June 7, 2010 – Musical diversity reigns supreme in this 31st edition of Montréal’s annual Jazz Fest, with performances of varied genres scanning the globe and the decades. Icon Lionel Richie, in his first festival appearance, is joined by chanteuse Cassandra Wilson for the Opening Gala to set the festival off in style. Musical veterans the likes of Joan Armatrading, Boz Scaggs and Cesaria Evora are on the bill, joined by Manhattan Transfer, the Gipsy Kings and pianist Alain Toussaint, just to name a few of the biggies.
The Steve Miller Band will team up with the Doobie Brothers for a throwback to seventies classic rock, while the Artie Shaw orchestra will compete for the first time in the Battle of the Bands – a musical competition in the tradition of great New York ballrooms of the 1930s – going up against last year’s champs, the Harry James Orchestra. In signature jazz fest style, there’s something for everyone again this year!
Each summer, this granddaddy of all musical gatherings, infuses our streets and concert halls with the spectacular showmanship and stellar notes we’ve all come to expect. Music mavens love the fest for its namesake genre as well as its line-up of other sounds and beats and influences – like blues, Brazilian, Cuban, African, reggae, contemporary and electronic – not to mention a whopping line-up of 3,000 artists hailing from 30 different countries around the world.
It's a traffic-stopper in every sense of the word, filled with free-range festivalgoers happily sating themselves on a menu of music as they roam from one outdoor stage to the next. Yes, Montréal devotes its downtown streets entirely to pedestrians for the occasion, and everybody loves all the room to dance!
Add the cafés and bistros, an art gallery and the musical park for kids, and you're in the middle of one of the safest and most exciting happenings of the summer season. For 12 days straight, you can take in more than 450 (count 'em) free outdoor shows as well as indoor performances featuring legendary giants and bright new stars of the musical firmament.
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
