I love jazz. Growing up, it was always on the radio and I’ve never lost my taste for soulful voices, double basses and fanciful piano melodies. Some friends will travel low cost to Montreal this summer for the biggest jazz festival in the world and even though I’m not joining them, I figured why not write about the best of the best jazz festivals to go and see. Maybe a trip across the Atlantic won’t happen this year but at least there are smaller festivals this summer happening, in Oxford, that I can check out.
New Orleans – Louisiana
Jazz was born here so it only seems fitting that it’s one of the most popular cities for jazz concerts and festivals in the world. The local favourite is Dixieland which started here in the 20th century and quickly spread to bars in Chicago and NYC. A must-see is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Montreal – Canada
In 2004 Montreal worked its way into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest jazz festival in the world. Every year the festival showcases 3,000 artists from 30 countries. There are more than 650 concerts (450 of which are free!) and more than 2.5 million people visit! This is a huge deal for Montreal and is the highlight of the year. The whole downtown core practically closes down for 10 straight days to pedestrian-only traffic and to host street concerts and parties. Montreal International Jazz Festival is a must for any serious jazz lover.
Copenhagen -Denmark
The Danes love jazz too! The first jazz festival happened in the 1970s and hasn’t stopped since. There are more than 100o concerts to see during the festival week making it the largest music event in Europe. This summer, 2011, the festival will take place from July 1st to 10th and include faces like Keith Jarrett and Sonny Rollins. The concerts take place at the Copenhagen Opera House, the Royal Danish Theatre, Tivoli Gardens and the Jazzhus Montmartre.
Montreux – Switzerland
As the most famous music even in Switzerland, Montreux Jazz Festival attracts quite the crowds to the shores of Lake Geneva every July. It’s the second largest music festival in the world, after of course Montreal. This gets me thinking, people must really love jazz if it attracts millions from around the world!
London – England
Closer to home and a little bit more intimate, the London Jazz Festival (LJF) is held every November and takes place in a number of small venues around the city. LJF started out as just a Jazz Week added to the Camden Festival in the 1970s. Today it’s a 10 day event and has become one of the most popular music events in the city.
Have you been to a major jazz festival? Where was it? Who is your favourite jazz artist?
