Since its inception in 1985, the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival has been about building community.
From high school students to up-and-coming stars, the festival has served as an incubator, establishing new audiences and honing the performance chops of already-brilliant artists while bringing free music to the people.
Of the 300 shows this year, 150 of them will be free – giving the festival’s half a million attendees the chance to discover new music on a sunny lunch break, or have an affordable day out in the city.
At a recent media showcase for the festival’s 30th year, co-founder John Orysik gave an impassioned explanation of why free shows have always been a priority:
“Jazz festivals are all about coming and discovering new music, music and artists you never thought would have an impact on you,” he explained. “It’s about accessibility and the opportunity for people to find a portal into the music and enrich their experiences.”
But the free stages aren’t just for the audience to enjoy – having a platform for community discovery has also had a huge impact on local artists. In 1993, singer and pianist Diana Krall could be seen performing on the free jazz festival stages in Gastown. She has since recorded 12 studio albums and won five Grammys.
“One of the things that’s really gratifying to us [was] watching and nurturing a young Diana Krall, who went from a local jazz musician to international stardom,” confirmed Orysik. “We’ve watched her grow and play bigger venues for us, her recording career [started] going gangbusters, and now today she represents British Columbia as one of our great artists.”
From those Gastown days the jazz festival’s free programming also grew, prompting a move to a bigger, bolder location in 2012.
“We wanted to take this iconic festival and put it in the heart of the city where you couldn’t avoid it,” said Orysik with a smile. “And it was also an opportunity for us to expand our footprint. We wanted to create what essentially became a music and arts village downtown.”
Enter the three duelling stages, the sizzling food trucks, the family zones, the interactive art installations, and the viewing screens that have become an integral part of the festival’s world-class reputation.
Now, the festival is expanding once again to add two additional days of free concerts leading up to the big weekend.
“We’re adding two additional days of free programming at the Georgia Stage down in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.” said Orysik. “It will be a great way to present more music and introduce a new audience to the jazz festival – those folks who work downtown and live further afield and don’t get a chance to come down during the weekend to experience what we do.”
And if you want to know which free shows we’ll be popping downtown to see, here is a breakdown of what’s going on where:
Downtown Jazz Weekend, June 18-21
This expanded micro-festival takes over Robson Square and the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza for four days of ensembles, big bands, orchestras and ‘tets. Concerts kick off Thursday, June 18, at noon with the legendary Dal Richards Big Band and keep the spirit going with the likes of Caribbean favourites Rumba Calzada (June 19, 5pm), local Juno Award-winners Fond of Tigers (June 20, 5:15pm), trumpeter John Korsrud and his Latin ensemble (June 20, 6:45pm), ‘70s R&B aficionados the Kristin Fung Band (June 21, 5pm), South African Afro-pop septet Freshly Ground (June 21, 7:30pm), and many, many more.
Granville Island Jazz, June 19-30
Free music is offered every day of the festival through the Granville Island Public Market Stage, with renowned jazz acts performing at noon daily, followed by more free performances at Performance Works each day at 1pm. Highlights include rising Vancouver/New York pianist Cat Toren (June 20, 1pm), jazz standards and originals with the David Blake Trio (June 23, noon), and the rhythmic force of Waxwing (June 27, 1pm). Don’t miss the extended Canada Day program, running July 1 from noon to 7:30pm at various venues around the Island, and featuring Serbian guitarist Ivan Tucakov with Tambura Rasa (7:30pm), the lush old-time jazz and swing of the Company B Jazz Band (8pm), and the acclaimed Kate Hammett-Vaughan Quintet (9:30pm).
Jazz Around Town: June 19-30
Free workshops and afternoon sessions will be hosted at satellite locations throughout the festival. Musicians can dive into the craft at Tom Lee Music (929 Granville) with artists such as Kris Davis (June 22, 1pm), Louis Moholo-Moholo (June 25, 1pm), and Eric Boeren (June 26, 1pm). Gospel lovers can fill the pews at St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church (Burrard and Nelson) June 19-30 for performances by the Good Noise Gospel Choir (June 25, 4pm), City Soul Choir (June 30, 12pm), and more. Meanwhile the exploratory likes of Israeli vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (June 22, 5pm) and local luminaries Handmade Blade (June 24, 5pm) take the stage in groundbreaking fashion in Gastown at the Ironworks Innovation Series (235 Alexander).
David Lam Park Jazz Weekend, June 27-28
Yaletown will see its own weekend of free music, packing the crowds into its popular waterfront park for a grass-scorching roster of jazz, funk, and world music. Don’t miss Electric Miles bringing Miles Davis’ game-changing “electric period” to life (June 27, noon), Latin dance band Mazacote transporting the crowd to Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Cuba (June 27, 3:30pm), Banda Magda channeling their quirky summertime charm (June 27, 8:45pm), or the party-starting antics of The Ballantynes (June 28, 5:15pm). There’s even more to see inside the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall, with compelling jazz acts Tiny Pyramids and ElkHorn performing both days.
• For the full schedule and artist bios, pick up a copy of the festival guide or head to CoastalJazz.ca.
