39th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

Written by Editor| March 22, 2018| Across The Pond, Festivals, News

The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, presented by the TD Bank Group in collaboration with Rio Tinto, unveils a new series of concerts for its 39th edition, June 28 to July 7, 2018.

On the program: an array of artists featuring legends and rising stars, dear Festival friends and newcomers, promising evenings of magical jazz in all its forms. Tickets for these concerts go on sale Friday, March 23 at noon. (exclusive presale for newsletter subscribers today, Thursday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

Herbie Hancock | Thundercat — Événements spéciaux TD — July 2, 7:30 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts — Eight years after his last Festival visit, jazz giant Herbie Hancock once again does us the honour of his presence. Winner of the 1997 Miles Davis Award, this mastermind behind an entire generation of pianists has worked in every style, and arrives armed with a repertoire as deep as it is immense. The evening opens in an entirely different register, somewhere between funk, R&B and fusion, with the Festival debut of singer/bassist Thundercat.

Leslie Odom, Jr. | Jill Barber — Les Grands concerts Rio Tinto — July 6, 8 p.m., Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts — Two voices, two musical worlds, and an evening devoted to the magic of jazz vocal. Leslie Odom, Jr. made his name in the smash hit musical Hamilton on Broadway, and heads in with a classic jazz repertoire in the lineage of the greats. And Jill Barber, a Festival regular, returns with an array of her greatest hits, as well as new pieces we’ve yet to hear live.

Cécile McLorin Salvant — Les Grands concerts Rio Tinto — June 28, 8 p.m., Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts — After Billie, Ella and Sarah… Cécile! Hearing her voice once is enough to remember this artist who’s drawn understandable comparisons with the greats. Her two latest albums, For One to Love and the recent Dreams and Daggers won this Franco-American singer the 2016 and 2018 Grammy Awards, respectively, for Best Jazz Vocal.

Terence Blanchard featuring The E-collective — Jazz Beat Hyatt Regency Montréal — July 1, 8 p.m., Monument-National — Virtuoso trumpeter, winner of the 2014 Miles Davis Award, Terence Blanchard once again honours us with his presence. The New Orleans musician and composer habitually surrounds himself with talented young instrumentalists to weave a modern jazz sound deeply coloured by hard bop and gleaming with technical chops and musicality. Not to be missed!

Chet Doxas, Rich in Symbols — Jazz dans la nuit — July 3, 10:30 p.m., Gesù — A great friend of this Festival, Montréal’s Chet Doxas made his name as a reference point in modern jazz by ceaselessly pushing the boundaries of the genre. His 2017 release Rich in Symbols, named Jazz Album of the Year by ICI Musique, represents the perfect fusion of jazz and the characteristic indie rock sounds of our city.

The 39th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will be held from June 28 to July 7, 2018.

montrealjazzfest.com

Tickets on sale Friday at noon

Exclusive presale for newsletter today, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.