As expected by longtime attendees and/or observers of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, this summer’s program offers yet another impressive lineup of artists representing jazz, blues, world music, pop and other genres. The performers include a large contingent of artists from Montreal, Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
As I’ve detailed elsewhere, the fest — which runs June 29 through July 8 — is a massive gathering, one of the largest of its kind, with free daytime and ticketed evening shows on stages throughout the Quartier des Spectacles, the city’s bustling arts district.
I’m headed back to the fest this summer, for the eighth time, and I’m looking forward to catching some of the below artists (listed in no particular order):
Thursday, June 29: George Benson, Haromi: The Piano Quintet, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Mike Rud/Houston Person Quartet
Friday, June 30: Snarky Puppy, John Scofield (left), Buddy Guy, (bassist) Avishai Cohen Trio, Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens, Vieux Farka Toure, Mark Guiliana
Saturday, July 1: Stacy Kent Trio, Chris Botti, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Urban Science Brass Band
Sunday, July 2: Samara Joy, Melody Gardot, Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke, Nate Smith, Pedrito Martinez Group, Brandee Younger
Monday, July 3: Herbie Hancock, Sheila Jordan, Melody Gardot, Emmet Cohen Trio
Tuesday, July 4: Nate Smith, Diana Krall, The Bad Plus, Marisa Monte
Wednesday, July 5: Thundercat, Diana Krall, Christine Jensen Quartet, Son Little, Marisa Monte
Thursday, July 6: Chucho Valdes (right), Tank and the Bangas, the Budos Band, Ron di Lauro Sextet
Friday, July 7: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Jean-Michel Pilc US Trio, Dayna Stephens Quartet, BadBadNotGood
Saturday, July 8: Alain Caron, Jean-Michel Pilc US Trio, John Pizzarelli
Jazzlands 