Festival International de Jazz de Montréal 2025

Various Venues
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
Montréal, Canada
June 28-July 2, 2025

The headliners of the 45th edition of the festival included names like Gospel legend Mavis Staples, Canadian rockers Blue Rodeo, Canadian Inuk musician Elisapie , New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Nigerian singer/songwriter Ayra Starr, Canadian indie band Men I Trust, Canadian singer/songwriter Allison Russell, Colombian ensemble Monsieur Perine, and American jazz bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding. These were the artists appearing in the prime-time evening slot on the Scène TD stage, the outdoor venue that has the largest audience capacity of the festival. That space is bounded on one side by the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), which was undergoing significant construction this year as part of an ongoing transformation project. This did not affect the performers or the audience, other than eliminating one set of sight lines to the stage. Over its ten days, more than 350 shows took place indoors and outside in the vast array of Montréal performance venues, with two-thirds being completely free. A series of Académie Masterclasses was repeated this year, allowing attendees to interact with musicians in an intimate space. Artists included trumpeter/composer Wynton Marsalis, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, drummer Nate Smith, bassist/composer Derrick Hodge, and saxophonist/vocalist Camille Thurman.

June 28

Jazz vocalist Samara Joy's career has been advancing rapidly. She drew a large, enthusiastic audience to the Maison symphonique, which was also a celebration of her receiving the festival's Ella Fitzgerald Award, annually conferred upon a jazz singer of significant talent who has had a major impact and influence on the international scene. Her long-standing septet opened with a short, upbeat fanfare to welcome her to the stage. She opened with Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" from Linger Awhile (Verve, 2022), complete with the rarely heard introductory verse. The kaleidoscopic arrangement shifted from ballad tempo to double-time for the solos, then into a Latin groove. It was a tour de force for both the singer and the band, setting a high standard that was matched by the rest of the concert. Joy announced that "this may be one of my favorite festivals in the world," noting that an earlier performance had been her most significant audience exposure in her career at the time. She credited the band members repeatedly during the performance: Jason Charos (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Mason (alto saxophone, flute); tenor saxophonist Kendric McCallister: trombonist Donavan Austin; pianist Connor Rohrer; double bassist Felix Moseholm; and drummer Evan Sherman. McCallister was the arranger on "Round Midnight." Joy paid tribute to her inspiration, vocalist Betty Carter, with her song "Beware My Heart." It featured alto saxophone and trumpet solos and was arranged by Charos. This pattern was repeated throughout the set: selected solos and creative arrangements by the band members. No doubt, a blowing session with a round of solos on every tune would sound terrific, but they have opted for a more nuanced approach. Describing her third album Portrait (Verve, 2024) as the one giving the most complete picture of her music, they launched into the standard "You Stepped Out of a Dream." Joy combined her original song, "Peace of Mind," with "Dreams Come True" for a short medley of peace and hope, notable for the seamless transition between the two songs. "Little Things Mean a Lot" was a drum feature, including a duet with tenor saxophone, surprisingly reminiscent of the partnership of John Coltrane and Elvin Jones. "Left Alone" was written by Billie Holiday but never recorded by her; the set concluded with the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic "No More Blues," featuring a duet of double bass and drums. The encore was a down-home blues—a major stylistic shift that Joy handled brilliantly, leading the audience in a clap-along and providing a big vocal ending.

Tenor saxophonist Isaiah Collier emerges from the spiritual jazz tradition, personified by John Coltrane, with social awareness at the forefront. The set opened with the considerable modal energy of "The Time Is Now," the opening track from his album The World Is On Fire (Division 81 Records, 2024). "Trials and Tribulations" was a ballad with a beautiful piano part (Collier accompanied the solo on percussion, including a police whistle and chimes). After a big saxophone solo, an unaccompanied drum solo ended the tune. Collier introduced the band: Canadian pianist Theo Sunny Abellard, double bassist Dr. Emma Dayhuff and drummer Tim Regis. He announced that they were playing music from The World Is On Fire, and continued with "Ahmaud Arbery," dedicated to the titular Black man murdered while jogging in the state of Georgia. Considering the subject, it was an especially lyrical, song-like piece that featured a lovely duet between the saxophone and double bass.

Israeli jazz double bassist/composer Avishai Cohen brought his trio to the large free outdoor stage at the Scène Rogers for a surprise concert in advance of their indoor concert with symphony orchestra on June 30. It is a traditional acoustic jazz group with acoustic piano, double bass and drums. There is an apparent mismatch between such an intimate grouping and the setting, but the trio did not change their approach because of it. Their opening number was a gentle introduction with the drummer using brushes! The PA was very good at making everything louder, and the audience was into the music (especially the ones closer to the stage, where they were able to see and hear clearly). It appeared that Cohen's arco playing cut through especially well, gaining an enthusiastic response. He introduced the band—pianist Guy Moskovich and drummer Yali Stern—saying how much he enjoys the festival, having played there often since the 1990s. Cohen is an outstanding composer and soloist, and it was good to hear him with such a fine band.

June 29

American trumpeter Brandon Woody brought his Upendo band to the free Pub Molson stage for two shows. If there were any stage announcements of song titles, they must have been at the end of the set, but I missed them because I left a little early for another concert. The music likely all came from Woody's debut album For The Love Of It All (Blue Note Records, 2025), and featured the same band: keyboardist Troy Lang, double bassist Michael Saunders and drummer Quincy Phillips, plus synthesist Vittorio Stropoli (who played on one track on the album). The opener was an upbeat, hard-bop style reminiscent of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Stropoli took a fine synthesizer solo, followed by a call and response between trumpet and piano. They went straight into the second tune, which had a more contemporary feel. The funk rhythm led to an audience clap-along, with Woody encouraging the crowd. At this point in the set, he stopped and introduced the band. The music continued with a lyrical mid-tempo tune (basically filling the ballad role) with a surprising, sudden ending. Both keyboardists switched to electric piano sounds for the next song, lending it a more fusion sound.

Montreal-based drummer/composer Matys Colpron led a quintet in the opening slot for guitarist Mike Stern. The musical style could nominally be described as fusion, but after an electrifying guitar solo from Antoine Tousignant, tenor saxophonist Sam Baglier played an intense unaccompanied solo (which certainly is not a typical fusion move). After a rubato, atmospheric introduction, bassist Vincent Dessureault began playing arco on the double bass (having switched from bass guitar). The group shifted into a Latin rhythm, which led to a very straight-ahead swinging piano trio segment featuring pianist Cedric de Saint-Rome. Colpron introduced the band and announced a new tune called "Blood Red Sunset." A complex piece, it transitioned from a rubato ballad feel to a mid-tempo section, with a couple of additional time changes—a satisfying ending to a concise 45-minute-long set.

Legendary fusion guitarist Mike Stern began his set with his wife Leni Stern's song "Like a Thief," featuring her vocals and n'goni (a small African lute) playing. Her relaxed African-influenced groove held even after the whole band had entered. "Connections" followed, the opening track from Echoes and Other Songs (Mack Avenue, 2024). Stern began it with an epic guitar solo, something he did repeatedly during the show: he has monster chops, and loves to play. When tenor saxophonist Bob Franceschini entered, the intensity went down a bit before Leni Stern's brief guitar solo and bass guitarist Noam Tanzer's solo. Mike Stern set up a drum solo for special guest Dennis Chambers, who continued soloing behind the whole band. The title tune, "Echoes," began with an appropriate guitar solo with delay leading into the head. A tenor sax/drums duet segued into a guitar/drums duet. After the entire band kicked in, there was a quick bass rig replacement (Stern commented on the activity taking place behind him). The next tune featured another jaw-dropping unaccompanied guitar introduction, followed by Stern singing along with the head, like one of Weather Report's folky World Music tunes. Leni Stern played another well-constructed solo: shorter and less virtuosic than her husband's, but always satisfying. The set ending included a majestic head with some chord-melody playing, Franceschini singing through his saxophone, and a big drum solo (complete with a broken stick). They played an encore without leaving the stage: guitarist Jimi Hendrix 's blues standard "Red House," with Mike Stern on vocals and a round of solos for the whole band. This was fusion at the highest level, played with virtuosity and joy.

June 30

British tenor saxophone star Nubya Garcia (that's pronounced new-buy-a) brought her band to the large outdoor Scène TD stage. The opener "Dawn" was the same as the first track on the album Odyssey (Concord Jazz, 2024), which the show was celebrating, but without the vocals of the original. "Solstice" celebrated the Summer Solstice, Garcia's favorite time of year. She made announcements, which in addition to the correct pronunciation of her name, included the band members' names: keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, double bassist Daniel Casimir and drummer Sam Jones. The next tune included a double bass solo and an unaccompanied piano solo continuing from the same rhythm. In a tune from her first album with a hint of reggae, Garcia signaled tempo shifts to her responsive bandmates. "Set It Free" had a funk rhythm, with Armon-Jones returning to electric piano. She introduced "Odyssey" with a passionate, unaccompanied tenor saxophone solo. The set closed—as the album did—with the reggae of "Triumphance." Garcia's recitation made her message clear: "your journey is yours...your difference is your power."

Drummer Nate Smith featured his collaborators, vocalist Lalah Hathaway, keyboardist James Francies and bassist Derrick Hodge right in the title of the show. Smith began by announcing that he was not really the leader, he was just hosting the party, and introduced the rest of the rhythm section. They launched into a mid-tempo funk groove. Francies played a piano solo with synthesizer flourishes, and Hodge followed with an electric bass solo with synthesizer-like electronic effects. The second tune started with shaker, then brushes, accompanying lyrical piano playing. A big dynamic jump brought in synthesizer and sticks on the drums; Smith said the piece was in memory of saxophonist/keyboardist Casey Benjamin. Later, Smith observed that "this is our first time playing together," which came as a surprise to both him and the audience. They played a ballad with a lovely synthesizer melody and a bass solo with an octave divider. An unaccompanied bass solo with lots of harmonics introduced a folk-song-like head, which eventually led to the piano going into saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Footprints." Hathaway came onstage, singing the head in Vocalese, then taking a solo. The band went into a rearranged cover of the Pointer Sisters' "Automatic," demonstrating their love of the original, while also allowing Hathaway to display her flexibility. The first encore was Smith's dad's favorite song: "When Your LIfe Was Low," a collaboration between Hathaway and keyboardist Joe Sample (from The Song Lives On, GRP, 1999). Smith played solo drums for the second encore, including an audience clap-along.

July 1

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis brought his Quartet: pianist Joey Calderazzo, double bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner, on the heels of Belonging (Blue Note Records, 2025), their re-interpretation of pianist/composer Keith Jarrett's album of the same name (ECM Records, 1974). The concert was described as a Keith Jarrett tribute, but they played only a few of those tunes. The show began with Calderazzo's "The Mighty Sword," an up-tempo tune featuring soprano saxophone. "Long as You Know You're Living Yours" was one of the Jarrett titles, moving from an abstract texture to the funky theme. Fred Fisher's 1928 song "There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth the Salt of My Tears" was the first of the old jazz standards, which are a core part of the band's repertoire. "Blossom" was a Jarrett ballad, featuring an unaccompanied piano solo and the double bass. Jimmy McHugh's 1932 composition "On the Sunny Side of the Street" brought things back to history, with soprano sax and a terrific piano solo. Marsalis described bassist Revis's song "Nilaste" as a "21st Century love song"—you decide. It was certainly more abstract and less lyrical than the average love song, but who knows? Marsalis noted that there were members of the Duke Ellington family present, so instead of the obvious Jarrett encore "The Windup," they played "Mood Indigo" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)."

American keyboardist Elijah Fox came to the late slot at Gesù with a flexible agenda. "The Call" opened the set with rubato piano with synthesizer accents, moving into modal jazz reminiscent of pianist McCoy Tyner. "Since You've Been Gone" was a soul/R&B ballad with vocals. Fox introduced drummer Myles Martin and bass guitarist Solo Smith. He decided to make up a song using five English words from the audience, which resulted in a surreal pop power ballad, before he signaled a groove change into a sort of polka. After some French recitation (he has family in the Montréal area), he played an unaccompanied piano solo which included stride playing, further demonstration of the jazz piano chops he had to draw on when he cared to use them. "Eyes" was an instrumental rock tune with electric piano and synthesizer in the lead. Then Fox acknowledged a jazz piano influence, improvising on Bill Evans's "Peace Piece" from Everybody Digs Bill Evans (Riverside, 1959). He called up bassist/producer Carrtoons to sit in; they improvised a funk/fusion tune. "Marseille" was a ballad with vocals, featuring another good Carrtoons bass solo (he had played on the original recording). "Barcelona" continued the geographic theme with vocals and a funk groove. For the encore Fox chose to improvise once more with his trio.

July 2

Canadian saxophonist Christine Jensen brought her quartet on an extensive tour (she commented that it was "just like the old days"). The opening piece was modal, with a double bass ostinato underlying the changes. Jensen played alto saxophone, and after a piano solo, the band traded eights with the drums. She introduced the band: pianist Gary Versace (a guest from New York), double bassist Adrian Vedady and drummer Jim Doxas. The concert was based on the album Day Moon (Justin Time Records, 2023). "Etude d'Mars" featured Jensen's soprano saxophone playing, while also including a double bass solo from Vedady. "Persephone" came from the CODE Quartet album Code Red (Justin Time Records, 2025), fast bebop with alto saxophone, a piano solo and an unaccompanied drum solo. "Mink Monk" acknowledged the influence of the legendary composer Thelonious Monk. "Tolos d'Abril" was Jensen's Zoom birthday pandemic song: wanting to be anywhere else than alone in snowy Canada, she imagined being in Brazil—a great set from an excellent musician with local connections.

Anomalie (the keyboardist/producer alias for Montreal-based Nicolas Dupuis) and guitarist Mark Lettieri (of Snarky Puppy) played the late Gesù slot with drummer Rony Desinor (aka Ronny Ddrums). He began the first improvisation with a funky, syncopated synthesizer groove, complete with a bass part. Lettieri took his first guitar solo in rock/fusion mode, with a bit of jazz flavor. Anomalie followed with a jazz electric piano solo reminiscent of Herbie Hancock, followed by a monophonic Minimoog-like synthesizer solo. Lettieri was a true multi-instrumentalist: in addition to explosive solo playing, he played rhythm and even took over the bass part on occasion. The group came together quickly despite never playing together before (at least in this configuration). They did not come up for air until half an hour had passed. The second tune had a more standard funk groove, building to a screaming synthesizer solo. The guitar followed with lots of whammy bar, reminiscent of Adrian Belew. Desinor brought in a piccolo snare drum for variety, and later made the most of his solo spot. He provided a funny ending by using hand claps and mouth pops. The next piece featured a lovely repeated riff that was quiet and atmospheric before dying off slowly. The final piece of the set began with a kind of Latin drum groove. After another whammy bar guitar solo there was a gentle piano/drums duet before the guitar rejoined for a dynamic build on the chord progression.

An earlier Linda May Han Oh free outdoor show was cancelled due to stormy weather: always a possible hazard for the street vendors and outdoor stages. Nonetheless, the free shows offered possibly even more variety than last year. The festival was a potent mix of concerts and street parties, as always.

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