There will be several Norwegian lineups at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival on June 25 – July 4 and at the Montréal International Jazz Festival on June 25 to July 6. This is, without doubt, the perfect opportunity to enjoy a great variety of Norwegian jazzy rhythms in Canadian surroundings.
The Vancouver International Jazz Festival has provided musicians in the local, national and international scene a chance to express themselves for 25 years. It is British Colombia’s biggest and most acclaimed music festival. Paul de Barros from The Seattle Times expressed it nicely when he wrote that “if this isn’t the best jazz festival in the world, please send us tickets to a better one.” For ten days Vancouver will be changed by a rich variety of jazz, blues, funk, Latin, fusion, electronica and world music.
The Montréal International Jazz Festival has an excellent reputation around the world. 3, 000 artists from 30 countries, more than 650 concerts (including 450 free outdoor performances), close to 2.5 million festivalgoers, 10 free outdoor stages and 10 concerts contributes to this reputation. So does the fact that Montréal, with its charm and ambiance, is a perfect setting for such a festival.
Susanna & her Magical Orchestra will be playing concerts at both festivals. The well known duo consisting of Susanna Wallumrød and Morten Qvenlid dates back to 2004. Their success has been great and they were not surprisingly recognized for their talent quite quickly both in Norway and internationally. The dark, but romantic, retro music will fill the stage in Vancouver on June 25 and then in Montréal on June 28.
Nils Petter Molvær, one of Norway’s big names when it comes to jazz, will also perform at both festivals. Molvær is a phenomenal trumpet player. His songs are beautiful as they express a huge specter of feelings, including more “brutal” songs. Nils Petter Molvær will hit the stage in Vancouver on June 28. In Montréal he will do a total of two concerts. The first one on June 26 and then the following day he will be accompanied by Paolo Fresu and Manu Katché.
Tord Gustavsen Ensemble. Photo: Vancouver International Jazz Festival
The Vancouver festival has engaged the Norwegian band Huntsville. Acclaimed to be one of Norway’s most intriguing bands, Huntsville plays music that is a mix between rock, drone, country, jazz and electro-acoustic improvisation. They will play on June 3.
In Montréal Bugge Wesseltoft, the self-taught pianist and multi-instrumentalist from Norway, will be performing on July 4. The following day, on July 5, he is doing a show together with Karen Young and Eric Auclair. Bugge Wesseltoft has played in numerous groups throughout his carrier. Since 2009 he has concentrated on his solo projects. The same year, in 2009, he released the well-known album Playing.