The compositions, written by Louis and François, are heavily in the contemporary post bop camp, with clear respect for the kind of open-ended experimentation that defines the music of artists like McCoy Tyner and Tony Williams, although their writing is often more complex. The title track, from their forthcoming third release, Something Like New, is a prime example, with plenty of solo space, but adjoining passages found the group navigating through a number of rhythmic feels and harmonic centres. Margitza, a creative musician who moved from the US to Paris a couple of years back, played with the kind of conviction and a constantly-searching aesthetic that constantly begs the question of why he isn't better known. Both he and Bethmann performed with the kind of imagination that breaks through more restrictive bar lines, creating solos rife with broader narratives.

What made Moutin Reunion Quartet's set so invigorating was their clear and uncompromising spirit of "going for it." As the group charged out of the gate, the audience knew it was in for something special from the first few notes. François' rich tone and harmonic flexibility—reminiscent of Dave Holland at times—along with Louis' almost reckless Tony Williams-like abandon, created a relentlessly exciting and ever-shifting backdrop for Margitza and Bethmann. At the end of the show, the audience seemed as paradoxically energized and spent as the group itself. While there was no encore despite the audience's enthusiastic response, the Moutin Reunion Quartet's performance couldn't have been better. Satisfied yet at the same time hungry for more, everyone was talking about this performance well into the evening and, like guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel's performance at last year's festival, this will undoubtedly be one of those shows that everybody's raving about long after the festival has ended.

The 6:30 pm main stage performance of the Quebecois Blues Gitan quintet was in some ways the ideal followup to the Moutin Reunion Quartet's high-octane performance. The Blues Gitan performance had an unmistakable vitality, starting in the same space as legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, but expanding to include music from other countries, including Hungary and Russia. But it was altogether lighter fare, as much about entertainment and audience engagement as instrumental proficiency. As opposed to the unyielding risk-taking of the Moutin Reunion Quartet, Blues Gitan's set was more clearly structured and delineated. Attendees of Moutin Reunion Quartet's performance were given the opportunity to decompress from the sheer intensity of that concert, with Blues Gitan delivering an engaging but easy-going set and presenting little by way of challenge.

The result was a fun show where violinist/vocalist Kristin Molnar and guitarist Stephane Teller were clear standouts. Within the restricted context of their music, both were passionate performers with a clear appreciation for its cultural roots, combining traditional pieces with their own compositions. Molnar sang with a powerful voice that bore some resemblance to Greek singer Savina Yannatou, but less mercurially so. Second guitarist Dioni Violetti also had a strong voice and a relaxed, comical way of connecting with the audience that made Blues Gitan an enjoyable, if not particularly memorable, performance.

Anticipation was high for saxophone legend Sonny Rollins' first appearance in Ottawa since '00, and the audience giving him a standing ovation the moment he walked on stage. His sextet, featuring trombonist (and Rollins' nephew) Clifton Anderson, guitarist Bobby Broom, bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer Steve Jordan, and percussionist Kimati Dinizulu, delivered a show that, while considerably less than challenging, gave everyone ample opportunity to stretch out and was well received by the large and clearly appreciative crowd.

Rollins is unquestionably a jazz giant, and from the very first notes his distinctive style, which has pervasively influenced more than one generation of saxophonists, was in clear evidence. There are few improvisers alive who can comfortably carry eleven or more choruses through a song, and Rollins is one of them, with rapid flourishes offset by growling double stops, and a kind of endless harmonic variation that proves he hasn't lost any of his creativity. While the rest of the group was clearly talented—between them, the number of artists that they've worked with in a variety of musical contexts is almost infinite—they simply didn't match Rollins' ability to keep the interest level up for the long haul.

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