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Editor's Choice
John Kelman's Best Live Shows of 2011
John Kelman
With the realization that there will always be more music coming at him than he can keep up with, John wonders why anyone would think that jazz is dead or dying.2011 turned out to be the busiest festival year ever, with the first event taking place at the end of January and a trip to the northern-most civilized settlement in the world, Svalbard. The last trip, coming up, is a return to Tallinn, Estonia (after covering Jazzkaar in the spring) for the closing ceremonies of its selection as European Capital of Culture, 2011.
In between, along with local coverage in Ottawa, Canada and a return to the Montreal Jazz Festival, there were festivals in Germany, Portugal and Malaysia—plus, of course, plenty of time spent in Norway, this year covering Punkt in Kristiansand for the sixth straight year, Natt Jazz in Bergen for the fourth time, and a first encounter with the Oslo Jazz Festival. Hard as it is to choose the 25 top shows out of nearly 100 concerts attended, here they are, in chronological order:
1. April 20, 2011: Jan Bang / Erik Honoré / Eivind Aarset / Arve Henriksen Live Remix
Jazzkaar 2011, Tallinn, Estonia
2. April 29, 2011: Mats Eilertsen
Jazzahead 2011, Bremen, Germany
3. May 20-21, 2011: Dave Liebman Group
Café Paradiso, Ottawa, Canada
4. May 26, 2011: The Source
Natt Jazz, Bergen, Norway
5. May 26, 2011: Stian Westerhus / Sidsel Endresen
Natt Jazz, Bergen, Norway
6. May 28, 2011: Arve Henriksen Trio
Natt Jazz, Bergen, Norway
7. June 23, 2011: Robert Plant Band of Joy
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Canada
8. June 25, 2011: Atomic
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Canada
9. June 26, 2011: Kurt Elling
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Canada
10. June 27, 2011: Brad Mehldau / Joshua Redman
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Canada
11. June 28, 2011: Jean-Michel Pilc / François Moutin / Ari Hoenig
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Canada
12. June 29, 2011: Rudresh Mahanthappa / Bunky Green Apex
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
13. June 29, 2011: Dave Holland Quintet
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
14. June 30, 2011: Anouar Brahem Thimar
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
15. July 1, 2011: Jaga Jazzist
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
16. July 2, 2011: Eivind Aarset Sonic Codex
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
17. August 16, 2011: Jon Balke Magnetic Book
Oslo Jazz Festival, Oslo, Norway
18. August 18, 2011: Trygve Seim Ensemble
Oslo Jazz Festival, Oslo, Norway
19. August 20, 2011: Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band
Oslo Jazz Festival, Oslo, Norway
20. September 2, 2011: Jan Bang / Erik Honoré / Sidsel Endresen—Dai Fujikara Remix
Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway
21. September 2, 2011: David Sylvian Plight and Premonition
Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway
22. September 3, 2011: Marilyn Mazur / Jan Bang / Per Jørgensen
Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway
23. October 27, 2011: Empirical
Enjoy Jazz, Karlstorbahnhof Heidelberg, Germany
24. November 1, 2011: Pat Metheny Trio 00>11
Enjoy Jazz, Theatre im Pfalzbau, Ludwigshafen, Germany
25. April 20, 2011: Steven Wilson
Corona Theatre, Montréal, Canada
Photo Credits
Brian Blade: Hans Speekenbrink
Dave Liebman: John R. Fowler
Marilyn Mazur/Jan Bang/Per Jørgensen: Alf S. Solbakken
All Other Photos: John Kelman
