Summer Fest is JazzYYC’s flagship event, and this year will be the biggest yet in terms of the number of shows. Taking place in intimate clubs, restaurants, and concert halls, the festival boasts an impressive line-up of both Canadian and international artists and offers something for the casually jazz-curious and the true heads alike.
Summer Fest’s diverse lineup appeals to those who love live music as a whole, even if they may not consider themselves “jazz people,” a preconception that artistic director Kodi Hutchinson says often stems from not knowing how vast a genre jazz can truly be. “I’ll catch people coming out of shows saying ‘I don’t like jazz, but I LOVED that’ and I don’t have the heart to tell them they kinda like jazz,” he says.
Headliners Hiromi’s Sonicwonder purvey an absolutely electrifying brand of contemporary and forward-thinking music led by Hiromi’s virtuoso piano playing, while tributes to masters like John Coltrane (Isaiah Collier’s “Collier Plays Coltrane”) and Miles Davis (Ron di Lauro Sextet’s “Kind of Blue”) offer a chance to appreciate classic catalogues with a tinge of modern taste and musicianship. Kristin Kobb Trio’s “Sweet Dreams” offers a reinterpretation of the Eurhythmics pop-songbook, while Iceland’s ADHD perform some of the most arresting, kinetic, swallow-you-up-whole music you’re ever likely to hear in person.
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Beyond those offerings, recent Blue Note (the famous New York-based jazz label that has put many artists on the map, such as Coltrane and Davis) signee trumpeter Brandon Woody and Canadian singer Elysia Biro are two contemporary performers whose individual talents promise to leave those who missed out to opine, “You got to see them live?”
Making Jazz Accessible
A frequent topic of my chat with Kodi Hutchinson circled around accessibility, not just to jazz as a genre but to Summer Fest as an event as well.
When it comes to getting anyone in the door, ticket prices can be a barrier that even astounding musicianship cannot overcome. JazzYYC has implemented various strategies to broaden access to the fest. For example, tickets can start at around $20 for those under 25. But Hutchinson encourages anyone who may be a little tight on funds to consider such tickets, while prices for headliner shows generally sit around $40. Festival wristbands offer the best value for those who are looking for their fill of the festival’s offerings, venues of varying size and style (the Bella Concert Hall all the way to Sandman’s hotel bar) and a free outdoor show at Tomkins Park.
While shows like Ron di Lauro’s “Kind of Blue” and Kristin Kobb Trio’s “Sweet Dreams” offer easy access points into the conventions of jazz performance, other artists, like Brasstastics from Edmonton, headliner Mark Lettieri based out of Texas, and Calgary-based, Chilean-born Oliver Miguel, will have any music fan burning a hole in the dance floor.
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Calgary’s Jazz Landscape
Calgary’s own artists populate the festival lineup, with Mexican-born, Calgary-based vocalist Gisela Romero leading a seven-piece ensemble featuring Calgary jazz staples like David Lavoie and the recently Calgary-based-again Jeff Gammon at the Ironwood. The rest of the Alberta artists will perform throughout the festival in the “Late Night at the Sandman” showcases, with an open invitation to those wishing to join improvised musical excursions.
These kinds of shows offer an opportunity to witness the raw spontaneity and inspired interplay that jazz jams are known for, up close and personal. You may catch a festival headliner stretching out in an impromptu tune or witness any of Calgary’s own up-and-coming talent exchanging musical chops with an international-level performer.
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According to Hutchinson, Summer Fest has set ticket sales records over the past two years and continues to grow, having just secured a major funding partner in MissionWealthAdvisors.
In the future, Hutchinson hopes to bring back the multiple outdoor stages that drew large crowds in years past and provide more opportunities for people to discover what JazzYYC Summer Festival has in store for them, with sights set on the new Olympic Plaza in 2028.
The festival closes every year with a free outdoor JazzWalk event that serves as a sampler for the festival and the programming yet to come.
“The goal is that maybe you didn’t go see a [ticketed show] but you go check that out and think ‘Hey, this isn’t so bad, I’m going to [check this out] next year,’” says Hutchinson.
Summerfest takes place from June 22 to 28. More information at jazzyyc.com.
