Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
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Last summer, I had the opportunity to experience a "typical" day at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. My program included a bite to eat on a terrace, an indoor concert, and to finish the evening on a high note, an outdoor concert on the big stage at the Quartier des spectacles. A lovely outing that let me reconnect with the largest jazz festival in the world that I had neglected over the past few years.
My jazz festival
I don't know much about jazz, but I like music, I like summer, I like Montréal, and I like the magical atmosphere that happens when thousands of people determined to party get together to celebrate. I hadn't been to the festival for a few years, when, thanks to a varied but not overloaded program, I was ready to experience a "typical" day at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Arrival at the Quartier des spectacles:Arrival at the Quartier des spectacles: Life is good! My husband Éric and I started by taking the pulse of the festival and strolling through the streets and the Place des Arts esplanade. We could already hear jazz being played on several outdoor stages to put us in the mood.
Something to eat at the SAQ Bistro: We were hungry! So we found a spot on the large SAQ Bistro terrace. On our plate were some delicious Quebec cheeses. In our glasses, some very cold rosé wine. All around us, music and happy people!
Indoor concert at Place des Arts: We were excited! We were on our way to Place des Arts for a concert by the group Pink Martini. Comfortably seated, we enjoyed the acoustics of the hall that did justice to the artists' talent.
Outdoor concert on the large TD stage: We were impressed! On leaving the hall, a happy crowd had already gathered in front of the large stage for the Misteur Valaire concert. An electrifying and original show, fun for both eyes and ears!
A promising 33rd edition
Misteur Valaire at Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in 2011
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Do like me and come back to attend the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal that is starting in a few days, running from June 28 to July 7. The 33rd edition promises to be rich and varied with some 800 shows. On my program will be Rufus Wainwright, Adam Cohen, Liza Minnelli, and Tangerine Dream.
My advice: download the festival's iPhone application which, thanks to geolocation, lets you find ongoing or upcoming shows that are close by and to receive alerts to remind you about your favourite shows. We used it and found it great.
A big thank you to Greg Kitzler and the entire team at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal for this extraordinary evening!
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