The Montreal International Jazz Festival (Jazz Fest) is here, with its first downbeats sounding this Thursday, June 25. By causing massive spikes in tourism—attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, and hosting artists from around the world—it would be easy to see the festival’s line-up as disconnected from the city’s social and musical fabric. On the contrary, musicians from the local music scene, including the McGill community, have long played an important role in Jazz Fest, and this year is no different.
Since 1980, Jazz Fest has attracted world-class musicians and music lovers alike with a dazzling week of free shows and musical exploration. In what has become the largest jazz festival in the world, both established legends and rising stars of jazz and adjacent genres take to public outdoor stages in and around Place Des Arts during the 10-day event. Over the years, the festival has hosted a plethora of household names, including Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson–a jazz pianist and hometown hero raised in Little Burgundy, Ray Charles, Dave Brubeck, and Aretha Franklin. This years’ festival highlights some of the brightest global talents in music from veteran Charles Lloyd to Earth, Wind & Fire to Immanuel Wilkins.
In addition, many local Montreal talents are bringing their own homegrown vibrancy to the stages. In this year’s edition of Jazz Fest, many local jazz groups are scheduled to play major sets, showcasing Montreal’s robust jazz culture to festival attendees. Below, I chose to highlight one official McGill ensemble, one McGill student-led group, and one faculty-led group, all of which are performing sets you definitely will not want to miss:
The McGill Jazz Orchestra 1: June 26, 5:00 pm, Rio Tinto Stage (Free)
The McGill Jazz Orchestra 1 is an ensemble made up of talented students from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. They will play a large outdoor set at Jazz Fest, free of charge. Incidentally, this is not the orchestra’s first major gig. Every year, the Jazz Orchestra plays an array of shows throughout the city at different venues, with members of the orchestra leading bands that perform regularly at jazz clubs across Montreal.
The ensemble is directed by acclaimed Canadian pianist and composer Marianne Trudel, who has performed extensively with l’Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal, and with major names such as Chucho Valdés, Kenny Wheeler, and Ingrid Jensen. Trudel also composes an extensive contemporary repertoire for the McGill Jazz Orchestra 1, giving the 18-piece group a unique sound that will undoubtedly capture listeners’ attention.
Professor Trudel told The Daily that audiences at the Jazz Orchestra’s upcoming Jazz Fest set can expect “a broad spectrum of styles, energies, and colours” spanning “really early on in big band music to nowadays.” Trudel highlighted the importance of audience participation and the vibrant festival atmosphere in bringing out the best in performers. “I’ve been presenting concerts with the McGill Jazz Orchestra 1 at the Montreal Jazz Fest for a few years now, and every time, I can see that the students are really motivated to play in the largest jazz festival in the world . . . it gets them in a mindset where they play super well.”
Najib Fenaoui: July 4, 6:00 pm, Le Studio TD (Free)
Najib Fenaoui is a McGill student and vocalist who will lead his ensemble, Najib and the Alter Egos, in a free set taking place at Le Studio TD. Fenaoui has a diverse range of musical influences, from Ella Fitzgerald to Bobby McFerrin, and this versatility is clearly expressed through his witty, darting, lyrical phrasing, bringing unmistakable personality to jazz standards.
Fenaoui was the recipient of this year’s Oliver-Jones Prize, which rewards university-level musicians of visible minorities who show extensive musical promise and talent. The reward was created in honour of local legend Oliver Jones, a pianist who traversed local clubs in his home neighbourhood of Little Burgundy to major international stages and festivals. Fenaoui’s reception of the prize comes with the opportunity to perform at the renowned Jazz Fest. “I’m honoured,” Fenaoui tells The Daily regarding winning the esteemed prize. “It’s like a stamp of approval from people that have been doing this for much longer than I have. It’s nice to be recognized by my mentors.”
Fenaoui sees his first performance as a bandleader in the Jazz Fest as a means to introduce himself to a new, broader audience. For this reason, he is seeking to represent a wide variety of artistic themes in his set.
“People should expect to see a lot of variety in both vocals and styles, but all within the jazz idiom. Bossa Nova, Blues, swing, Ballads, some Soul and R&B. People should expect to hear my voice explore all of these different styles in a comfortable way. I feel at home in these styles of music and try to blend all of them the best I can.”
Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet: June 27, 7:00 pm, Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill (Paid)
Camille Thurman and Darrell Green are perfect examples of the excellence of the Schulich School of Music jazz faculty. Together, they lead the Downbeat Award-winning McGill Jazz Conglomerate, an ensemble featuring McGill vocalists. They also teach several classes at McGill and serve as indispensable mentors to students in the program. Both are widely considered first-call members of both the New York and Montreal jazz scenes. The two star musicians lead the award-winning group, Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet, which tours regularly both within North America and beyond.
Camille Thurman is not a performer you want to miss. Known for her rich and dark tone, blisteringly accurate phrasing on the saxophone, as well as her virtuosic abilities as a vocalist, Thurman has built a rich career for herself in the jazz scene. She has played extensively with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and was a featured soloist in the ensemble’s 2021 tribute to John Coltrane’s magnum opus, A Love Supreme. She has also performed alongside numerous greats, including George Coleman, Chaka Khan, and Erykah Badu.
Darrell Green is a dynamic and forceful drummer who joined the Schulich School of Music Jazz faculty in 2021 alongside Professor Thurman. Professor Green is known for his deep musicianship, extensive experience, and technical expertise.
For this performance, Thurman and Green will be joined by bassist Paul Beaudry, pianist Yago Vazquez, and trumpeter Greg Glassman. There is no doubt that this all-star ensemble will be in prime form and ready to swing.
Their quintet set will take place at Upstairs Jazz Club, with a cozy, intimate atmosphere that will highlight the ensemble’s nuance and artistic breadth. While this show costs $40 (and a food/drink purchase is required), listeners will not leave the club disappointed.
The musical endeavours highlighted above are far and away exceptional even by the already high standards of the Jazz Festival. Whether or not they’re from McGill, audiences can expect to have a blast witnessing the talent and musicianship being nurtured in our very own Schulich School of Music.
For a complete list of Jazz Fest sets led by current Schulich School of Music students or faculty:
Mafuba (Opening for The Bad Plus): June 26, 9 pm, Théâtre Jean-Duceppe (Paid)
Jean-Michel Pilc Trio: June 28, 6 pm, Le Studio TD (Free)
Ranee Lee: July 2, 7 and 9:30 pm, Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill (Paid)
Doxas Brothers: June 25, 6 pm, Le Studio TD (Free)
Lex French “Sketches of Miles” 100 ans: June 25, 9:30 pm, Diese Onze Jazz Club (Paid)
Al McLean Quartet Coltrane 100ans: June 27, 9:30 pm, Diese Onze Jazz Club (Paid)
Marianne Trudel Trio: July 4, 9:30 pm, Diese Onze Jazz Club (Paid)