Vancouver Jazz Festival Lineup Announced

Posted by Jeff
Filed in Music
April 26, 2007

I was at O'Doul's for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival's media launch yesterday where, in addition to offering a sumptuous selection of tantalizing hors d'oeuvres, the staff of the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society gave the lowdown on the upcoming Festival schedule to a crowd of music media and industry people, corporate partners, city councillors, etc. As we've come to expect, there's lots of typical jazz acts, a healthy dose of Latin grooves, avant-garde improv up the yin-yang, and some decidedly non-jazz acts. But when you're talking about a jazz festival that has in the past featured NoMeansNo, Zu, Humcrush, and Wibutee, among others, the surprises cease to be surprising.

There's no way I'm going to list who's playing and where, because that's what the CJBS website is for. It's probably safe to assume that jazz heads don't need to be told about the festival anyway. So a skeleton is all I've got. The Festival runs from Friday, June 22 until Sunday, July 1st, and as per usual:

- Big name headliners are at the Orpheum.
-You can check out the... uhhh... serious (?) jazz artists at Classic Sounds at The Centre.
- The Commodore offers the more mainstream, dance-oriented, DJ-heavy Urban Groove Series.
- The Ironworks takes a decisive step to the outside.
- As does the Vancouver East Cultural Centre with its Innovation Series
- The Western Front goes way out into left field, and....
- Performance Works once again puts the spotlight on vocalists with its Songs Etc. Series.

And on top of that there's free music happening in Gastown and at The Roundhouse, an extensive Club Series that includes 14 venues across Vancouver, and a bunch of other fun stuff.

Photo courtesy of Bahman.

Reader Reviews and Comments

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Are any in the line-up local? I saw Gilberto, Cole, et cetera, but nothing that jumped out at me as made in Vancouver. I'm not complaining - just checking...

Posted by: Andrew Morrison at April 26, 2007 10:35 AM | Quote Comment

There are tonnes of local acts in the Festival, Andrew. They're just not big-name headliners the calibre of Sonny Rollins or Bebel Gilberto, so they aren't featured as prominently.

Posted by: Chris at April 26, 2007 12:29 PM | Quote Comment

Oh yeah, there's tons of local music. For Vancouver-based acts in the main venues, we've got: Steve Dawson's Gold Coast Ensemble, Jim Byrnes "House of Refuge", Fond of Tigers, Peggy Lee, ZMF Trio, Francois Houle, Ossuary, Dylan van der Schyff's Bande X, Inhabitants, Tony Wilson 6tet, Torsten Muller, Oliver Gannon, Bill Coon...

The Club Series is stacked with local bands too. There's way too many to name them all, but Rich Hope and the Evil Doers at The Lamplighter should be a good one.

Posted by: Jeff

at April 26, 2007 12:40 PM | Quote Comment

Sounds great. Thanks.

Posted by: Andrew Morrison at April 26, 2007 1:27 PM | Quote Comment

I bet bino would be down for some jazz

Posted by: sarah at April 26, 2007 10:24 PM | Quote Comment

Considering the size of the line up, d'you think you'll post any recommendations for the uneducated jazz listener closer to the date?

Posted by: statusq at April 27, 2007 10:37 AM | Quote Comment

Yeah, I'm planning on doing a "what's on today" type of thing during the Festival.

Posted by: Jeff

at April 27, 2007 11:57 AM | Quote Comment

Im taking my dad to Sonny Rollins, didnt even know he was still alive. I actually love Norah J and Bebel Gilberto is a great addition as well but the urban/nu-jazz whatever lineup for the commodore is kinda disappointing in that they've had pretty much all the major acts before: Koala, Tobin, Antibalas. The Antibalas did the free David Lam gig on a perfect summer day years back though, that was dope!

On another note, other than this jazz festival which is great but for the masses, whats up with music festivals in our town? I guess when you have TD behind you and under the banner of "jazz," only then will the city allow us to use David Lam park (one of the nicest locations for a park in the world, id say) for some real shit. What a bloody waste to not use that park more. Seatlle's got Sasquatch, Bumpershoot, another small indie fest in July (the week before Daft Punk) and their Jazz fest as well. We need something.

Posted by: BOON at April 27, 2007 4:21 PM | Quote Comment

Oh, and dont forget about Sekoya (re; local groups), their opening for Bebel and playing David Lam as well.

Posted by: BOON at April 27, 2007 4:23 PM | Quote Comment

Yeah, the Commodore lineup isn't doing much for me, although I am interested to see how Tortoise is live and Fond of Tigers is opening that one. I'll be spending the bulk of my time at the Van East Cultural Centre and The Ironworks. Lots of crazy Dutch musicians this year. What I've heard from the UMO Jazz Orchestra so far sounds like something out of Zappa's "The Adventures of Greggary Peccary".

And I fully agree about Vancouver festivals. We need more of them. Music Waste does a wicked job of covering the indie music scene... the Jazz Festival lineup sort of jumps between mass-appeal acts and some really out-there stuff... there are lots of holes to fill in between.

Posted by: Jeff

at April 28, 2007 1:02 PM | Quote Comment

"the Jazz Festival lineup sort of jumps between mass-appeal acts and some really out-there stuff... there are lots of holes to fill in between."

Exactly.

Posted by: BOON at April 29, 2007 2:44 PM | Quote Comment

More wtf is up with music festivals in vancity news: http://www.osheaga.com/

Posted by: BOON at May 11, 2007 10:30 AM | Quote Comment