The city was cookin' and swingin' as the sweet sounds of jazz took over Toronto during the 18th annual TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival. The festival soared to new heights showcasing everything from graffiti and hip-hop to experimental and improvisational music, while staying true to the foundations of jazz music.
Ticket sales for the 18th annual Jazz Fest reached almost three quarters of a million dollars setting a new box office record! Almost 10,000 tickets were sold to the mainstage evening concerts on the Toronto Star Stage at Nathan Phillips Square and 42 free performances at Nathan Phillips Square, the Bay Queen Street, HMV on Queen Street, Commerce Court, Royal Ontario Museum, Christ Church Deer Park and the Alexander the Great Parkette, entertained tens of thousands of people.
On Canada Day, Nathan Philips Square was packed with Canadian flags and patriotic jazz fans. Seán Cullen hosted the day's events, and Mayor David Miller joined in to kick off the celebrations and lead a rousing rendition of O Canada. More than 65,000 people took in the sights and sounds on July 1 as the jazz festival hosted Canada Day at Nathan Phillips Square.
In this year's festival over 1500 artists represented 8 different countries. Instruments were in abundance as well, 14 grand pianos were played by 131 players; 5 Hammond B-3 Organs wurled throughout the festival; over 40 drum kits were skillfully played; and 257 saxophone reeds were used.
The new layout for the performance stages and the Artisan's Village was a big hit with vendors and patrons alike with a 15% increase in artisan village sales.
6 Movado Watches, approximate retail value of $8,000, were given away to jazz fans during the festival.
11,004 KM were logged by the festivals transportation department, including 97 trips to Pearson International Airport.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Unofficially the TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival began on Wednesday, June 23rd with an exhilarating performance by Oscar Peterson. He dazzled the audience with his impossible piano works and grand displays of dramatic stage presence. Officially the Jazz Fest began on the following Friday with Mayor David Miller proclaiming the ten days “Toronto Jazz Week". Jim Galloway and Jackie Richardson (backed by the Wee Big Band) produced smooth and sultry sounds to tease the opening day audience with glimpses of things to come. D.D Jackson, Bud Shank and Phil Woods opened the Toronto Star's mainstage with invigorating performances that exuded a creative vibrant spirit. Geoffrey Keezer framed his melodies with exquisite care at the Montréal Bistro as a part of the sizzling club series.
By the next sunset at the Jazz Fest, a latin feel had taken over Nathan Phillips Square. The Latin Jazz All-Stars took the stage at 8pm and thrilled the audience with their high energy set and steamy sounds. With the crowd already heated up, piano king Michel Camilo brought the crowd to their feet time and time again with a slapping, dashing, finger popping show. The party didn't end as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy kept people swinging into the early morning hours with their big band tunes. At the packed Top 'O The Senator Chris Potter had fans enthralled with his unique blend of old and new style jazz. Fans had to get in early or not at all at The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar, with Guido Basso joining in on Rob McConnell's Tentet.
On Sunday the crowd in the mainstage tent was treated to the power trio stylings of John Scofield - who gave an electrically charged performance. Earlier that day, up-and-coming Canadian talent Laila Biali graced the stage the audience with her sweet voice and her smooth piano skills. On Monday, June 28th, the Blind Boys of Alabama amazed the crowd with inspiring gospel music and moving vocals.
Tuesday' SRO double bill on the mainstage saw Stacey Kent up first, interpreting classic hits like Sinatra's “The Best Is Yet To Come" and “Trolley Song". Trumpet prodigy Wynton Marsalis followed and was greeted by a standing ovation. Marsalis had a great time with his quintet, giving an unbelievably devilish performance. Over at the Top 'O The Senator, Carol Sloane enraptured the audience with her diva-like vocal range.
On June 30th George Benson took the audience through his songbook of hits at the Hummingbird Centre with his improvisational guitar licks and chords. Benson was joined by Randy Bachman who opened the show with his band Jazzthing. At the same time (but a different place) Taxi Chain and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones performed on the Toronto Star Stage. Taxi Chain entertained the crowd with their innovative bagpipe addition to jazz music and Béla stunned the crowd with his incomparable banjo-playing talents.
On Canada Day four of our best jazz vocalists, Heather Bambrick, John Alcorn, Melissa Stylianou and Bonnie Brett led a jazzy rendition of the national anthem with the afternoon's host Seán Cullen and special guest Mayor David Miller. The evening closed at Nathan Phillips Square with the eccentric Brazilian Girls and the pulsating sounds of the New Deal.
On Friday, three masters of jazz, Jean-Luc Ponty, Al Di Meola and Stanley Clarke took to the Toronto Star Stage for an unforgettable evening. For the club series, Kevin Mahogany thrilled and chilled at Top O' The Senator.
The second last day of the festival began with the playful Orchestre National de Jazz de France, followed by Italy's Carlo Actis Dato who engaged the audience with a wildly frenetic set . That evening The Bad Plus thundered onto the mainstage followed by dazzling vibraphonist Gary Burton and his newest guitar protege Julian Lage. The Next Wave series explored improvised and marked new territory with Vandermark 5, and the Funk Brothers brought the Kool Haus down with the show-stopping “Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
On the final day, Dapp Theory treated the audience to the ever evolving style of hip-hop jazz. Beady Belle was cool and slick as she closed the club series selection at Revival. And last but certainly not least, the Organ Summit saw three giants of the Hammond B-3 - Joey De Francesco, Jimmy McGriff and Doug Riley - gave soulful feel-good performances to close the festival on a perfect note.
Ticket sales for the 18th annual Jazz Fest reached almost three quarters of a million dollars setting a new box office record! Almost 10,000 tickets were sold to the mainstage evening concerts on the Toronto Star Stage at Nathan Phillips Square and 42 free performances at Nathan Phillips Square, the Bay Queen Street, HMV on Queen Street, Commerce Court, Royal Ontario Museum, Christ Church Deer Park and the Alexander the Great Parkette, entertained tens of thousands of people.
On Canada Day, Nathan Philips Square was packed with Canadian flags and patriotic jazz fans. Seán Cullen hosted the day's events, and Mayor David Miller joined in to kick off the celebrations and lead a rousing rendition of O Canada. More than 65,000 people took in the sights and sounds on July 1 as the jazz festival hosted Canada Day at Nathan Phillips Square.
In this year's festival over 1500 artists represented 8 different countries. Instruments were in abundance as well, 14 grand pianos were played by 131 players; 5 Hammond B-3 Organs wurled throughout the festival; over 40 drum kits were skillfully played; and 257 saxophone reeds were used.
The new layout for the performance stages and the Artisan's Village was a big hit with vendors and patrons alike with a 15% increase in artisan village sales.
6 Movado Watches, approximate retail value of $8,000, were given away to jazz fans during the festival.
11,004 KM were logged by the festivals transportation department, including 97 trips to Pearson International Airport.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Unofficially the TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival began on Wednesday, June 23rd with an exhilarating performance by Oscar Peterson. He dazzled the audience with his impossible piano works and grand displays of dramatic stage presence. Officially the Jazz Fest began on the following Friday with Mayor David Miller proclaiming the ten days “Toronto Jazz Week". Jim Galloway and Jackie Richardson (backed by the Wee Big Band) produced smooth and sultry sounds to tease the opening day audience with glimpses of things to come. D.D Jackson, Bud Shank and Phil Woods opened the Toronto Star's mainstage with invigorating performances that exuded a creative vibrant spirit. Geoffrey Keezer framed his melodies with exquisite care at the Montréal Bistro as a part of the sizzling club series.
By the next sunset at the Jazz Fest, a latin feel had taken over Nathan Phillips Square. The Latin Jazz All-Stars took the stage at 8pm and thrilled the audience with their high energy set and steamy sounds. With the crowd already heated up, piano king Michel Camilo brought the crowd to their feet time and time again with a slapping, dashing, finger popping show. The party didn't end as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy kept people swinging into the early morning hours with their big band tunes. At the packed Top 'O The Senator Chris Potter had fans enthralled with his unique blend of old and new style jazz. Fans had to get in early or not at all at The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar, with Guido Basso joining in on Rob McConnell's Tentet.
On Sunday the crowd in the mainstage tent was treated to the power trio stylings of John Scofield - who gave an electrically charged performance. Earlier that day, up-and-coming Canadian talent Laila Biali graced the stage the audience with her sweet voice and her smooth piano skills. On Monday, June 28th, the Blind Boys of Alabama amazed the crowd with inspiring gospel music and moving vocals.
Tuesday' SRO double bill on the mainstage saw Stacey Kent up first, interpreting classic hits like Sinatra's “The Best Is Yet To Come" and “Trolley Song". Trumpet prodigy Wynton Marsalis followed and was greeted by a standing ovation. Marsalis had a great time with his quintet, giving an unbelievably devilish performance. Over at the Top 'O The Senator, Carol Sloane enraptured the audience with her diva-like vocal range.
On June 30th George Benson took the audience through his songbook of hits at the Hummingbird Centre with his improvisational guitar licks and chords. Benson was joined by Randy Bachman who opened the show with his band Jazzthing. At the same time (but a different place) Taxi Chain and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones performed on the Toronto Star Stage. Taxi Chain entertained the crowd with their innovative bagpipe addition to jazz music and Béla stunned the crowd with his incomparable banjo-playing talents.
On Canada Day four of our best jazz vocalists, Heather Bambrick, John Alcorn, Melissa Stylianou and Bonnie Brett led a jazzy rendition of the national anthem with the afternoon's host Seán Cullen and special guest Mayor David Miller. The evening closed at Nathan Phillips Square with the eccentric Brazilian Girls and the pulsating sounds of the New Deal.
On Friday, three masters of jazz, Jean-Luc Ponty, Al Di Meola and Stanley Clarke took to the Toronto Star Stage for an unforgettable evening. For the club series, Kevin Mahogany thrilled and chilled at Top O' The Senator.
The second last day of the festival began with the playful Orchestre National de Jazz de France, followed by Italy's Carlo Actis Dato who engaged the audience with a wildly frenetic set . That evening The Bad Plus thundered onto the mainstage followed by dazzling vibraphonist Gary Burton and his newest guitar protege Julian Lage. The Next Wave series explored improvised and marked new territory with Vandermark 5, and the Funk Brothers brought the Kool Haus down with the show-stopping “Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
On the final day, Dapp Theory treated the audience to the ever evolving style of hip-hop jazz. Beady Belle was cool and slick as she closed the club series selection at Revival. And last but certainly not least, the Organ Summit saw three giants of the Hammond B-3 - Joey De Francesco, Jimmy McGriff and Doug Riley - gave soulful feel-good performances to close the festival on a perfect note.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
