talent and more filling the stage at Nathan Phillips and in concert Halls and clubs, around the city It sure look like it’s going to be a hot ten days of jazz in the summer.
Make sure you catch the jazz wave.
 |
 |
 |
 |
