More names are being added to the incredible
program of the 36th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal,
presented by TD in collaboration with Rio Tinto Alcan, from June 26 to July 5,
2015.
A
Filetta with Paolo Fresu and Daniele Di Bonaventura, Mistico Mediterraneo.
Opening act: Paolo Fresu – Gianluca Petrella duo — June 26, 7 p.m., Maison
symphonique — This fabulous Mediterranean-accented evening brings together
trumpeter Paolo Fresu, bandoneonist Daniele di Bonaventura and the magical
voices of the A Filetta ensemble, standard-bearers for the Corsican polyphonic
vocal tradition. On the program: the album Mistico Mediterraneo, released on
ECM, hailed for its fascinating melding of wind instruments and vocals, between
jazz and ancient music. Opening the evening, Paolo Fresu starts with a musical
dialogue with another major horn player on the Italian scene, trombonist
Gianluca Petrella.
An
Evening with Chris Botti — June 27, 7 p.m., Maison symphonique — A trumpet
superstar on the American music scene, Chris Botti has built his reputation for
his subtle, sumptuous and elegant playing, making his mark alongside such pop
luminaries as Sting, Michael Bublé and Paul Simon, and hitting the top of the
jazz charts. Now here he is at the head of a phenomenal evening based on his
latest album, Impressions, named best pop instrumental album of 2013, wherein
he soars through his romantic melodies… An evening for lovers…
Steve
Miller Band. Opening act: Garland Jeffreys — June 26, 7:30 p.m., Salle
Wilfrid-Pelletier, PdA — Almost fifty years into a career with over 40 million
albums sold, the legendary ’70s American band flies back like an eagle into the
Festival program! Five years after their only appearance here, we’re delighted
to welcome back a legendary blues-rock group boasting 15 albums and such
memorable hits as The Joker and Fly Like an Eagle. Opening the evening:
Brooklyn soul-rocker Garland Jeffreys, back with his latest album, Truth Serum.
Rodrigo
y Gabriela — June 30, 7:30 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, PdA — Heavy metal
meets flamenco? Why not! That’s the unlikely and brilliant 15-year musical
fusion served up by Rodrigo and Gabriela. Originally from Mexico, the duo is
unparalleled when it comes to fiery acoustic guitar skills and cutting-edge
flamenco rhythms. They return 8 years after their last Festival appearance with
9 Dead Alive.
Al
Di Meola, Elegant Gypsy & More Electric Tour 2015 — June 26, 8 p.m., Théâtre
Maisonneuve, PdA — He’s a legendary guitarist hailed to the moon and back for
his flamboyant style and impeccable technique: Al Di Meola is equally famed for
his jazz fusion and acoustic playing. Launched into the musical firmament in
Return to Forever with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, a former member of the
greatest-ever guitar trio with John McLaughlin and Paco de LucÃa, Di Meola
stops by the Festival as part of his electric tour, Elegant Gypsy & More,
in the latest live incarnation of his incredible talent.
Huey
Lewis and the News — July 1, 7:30 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, PdA — They
fueled the soundtrack of the ’80s with an irresistible array of hits including
The Power of Love, Back in Time (in Back to the Future), Heart of Rock &
Roll, Stuck With You, and I Want A New Drug. After almost 40 years of
rock’n’roll, Huey Lewis finally brings the News in for its first ever visit to
the Festival, ready to get the party going. Going back to the future never
sounded so good.
Bobby
Bazini with his special guest Booker T. Jones — July 2, 7:30 p.m., Salle
Wilfrid-Pelletier, PdA — When two soul generations meet, the music makes its
own moment: that’s what happens when master keyboardist Booker T. Jones, the
man behind the immortal Green Onions, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and winner of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, opens for our own Bobby
Bazini, with his dangerously soulful voice. Expect R&B, expect soul, blues
and funk… expect everything!
Madeleine
Peyroux — July 2, 8 p.m., Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA — Madeleine Peyroux and the
Festival audience have enjoyed a 20-year love story that only gets better with
every visit. The Franco-American singer, who has made her mark at the
crossroads of blues, country, jazz and pop, returns to Théâtre Maisonneuve with
her rich and eclectic musical palette, recently immortalized in the album Keep
Me In Your Heart For A While.
Abdullah
Ibrahim solo — July 2, 6 p.m., Gesù — This most renowned of South African
pianists offers us the musical delights of three concerts in the intimate
confines of the Gesù. To open the prestigious Invitation series, the musical
pioneer unveils a solo showcase of the immense range of his talent, unfurling
his signature fusion of modern jazz, African tribal music and blues. It’s an
essential rendezvous with the dense, subtle and immensely expressive music of
the artist formerly known as Dollar Brand.
Abdullah
Ibrahim Mukashi trio — July 3, 6 p.m., Gesù — For his second Festival
performance in as many evenings, the legendary Abdullah Ibrahim enfolds his
audience in the spellbinding sounds of his latest album, Mukashi. The title of
the album, meaning “Once Upon A Time” in Japanese, sets the tone: a window on
another world, a musical adventure at the crossroads of South Africa and Japan,
all of it orchestrated in a magisterial dialogue between piano, flute and cello
bonded by serene sensuality and floating melodies.
Abdullah
Ibrahim and Ekaya — July 4, 6 p.m., Gesù — For this final show of the series,
Abdullah Ibrahim reconnects with his longstanding project, Ekaya, first
launched in 1983: a septet dominated by a magnificent dialogue of wind
instruments and elegant melodies circulating like a breeze, all of it linked by
the expert playing of an octogenarian artist at the height of his powers. It’s
an encounter between both instruments and cultures, between the oral musical
tradition of South Africa and the vibrant legacies of Duke Ellington and
Thelonius Monk.
Beth
Hart — June 26, 8:30 p.m., Métropolis — One of the most captivating
contemporary American blues-rock voices, Beth Hart continues to conquer the
North American audience—and how! She’s won the respect of ace guitarists Joe
Bonamassa and Jeff Beck, two of her most illustrious collaborators, and after
her blistering show during last year’s Festival, she returns with the songs
from Better Than Home, dominated by her powerful voice and flair for composing
genuinely moving songs.
Pokey
Lafarge — July 4, 6 p.m., Club Soda — He’s an American country singer from
another era: Pokey LaFarge shakes up a timeless blend of dusty-road U.S. music.
The singer-guitarist from St. Louis, Missouri, unfurls a creative blend of
early jazz, ragtime, country blues and swing, which he lays down on the road
during 200 concerts every year on 5 continents… and on his 7 albums, including
this year’s Something in the Water. Get ready to discover something special.
An
additional Steven Wilson show
Steven
Wilson — June 28, 8:30 p.m., Métropolis — Tickets for this guitar virtuoso’s
show went so fast that we had no choice but to book him for a second evening!
Twenty years into his career, the versatile and prolific Steven Wilson ranks
among the most fascinating artists on the British rock scene. While
multitasking as leader of a series of equally cutting-edge groups—Porcupine
Tree, No-Man, Blackfield and Bass Communion—the many-headed musician makes his
Festival entrance with his new album, Hand. Cannot. Erase., a gem of
progressive rock delivering mind-blowing rhythms and soaring melodies in the
Pink Floyd tradition.