DAY 8 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Here is what you need to know for today:

WEATHER

Today's weather is looking good. cloudy but not rainy. You can check for updates by visiting WEATHER UPDATE. Make sure to check out our TOP TEN LIST of things to bring and do for an ultimate festival experience

LOCAL

We have one of our most soulful guitarists in Ottawa, Steve Groves, lead a group along with the young Daniel Ko. They take the stage at noon at the OLG stage. The name of their band is Modern History and it's a great group with the equaly soulful (former New Orleans bassist that played with Tracy Chapman) Vitas Poukstaitis, Brian Brown on piano and veteran drummer Don Johnson. 

The Rideau Center has J.P. Allain, a veteran pianist and his trio. He has played and backed up just about everyone in town and this is a chance to have such an experienced pianist play tunes for you.

NATIONAL ARTS CENTER (NAC)

We are packed at the NAC tonight... ti's going to be a fun one.

5pm, Fourth Stage: First we have the OMRI MOR ANDALUJAZZ PROJECT. If you are wondering what Andalus music is or where it is well I'll tell you because I did too at first. It is the south of Spain/north of Africa, Arabic-based region that has a unique combination of African and Spanish influences. Here is an example:

This is one of Omri's influences. Here is a video of his group. The Israeli will be here with a trio.

7pm at the Fourth Stage is GORD GRDINA TRIO PLUS MATS GUSTAFSSON. Gord Grdina is a Vancouver based guitarists and oud player that is incredible at both instruments and is a fierce virtuosic improviser. If you've seen The Thing or Atomic then you have experienced Mats Gustafsson... this will be killer! Mats also did a great interview for us... check it out Mats Gustaffson Interview.

9pm at the Fourth Stage will be KAZUTOKI UMEZU KIKI BAND. They are huge in Japan. They are fierce and deadly. Based partly on the New York improv scene of the 70's-90's, part on the punk scene and the rest pure energy. 

9pm At the NAC Studio is APEX: RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA & BUNKY GREEN is going to be simply outstanding. Two saxophones, drums, bass and a piano: Rudresh is an up and coming alto saxophone virtuoso who teams up with his mentor Bunky Green. The rest of the band is killin' also. If you want to hear exciting virtuosic jazz... this is it!

GREAT CANADIAN SERIES

The Great Canadian Saxophone series within the Great Canadian Series continues with JACEK KOCHAN QUARTET FEATURING SEAMUS BLAKE. Jacek is a seasoned Polish-based Canadian drummer that has played with everyone from Gary Thomas to Dave Liebman. He is a powerhouse of a drummer but is capable of modern improvised asthetics as well. His group features one of the greatest modern tenor players who was raised in Vancouver, and has made his mark in NYC, Seamus Blake. I did a feature on Seamus that features an incredible solo performance. If you like saxophone... do not miss this!

MAIN STAGE - BLUES & SOUL DAY!

The Main Stage Duties will be shared today by two great Blues bands. 

7:30pm JAMES COTTON. If you like the history of the blues you will have great respect for the man you are about to hear. He’s come a long way from learning how to make chicken and train sounds in Mississippi. Orphaned at nine, he learned his craft playing outside juke joints, touring with Howlin’ Wolf. He cut his first record at the legendary Sun Studios, writing the history of the blues along with people like BB King.

9pm, LUCKY PETERSON takes the stage. This multi-instrumentalist was raised in Buffalo and currently lives in Dallas. When this man was five years old he was discovered by the legendary Willie Dixon. Since then he’s appeared on the Tonight Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. The multi-instrumentalist learned from musicians like Jimmy Smith, and has collaborated with Etta James and Mavis Staples.

 

LATE NIGHT

LEE FIELDS AND THE EXPRESSIONS will be at OLG at 10:30pm. This is the show to go to if you like classic Soul and R&B. Lee Fields does this better then anyone and at the OLG stage it's going to be a party.

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

JAM REPORT from JOHN GEGGIE

The Jam sessions are going strong. Lead by the great John Geggie... here is about yesterday in his own words:

"so, we are in the middle of the run, middle of the week and the really serious committed listeners are coming out to the jams...they are great - attentive, supportive and there to the bitter end.

Nancy and I were joined in the house trio by drummer Ethan Ardelli who will be playing at the sessions with us for the remainder of the week. The first set was fun..I always look forward to our mini-set at the beginning of the evening.

the first group up to play consisted of players from the Galaxie Youth Summit and augmented by local alto player Dan Ko and Humber College student Ian Wright on drums....they played two tunes as I recall...

next up, I switched the planned order a bit because the trio of young Israeli pianist Omri Mor wanted to do a tune; they had just arrived after 20 hours of travelling and STILL they wanted to play a bit. Despite their exhaustion they played two tunes as a trio and they were burning...

the 3rd configuration consisted of me joined by local pianist Steve Boudreau and guitarist Lucas Hanemann along with Ian Wright on drums. We did three tunes (something I can't remember right now, Willow Weep for Me & I'll Remember April). Lucas was in fine form indeed, particularly on the slow grooving Willow.

the final group up last night consisted of a mix of the Galaxie kids with Ethan and Nancy..after two tunes, we closed things down a little after 2am

the audience has hanging in and I got many comments on the how much they are enjoying the jam sessions in the new venue....

in the meantime, Vijay Iyer and Tigran Hamassyan were having a chat near the back, along with Peter Hum and others...."

Day In the Life of PETER HUM

We are all able to think creatively... to see things outside the box, but because of life's oppression we are not always able to remember that. Well artists and musicians (among many other professions) have taken on the burden of thinking creatively for a living.

I thought it would be interesting to ask a few artists what their ideal "day in the life of". 

Peter Hum is an Ottawa based jazz pianist, journalist and blogger. He keeps busy as a strong voice in the world of jazz, in fact I hear his name in Brooklyn and New York all the time... people are listening! Peter also has very cool new CD that came out recently entitled A BOY'S JOURNEY with a killer band that he will tell you about below. You will most likely see Peter in the park these upcoming ten days as he will be covering a lot of the festival. Here is how you can check out all things Peter Hum:
http://peterhum.com
http://jazzblog.ca


A Day in the Life of PETER HUM


My ideal day, unfortunately, would be impossible, given the rules of space, time, and my day job. But here goes.

First, let me rule out some things. The day would involve absolutely no blogging, no editing, no interviewing, no e-mailing and no time spent in the newsroom -- not that I have anything against these excellent activities.

I'd like a very big chunk of the day to be spent with my wife and boy in some spectacular yet relaxing setting. We would be loll on a pristine beach in the Seychelles, or kayak on the Nahanni, or be awestruck by the vistas afforded on a mountain pass in the Bernese Oberland. Or all three. I know -- I'd like us to be popped right into one of those Chinese landscapes that gets idealized and romanticized into the scenery in Kung Fu Panda 2.

I would like some excellent food during my ideal day, but I don't want to have to cook it. I would like to have lunch at a hawker centre in Singapore, and then dinner at Arzak in San Sebastian or The Fat Duck in Bray -- although I hope they would have a kid's menu for my boy.

Because my ideal day would also be longer than 24 hours, and because I would not need to sleep, I would want to spend a night out with friends catching some music -- I'm sure that on any given night, a few clubs in New York would do just the trick. If I could pick one band to see, it would be drummer Adam Cruz's new band.

I often work on my own music when my wife's gone to sleep, and I wouldn't change that during my ideal day. What I would swap, though, is my road-weary keyboard in the basement for, say, a Fazioli, because that's the piano that Herbie Hancock plays. Preferably a 10-feet, two-inch Fazioli, but I would be OK with the entry-level baby grand.

Finally, I would want to make some music with people. My ideal choices would be saxophonists Nathan Cepelinski and Kenji Omae, bassist Alec Walkington and drummer Ted Warren, who play on my CD. I'd would add guitarist Mike Rud too because he makes everything sound better. 

My five jazz festival picks:

Christian McBride and Inside Straight, NAC Studio, June 28: I like meat and potatoes. Do you like meat and potatoes? When it comes to jazz, you need your meat and potatoes. McBride makes the tastiest, most sustaining meat and potatoes at the jazz festival.

Pilc Moutin Hoenig, NAC Fourth Stage, June 28: The jazz-piano-trio sparks will fly. I can't think of a group that plays with more imagination, spontaneity, dynamism and humour.

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, OLG tent, June 28:  Two years later, the guy's CD still gives me goosebumps. Who knew a big band could sound like this?

APEX: Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green, NAC Studio, June 30: "Duty Now! For the Future!" Devo used to say. It applies as well to these great alto players, playing with a monstrous, cutting-edge rhythm section.

Kenny Wheeler, Myra Melford, Jon Irabagon, Diana Torto, NAC Studio, July 2: Kenny Wheeler's too modest to think it, but he's the godfather of Canadian jazz, the source of so many defining sounds. I'll go see this show and give thanks.     

DAY 6 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A NOTE ABOUT YESTERDAY

Yesterday was in full swing. Raving reviews from everyone who went to Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman! Sisters Euclid and Ellio Villafranca were both brilliant at Fourth Stage and the charismatic Jill Barber with her smokey voice just rocked the house. Nice turnout for Return to Forever IV and jam session was packed! Here comes a little more

Here is what you need to know for today:

WEATHER

Today's weather is looking more like rain but warm so bring some gear and you should be fine. There is lots of music going on inside and outside so don't let the rain be a deterrent. You can check for updates by visiting WEATHER UPDATE. Make sure to check out our TOP TEN LIST of things to bring and do for an ultimate festival experience

LOCAL

The old guard are at the Rideau Center today at noon. MAGNOLIA RHYTHM KINGS They've been a staple of the series as long as it's run and it's nice to hear these guys play with authenticity.

CHRISTINE FAGAN has a really amazing group she is bringing to the OLG at noon! It's a real treat to get to hear Roddy Ellias, John Geggie and Jamie Gullikson so don't miss it!

NATIONAL ARTS CENTER (NAC)

Three incredible shows tonight at the NAC

The Studio will have CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND INSIDE STRAIGHT. Christian McBride is a virtuosic bassist, who seemed to come out of nowhere in the 90's and got his name playing with Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes and eventually just about every big name in jazz. Christian is a great blend between the old-school strong jazz feel and modern virtuosity. His band complements that character well - They'll definitely keep you on your toes.

Christian McBride – bass, leader
Warren Wolf – vibes
Peter Martin – piano
Steve Wilson – sax
Ulysses Owens – drums

5pm at the Fourth Stage is KOPTOR - this is an up and coming band from Copenhagen lead by a Canadian raised Kevin Brow. I first met Kevin in Toronto years ago playing with the great bassist Jim Vivian and Kevin was on fire. Very strong-handed with a very creative brand of drumming, Kevin's writing is very forward looking! If you like rhythmic layers (as in Claudia Quintet) you will love this! Also not to miss Ottawa raised, Brooklyn based Rob Mosher is an incredible, incredible!!! saxophonist.

7pm PILC/MOUTIN/HOENIG will take the Fourth Stage and they will be amazing! All known to be "music scientists", their virtuosity is unparallelled. Francois Moutin earned a Doctorate in physics by the time he was 24 but chose music over science and is simply remarkable on the bass. Ari Hoenig a drummer with perfect pitch who is known to play the drums with the harmonic command of a pianist... and Jean-Michel Pilc is simply a fireball on the piano, known for his work with Dave Liebman.

9pm At the Fourth Stage has been canceled due to medical reasons!

GREAT CANADIAN SERIES

CHET DOXAS will be at the stage at 6:30pm. He was nominated for a JUNO this year and is really one of our important saxophonists today. He is one of the few guys that sound fresh and has incredible control of his instrument. His brother Jim Doxas is Oliver Jones' regular drummer and the two are great to watch together. They will be joined by Paul Shrofel on piano and Rick Rosato on bass.

MAIN STAGE

HUGH MASEKELA will on main stage. As most of you know Youssou N'Dour had to cancel his whole Canadian tour and we were lucky enough to get this man. He was a big part of South Africa's freedom movement right around when Nelson Mandella became president. He is a grammy award winning trumpet player and singer and this should be a great show!

LATE NIGHT

DARCY JAMES ARGUE'S SECRET SOCIETY will be at OLG at 10:30pm. He has been getting a ton of attention with a Grammy Nomination this year. This Vancouver raised, Brooklyn based composer is armed with some of the best of the young generation in his band including Ingrid Jensen on trumpet. Joining him will be two Ottawa raised musicians, trombonist Mike Fahie and pianist Gordon Webster. Darcy was kind enough to give us a great interview - you can check that out here: DARCY JAMES ARGUE INTERVIEW 

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

DAY 5 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A NOTE ABOUT YESTERDAY

Yesterday was awesome. Mike's Mash Potato Mashers were brilliant, Pink Martini was sounding great and Soulive from Brooklyn, NY gave Ottawa a party not to forget.

Here is what you need to know for today:

Today is packed to the gills on all stages so get ready for a lot of incredible music!

WEATHER

Today's weather is looking awesome! Blue skies and all! You can check for updates by visiting WEATHER UPDATE. Make sure to check out our TOP TEN LIST of things to bring and do for an ultimate festival experience

LOCAL

CRAIG PEDERSON QUARTET will be on the OLG noon stage playing modern jazz. These guys are very in touch with what's going on, very skilled improvisers and proficient at their instruments so it should be really great to see what they come up with. DJANGO LIBRE will be at Rideau Center at noon. This band plays gypsy-jazz in the style of Django Reinhart and they re great at it!

NATIONAL ARTS CENTER (NAC)

Two incredible shows tonight at the NAC
BRAD MEHLDAU and JOSHUA REDMAN will be performing at the Studio at NAC and this is very very exciting. These guys don't need much of an introduction - it's going to be brilliant. There is limiting seating so get there early because the demand for this show is unreal. Even if you have a ticket please make sure you're there fifteen minutes before the doors open to ensure you have a seat. There are two sets which will make it easier. Because the project is a duo, they are touring to play indoors only so be respectful to one another and to the volunteers please. Have fun with this one!

7pm at the Fourth Stage will be ELIO VILLAFRANCA, a great Cuban pianist. If you like the rhythms of Cuba and great control of the piano and some great singing... this is your show.

9pm At the Fourth Stage, SISTERS EUCLID will be taking the stage. Led by Kevin Breit, this is a long time group - they are tight, they are organic and they are awesome. Kevin has played with everyone from Norah Jones to our very own jesse Stewart so you'll see me there for sure.

GREAT CANADIAN SERIES

The first outdoor show today is Mark McLean's Playground. This band is full of what I'd call musician's musicians. All-star sidemen and bandleaders in their own right.
Kelly Jefferson – Saxophones
David Braid – Piano and Fender rhodes
Ted Quinlan – Guitar
Marc Rogers – Bass
Mark McLean – Drums

MAIN STAGE

RETURN TO FOREVER IV are here to rock-jazz the main stage. What can I say - Chick Corea is one of the greats and here today live with probably one of the originating fusion bands.

Chick Corea – keyboards
Stanley Clarke – bass
Lenny White – drums
Jean-Luc Ponty – violin
Frank Gambale – guitar

LATE NIGHT

Everyone around the park has been super excited about this one: JILL BARBER, with a beautiful voice, great songs, incredible band and just a great show in general. Barber will definitely bring some class to the OLG late night stage tonight at 10:30pm

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

DAY 4 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Here is what you need to know for today:


WEATHER

Today's weather is looking awesome! The temperature is rising and the rain is going away. You can check for updates by visiting WEATHER UPDATE. Make sure to check out our TOP TEN LIST of things to bring and do for an ultimate festival experience

LOCAL
We have some exciting shows to start things off at the Rideau Center. the last few days there have been really great: strong, strong bands with really receptive audiences so if you can make it down it's a cool place to check out some music at noon and 2pm today. Speaking of today, the Nicole Ratte Jazz Quintet is playing. Nicole is a fabulous singer and her band is made up of some of our busiest sidemen including one of our Music Warriors, Mike Tremblay, so this will be outstanding for sure! Following Nicole is My Tiny Circus, a very cool group combining jazz and the quirkiness of new jazz/folk/pop mentality... so check it out!

OLG DAYTIME
Our YOUTH SERIES continues with the following bands:

11:00am – Ottawa Junior Jazz Band
12:00pm – Nepean All-City Jazz Band
1:00pm – La dame et ses valets
2:00pm – Brookfield High School
3:00pm – The Art of the Jazz Piano Trio- featuring students of Yves Laroche

NATIONAL ARTS CENTER (NAC)
There are two shows at the NAC tonight.
7pm at the Fourth Stage is TANIA GILL - one of my favorite CD's that I have heard this year is her quartet. She is from Toronto a part of an incredible label and movement called Barnyard Records and has a fabulous quartet with her including Jim Lewis - trumpet, Clinton Ryder - bass and Jean Martin - drummer.
Also at 7pm is the Grammy-Winning crooner Kurt Elling, in an intimate setting with a small band it should be a pretty great concert.

PARADE TIME!!!
These guys have been on a rampage and are doing incredibly well. They have toured all over Ontario Festivals this month and are at the top of their game. Lead by one of our very own Music Warriors, Mike Essoudry, this band is going to be doing a good old fashioned parade around the park. Do not miss this!!!

MAIN STAGE
And our main stage is going to be masterfully transformed by the Portland-based group PINK MARTINI. They are guaranteed to put on an amazing show. Their lead singer China Forbes will be replaced by the talanted Lucy Woodward due to medical reasons. It's been raingin so far and the main stage has been incredible, if the weather is going to be clear as the forecast promises, this will surely be a party.

LATE NIGHT
Our late night OLG stage will be occupied tonight by SOULIVE. This group is a powerhouse that have shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, John Scofield and many many more. Their new record takes the songs of the Beatles and they get very creative with it. They are one of two Organ Trios that we have at this festival and I simply love that whole sound so this one will be very cool.

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H6

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

Day In the Life of JOHN GEGGIE

JOHN'S PICKS FOR THE FESTIVAL & MORE

We are all able to think creatively... to see things outside the box, but because of life's oppression we are not always able to remember that. Well artists and musicians (among many other professions) have taken on the burden of thinking creatively for a living.

I thought it would be interesting to ask a few musicians what their ideal "day in the life of".

One of the greatest bass players this city has seen, John leads a great series at the NAC throughout the year, where he has collaborated with some of the biggest names in jazz and improvised music. We are lucky to have John leading the late night Jam Sessions at ARC The Hotel and he will also be seen around the park perhaps playing with some other acts such as with Christine Fagan on Tuesday June 28th at noon. Here is what John had to say:

John Geggie’s Day in the Life....

Beautiful morning, fresh air, birds are busy chirping away from about 5am...a great morning for a bike ride with the promise of a new morning; the bouquet of the many blossoms wafting along with you – the bike path is clear and fast. One can hear the traffic off in the distance....

A healthy breakfast on the deck – fruit, yoghurt and a great coffee (a mediocre coffee doesn’t seem right)..

I like the craft of doing a good warm-up on the bass – enjoying the sound, the creation of the sound, the tactile nature of playing, feeling the vibrations of the bass, drinking in the rich harmonic tone palettes coming from the instrument...like the blossoms wafting along with me...working on various projects and concepts, working on pieces and techniques...lots of sonic exploration along the way..before I know it, hours have passed and I got lost in the music.

Maybe going to the National Gallery to check out the permanent collection – it is pretty amazing and the spatial concept there is great....maybe the new Caravaggio exhibit.

Maybe going to the renovated Museum of Nature...get inspired

Checking out some music by Estonian composers like Erkki-Sven Tuur or Georgian composer Giya Kancheli...might also listen to my friends Craig Taborn and Cuong Vu and their new  recordings (Craig’s solo piano CD is profound and deep while Cuong’s new two-bass quartet turns standards around and around)....

Oh yes, I hear there is jazz festival going on and I am hosting the jam sessions again...looking forward to that – it is always nice to share some music but there are a bunch of great Canadian musicians and their projects to see and hear – like legendary trumpet player Kenny Wheeler, like Daniel Lanois, like Nancy Walker and her quartet, like Darcy James Argue’s band, like various local groups (Brian Browne for example) and of course some spectacular American musicians like Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman. I also want to hear Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset....

Lots to do....

DAY 3 - What you need to know

A note about yesterday:

A quick note on yesterday: Well we had an amazing impromptu performance by Larnell Lewis and George Koller since Laila Biali was delayed due to thunder, and what a show they put on... it was an incredible festival moment. Elvis Costello rocked the house as did The Thing - they just went for it and took no prisoners. Elliot BROOD played to a sold out crowd at the OLG stage and probably one of my favorite things that happened yesterday was DRUMHAND, the African/Jazz outfit at The Mercury Lounge who played to a full crowd and had everyone dancing... talk about vibe!

Here is what you may need to know for today:

Today's weather is not looking too shabby compared to yesterday although you may want to bring some raingear to be comfortable - you can check for updates by visiting WEATHER. All who braved it yesterday had an incredible time. Rubber boots come in handy and make you feel all warm and cosy.

Local:
We have two really really great singers appearing at the Rideau Center today. At noon, RENEE YOXON, who will be leaving soon on a New York residency, will be performing her originals and standards in a great duo situation with guitarist Rene Gely. MEGAN JEROME is bringing her quirky, deep, beautiful, french-cafe vibe with a great trio at 2 p.m. Both these are exquisite singers in their own right!

OLG Daytime:
There will be many youth bands made up of young local talent - this is our future!

NAC:
A great Scandinavian group ATOMIC plays at the Fourth Stage which will undoubtedly be an adventure. This band has all-around great musicians but one stands out: the powerhouse drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. They will be starting at 7 p.m.

Great Canadian Series:

BRIAN BROWN, is a living legend in Canadian Jazz Piano, and this legend is from our very own Ottawa. He has a great rhythmic feel, exciting ideas steeped in the jazz-piano tradition - a true icon, and it will be really special to see a great pianist like Brian Brown take the stage at 6:30 p.m. with his trio including drummer Jeff Asselin and bassist Vitas Pauktaitis.

Main Stage:

THE BELLE BRIGADE will be opening up for the one and only:

K.D. LANG and The Siss Boom Bang
Seems like the "perfect band" is a common thread as all these great artists are searching for a unified strong band sound. K.D. Lang is no different. If you check out her website you'll see that her band is of great importance to her and certainly makes for the perfect vibe for her music. She will have her full six-piece band and this should be great!

Late night:

Here's a the kicker for all those ready to get down. This year's Juno-Award-winning-hip-hop Artist SHAD will be at the OLG stage at 10:30pm. Shad is a socially-conscious rapper of great skill originating from Kenya, with Rwandan parents... if you like jazz, you like improvising, like beats and are up for grooving hard, you should definitely check this out.

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H6

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

Larnell Lewis and George Koller

Laila Biali had an unfortunate many-airport delay and in a moment of inspiration her rhythm section pulled together an incredible set that just blew everybody away.

Rain is slowing down so come on down for Elvis Costello... Looking good!

JAM REPORT from JOHN GEGGIE

Even with a limited amount of musicians present at the festival's first day, the jam session was in full swing and sounds like maybe you should check it out?

In the words of Bassist, and jam session leader John Geggie, here is what happened last night:

"ok, so like Robert Plant showed up and we wailed through Houses of the Holy, Dazed & Confused and Whole Lotta Lunch....uuhhh, so, like,...NO...that didn't happen.

BUT the ARC lounge is great...the feel on the bandstand is great, very intimate. It got noisy last night (lots of people at the back) and we will have to rejig the piano volume to cut through but onstage, it is very intimate and it feels right. I like the look of the room and there seemed to be a lot of people in there last night..Colin and the whole team at the ARC are being great...

so, it was a joy as always to play with my pals and co-conspirators in the house band, Nancy Walker and Nick Fraser....they sounded great as always and it was fun to play some new tunes for our opening set - people coming down to the session should note that the opening set by us the house trio is sometimes the most sublime and happening music of the night..I am truly blessed to be able to share music with Nancy and Nick.

We had a good night of jamming - things started off with some local players: Craig Pedersen on trumpet, Lucas Hanemann on guitar played two tunes, the 2nd one being Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron). We were then joined by vocalist Renée Yoxon (sounding GREAT). She sang Bye Bye Blackbird and All Blues. Nancy was sitting out on this segment but I could see her edging back closer to the stage and finally she crept up to the piano because she simply wanted to play ('Renée was sounded so good on All Blues, I just wanted to join in'). It was nice how just her subtle interjections of things on piano spurred Lucas to change how he was playing and go to a different place. It had a great arc and journey.

after a short break, two young players from the Galaxie Rising Starts came up with their horns (Marie on trumpet and Chris on tenor sax)...we did three tunes ending with a fast version of John Coltrane's Blues for Alice (she doesn't live here anymore).

after another shortish break, we the trio finished off the night with Wayne Shorter's ESP. We finished about 1:20am..it was pretty non-stop music and neither Nick nor I had a break all night.

a nice start to the festival jams this year."

The Jam Sessions take place at ARC The Hotel located at 140 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H6

www.ottawajazzfestival.com

DAY 2 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Well if you were here last night to see Robert Plant you know how awesome it was. His band is simply incredible no matter what your style preference is. The vibe in the park was simply magical. There are a lot of concerts today so I will keep it brief and you can check out the rest in the program. Here is what's coming up today:

LOCAL STAGES:
Caridad Cruz and Lucas Haneman are playing on our OLG Noon series and Rideau Center respectively. They are both incredible. Caridad is a powerful Cuban singer and Lucas is an incredible young guitarist that is able to cross many boundaries.

EVENING:
Laila Biali is on the Great Canadian Series. Laila was nominated for a Juno this year and has a nice command of the piano as well as an amazing voice. She has a great band featuring George Koller on bass, who is appearing on a great number of amazing records as both a bassist and a producer.

If you are starving for european improvised music... tonight is one of the best nights. The Thing features the great Mats Gustaffson. He gave us a really great interview about how he thinks about music. Here is the Mats Gustaffson Interview. If you haven't had enough, stay for Jonas Kullhammer, the tenor saxophonist from Sweeden with a big sound, and very energetic quartet rooted in late-Coltrane sound but with a fresh outlook on improvised music.

MAINSTAGE:
ELVIS COSTELLO & The Imposters will of course be on the main stage tonight starting at 8:30pm. Come to be  comfortable, the show is going on come rain or shine and it should be just as magical as last night. Elvis is bringing a great four-piece band with:

One of the things I noticed yesterday and it's of course true for all bands: what makes them good besides the individual musicians of course being really great, is when the band is a true band, used to each other, because that is when and where the magic happens. Well talk about musicians that have played together for a long time: both Steve Nieve, the keyboardist and Pete Thomas, the drummer have been with Costell since 1977 - that's 34 years. Basist Davey Faragher is no slouch either so that's bound to be a great show!


LATE NIGHT:
If you feel like a party come out to the OLG stage at 10:30 with ELLIOT BROOD will be performing and that will no doubt be an adventure.

Also if you feel like getting off the park and are in more of club vibe, head on down to the The Mercury Lounge where the great Toronto-based band DRUMHAND is playing a lat show starting around 10:30 as well.

DRUMHAND Video Collage 2010

DRUMHAND | Myspace Music Videos

And of course if you didn't have enough head on down to ARC The Hotel for the Jam Session with John Geggie's band.

If you need ticket information please don't hesitate to go to the Ottawa Jazz Festival website.

ROBERT PLANT SHOW TONIGHT - remember NO BOTTLES

There is still a couple of hours left before our first main show of the festival so you've got time to make it down! I don't know if you are as excited as I am for Robert Plant... hanging around the set up and soundcheck, I think it's going to be a very cool show... he's got  great band with him! Here is an interview about Plant's project.

I just wanted to remind you all that:

NO CANS, BOTTLES OR REFILLABLE CONTAINERS OF ANY SORTS WILL BE PERMITED IN THE PARK FOR TONIGHT ONLY. WATER WILL BE PROVIDED ON SITE FREE OF CHARGE.


Thanks everyone, see you at the park!

Happy Birthday Roddy Ellias

Happy Birthday Roddy Ellias... one of our jazz treasure in Ottawa!

If you happen to see him today around town or the festival, wish him a great one today!

DAY 1 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WELCOME TO THE 31st OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL!!!

What you need to know for today:

Robert Plant

THE MUSIC:
He will be performing with his Band of Joy. You might want to check out who Buddy Miller is - a Nashville based singer, guitarist and producer who has worked with Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch just to name two. he produced Plant's latest record and it he is one of the reasons this band sounds so rootsy and why I am excited to see this band.

DETAILS: 
BAHAMAS are the opening act and will be playing a short half hour set befoe Robert Plant who will start at 8:30pm
Robert Plant has made specific requests of the festival and therefore:
No bottles of any kind are allowed for the performance. Don't worry, we will have water for free in cups available.
No cameras or recording devices of any kind are permited
There is a request to quickly search any bags that you may be bringing in, so be ready for that or simply don't bring a bag for the show and things will go faster.

You can check out a video on our website.

The PepTides
appearing at the Late Night OLG Stage 10:30pm

THE MUSIC:
This group is just outrageous. They are as much about art as they are about music and I simply can't wait to go check them out

DETAILS:
lots of room, under tent so for the most part you do not need to worry about rain unless all the Robert Plant fans decide to stay and go check out this show... which would be pretty cool.

You can check out a video on our website.

www.ottawajazzfestival.com