THE RETURN OF THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Chronicle by Sergio Martinez

After the pause due to the pandemic, the Montreal International Jazz Festival made a triumphant return between June 30 and July 9. The 42nd edition of the traditional Montreal event featured, among other great stars, The Manhattan Transfer, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Michel Donato, Wynton Marsalis, Ludovico Einaudi, and some new talents.

Christina Beaudry-Cárdenas during her show,
below, during the awarding of the
Oliver Jones Prize

As for the Latin American presence, the Festival awarded the Oliver Jones Prize to the young Canadian-Peruvian percussionist and arranger Christina Beaudry-Cárdenas. She and her group gave a vibrant jazz session with Peruvian elements during the event.

Of the indoor events, we had the opportunity to attend two excellent concerts, Ludovico Einaudi at the Wilfrid Pelletier Hall and The Manhattan Transfer at the Maisonneuve Theater. Einaudi is an Italian pianist and composer who dabbles in jazz and pop in addition to the classical genre, which is his main creative area. In his concert, he made a remarkable exhibition of his ability to move comfortably and masterfully between these musical genres, captivating the audience.

The Manhattan Transfer, on the other hand, is an iconic New York group. This year, it celebrated its fiftieth anniversary (this is its second version since a previous group was created in 1969). In their concert, the group offered some of their best-known songs. It displayed their characteristic vocal skills with their ability to accompany their interpretations with distinct sounds.

The Festival ended on the night of Saturday 9 with its Grand Closing Event, performed by the hip hop band The Roots.