Like many music freaks in Montreal, I've been attending the Montreal Jazz Festival pretty much every night. I missed two nights so far, so I don't get my official badge this year, but they were for good reason.
In one case my ears just needed a break, and in another we were rehearsing. New Arboreal Quartet material on its way!
So far I've enjoyed:
Shad - June 25 @ Scene Bell
Wow, what a creative guy, with smart, self-reflexive lyrics, engaging stage presence. I had the real sense that he's moving the art of hip-hop forward in a meaningful way. His success is well-deserved.
Nils Petter Molvaer - June 26 @ Gesù
I've been enjoying his album "Khmer" for many years, but haven't been staying up to date with his evolution. I knew things were moving in an experimental direction and this show was definitely on that tip. The combination of musical and visual exploration really made for a sense of journey.
Omar Souleyman - June 28 @ Scène Bell
Very infectious beats from Syria. Love the sound production. The weather was particularly dramatic during this set.
Slavic Soul Party - June 30 @ Scène TD
[note: site auto-plays music]
I have a new bass hero. Years ago at the Festival I was blown away by the bass stylings of beatboxers Bauchklang and haven't been bassed out as much until now. With a mohawk, kilt, and giant bass amplifier driven by a tuba, this guy is serious business. Very engaging rhythms and top-notch playing all around.
Darren Sigesmund - June 30 @ Scène CBC/Radio-Canada
A 6-piece group led by trombone, with sax, guitar, bass drums and (mostly non-verbal) vocals. For their second set of the evening, the sound balance had been smoothed out and I really got into their compositions. I'm definitely going to look into this group further. Tasty stuff.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment