Montreal Jazz Festival notes (Part II)

Andreya Triana, Bonobo and Mr. Scruff - July 3 @ Metropolis
Andreya Triana's opening set was tastefully arranged, and led up to an effortless drum & bass conclusion that reminded us who invented the genre. Bonobo's "Black Sands" was my album of the spring and the band delivered a great rendition. Nice also to hear older tracks in this new orchestration. Mr. Scruff is at the top of his game.

Marc Atkinson Trio - July 4 @ Scene du Festival
Some laid-back but kick-ass playing in this acoustic trio.

The Lost Fingers - July 4 @ Scene TD
Quite engaging and clearly a crowd-pleaser. I particularly enjoyed their AC-DC medley.

Gypsophilia - July 5 @ Scene du Festival
Great players, great compositions, and a very diverse variety of moods, often in the same piece.

Nomo - July 5 @ Scene Bell
They get props for using two instruments I haven't seen before. Some kind of breath-controlled synth? An electric kalimba? I liked how their sound varied from entirely organic (full-on Afrobeat) to synth-led electronic atmospheres.

This rounded out the festival this year for me. Good stuff!