Toronto Jazz Festival Heats Up T.O.
Posted June 24, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In terms of the public eye, little that takes place over the weekend of June 24 th will rival Pride.
But that doesn’t mean other things aren’t happening in Toronto.
In fact several are, one of the more interesting of which is the Toronto International Jazz Festival, a major event with some major swinging sounds.
“You’re going to find something you enjoy under the jazz umbrella,” said Patrick Taylor, the festival’s CEO.
“The jazz umbrella is very diverse whether it’s bebop, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues.there’s something for everybody in this festival.”
It’s the 20 th anniversary of the popular festival, and to mark the special occasion organizers have put together a lineup of over 1,500 musicians and 350 concerts at 40 locations, and many of them are free and open to the public.
To be sure thousands were out celebrating Saturday night in anticipation of Sunday’s massive Pride Parade, but that didn’t stop hundreds from filling the grounds around the festival’s main stage at Nathan Phillips Square and taking in the booming bass and sizzling symbols.
One band providing such sounds was Ottawa’s Afro-Connection, who was on hand Saturday night to see the main draw, legendary Marcus Miller.
“Jazz is the source of a lot of music styles,” said musician Vincent Bolamba.
“The mother of the science of music, so it’s like you’re coming back home and you’re listening to mama talking.”
Mama will keep talking until July 2 nd, when the festival wraps up for another year.
