Bringing in more than 2 million fans a year, the Montreal Jazz Festival is the largest event of its kind in the world. It’s a pretty amazing time to be in Montréal: the summer is in full swing, everyone is out and about, and everywhere you go there’s amazing music playing. It’s Montréal at its best. It’s strolling around the blocked-off streets with a glass of wine and 100,000 new friends watching the biggest free concert you’ve ever seen. It’s sitting down to a show you’ve been waiting to see your whole life. It’s discovering a musician your friends, family and co-workers haven’t even heard of yet.

The Jazz Fest just announced its line-up of indoor shows. They go on sale Saturday, May 9, and if history is any indication, they sell-out quickly. So it’s time to act fast. As always, there’s a full range of options for your eager ears – from legends of Jazz, Rock and every genre in between. Here are some highlights to help you navigate through the hundreds of options…

Jazz Legends

Oliver Jones: One of Montréal’s most important and influential Jazz icons, Oliver Jones is a pianist, organist, composer, and arranger of international acclaim. There could be not better place to hear him live. (June 30 @ L’Astral) Oliver Jones

Wynton Marsalis: The innovative and accomplished trumpeter comes to Montréal with the Lincoln Center Orchestra and Spanish pianist Chano Dominguez, whipping the whole thing into an unmissable cocktail of jazz, swing, blues and flamenco. (June 30 @ Place des Arts) Wynton Marsalis

Dave Brubeck: With a career now spanning an incredible six decades, the pianist Brubeck returns to Montréal, this time to revisit and re-interpret his classic album, Time Out, on the 50th anniversary of its release. (July 4 @ Place des Arts) Dave Brubeck

Rock Legends

Jackson Browne: The Jazz Fest excels at drawing out names you may have trouble seeing anywhere else, and Browne fits that description perfectly. One of popular music’s greatest songwriters, he comes to Montréal with the band he’s been playing with for over 15 years. (July 11 @ Place des Arts) Jackson Browne

Joe Cocker: Joe Cocker? Does he even need an introduction? These tickets are going to be gone very, very fast… (July 9 @ Place des Arts) Joe Cocker

Jeff Beck: Simply put, one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Beck’s career has been constantly evolving, from rock to blues to jazz fusion. A bad-ass virtuoso, he plays two shows back-to-back. (July 6th @ PdA) Jeff Beck

Check back here soon for some Rock, Rap and World music highlights, as well as some great Montréal musicians you should see play their hometown…

Montreal Jazz Fest