2009年渥太華國際爵仕音樂節 / 2009 Ottawa International Jazz Festival

The 2009 Ottawa International Jazz Festival started with a free concert on June 24 and drew to a close last Sunday July 5, 2009. This year's event was quite a success in terms of public attendance and calibre of the musicians. For several evenings, the wet weather drenched the audience but it did not dampen their enthusiasm. I usually do not spend a lot of money on night entertainment, but this year, I bought tickets for three evenings of open-air events and enjoyed every single one of them.

My favourites performers included, in chronological order: Trombone Shorty (young vocal, trombone and trumpet musician from New Orleans), Reverend Al Green (8-time Grammy Award winning Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer), Esperanza Spalding (young bassist and vocalist from Oregon with a beautiful voice), Chris Botti (worked with Sting, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, great trumpet showman crossing contemporary jazz with pop), Claudia Acuña (Chilean born vocalist now living in US, delivering beautiful songs in Spanish and English), and Chucho Valdés.(founder of the Orquesta Cuban de Musica Moderna in 1967, veteran Cuban Latin-jazz musician whom I saw in Cuba five months ago, a master pianist with unparallel speed, rhythms and ease).

The Ottawa event is the third international jazz festivals that I have attended in the last six months, the first two being the Cuba International Jazz Festival in Habana and the New Orleans International Jazz Festival in Louisiana. In the summer months ahead, I look forward to attending the Ottawa Blue Fest, the Chamber Fest and the Ottawa Folk Music Festival. If the weather cooperates, I will be spending quite a few nights out under the stars or in churches/studios, listening to some great music played by talented musicians from all over the world.

References / Related links:
* Ottawa International Jazz Festival June24-July5, published program pp. 34-46
* OIJF Website: http://www.ottawajazzfestival.com/
* Info on jazz festivals across Canada: http://www.jazzfestivalscanada.ca/

Upcoming music festivals in Ottawa:
* Blues Fest: July 8-19: www.ottawabluesfest.ca
* Chamber Fest: July 25-Aug 8: www.chamberfest.com
* Folk Fest: Aug 21-23: http://www.ottawafolk.org/