There is an inherent problem with the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, it is impossible to see all of the artists one wants to see. So, what I tried to do was check out as many groups as possible during the three days. There were an abundance of excellent musicians and unfortunately I could not be in two places at the same time. Given those constraints, I managed to hear a great deal of superb music throughout the weekend.

Friday evening (August 8) kicked off with the serious crooner José James, all decked out in what appeared to be a light green zoot suit. The first two songs of the evening were taken from his new album, 1978 Revenge Of The Dragon, coincidentally the year James was born. Opening with Michael Jackson’s hit “Rock With You”, James slowed the tempo way down and changed the mood entirely. His elongated phrasing and dynamic shifts made me forget about Jackson and instead focus on James. Taking another bold move, James selected the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” and tore that tune up. He spent the remaining part of his set focusing on the music of Bill Withers, reshaping three songs from Withers’ catalog. “Ain’t No Sunshine” built into a vehicle for James’ remarkable ability to rap, then switching back to singing with the same intensity, a very provocative mix.

The three instrumentalists behind James kept the music flowing on the right course. Ben Williams made significant contributions on electric bass for the Grover Washington Jr. and Withers “Just The Two Of Us”. The keyboard chair was filled by BIGYUKI who played energetic solos all set long and Jharis Yokley could be subtle or pounding depending on the right touch for each tune. James referred to the trio as his Maserati group and they really came roaring through for him.

After a stellar rendition of Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love”, James declared Withers the all-time-great of the seventies, closing with “A Lovely Day”.  It was a perfect way to spend a hot summer afternoon, groovin’ to James and his Maserati band.

Shifting gears I went over to the Latin Tropical Stage for some boleros courtesy of La Marisoul and The Love Notes Orchestra. Harkening back to the 60’s La Marisoul sang a tune popularized by iconic Cuban singer Benny Moré, “Como Fué”.  The Love Notes Orchestra laid down a thick carpet of traditional big band smooth sounds, keeping the mood nice and mellow. Osvaldo Farrés, Cuban composer of “Toda Una Vida”, came next and La Marisoul put a lot of emotion into her delivery. Keeping in a Cuban vein, La Marisoul brought out “Qué Sabes Tú”, a tune popularized by Cuban songstress Olga Guillot. All in all, La Marisoul and The Love Notes Orchestra took the audience on a nostalgic trip down memory bolero lane.

After some wonderful Cuban food, I wandered over to the Main Stage and caught the end of Ghost-Note’s show. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, two members of the band Snarky Puppy, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight and percussionist Nate Werth, left that band to take their music in a different direction. The sound mix was sort of muddy, which distorted the horns, but there were bright spots in the original music. A tribute to the late Sly Stone, innovator of the Funk, with “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” blended in well with their material.  “Sput” Searight’s parting words were, “Peace, Love, and Funk”, a pleasant sentiment to send us off.

Saturday (August 9) began instrumentally as drummer Carl Allen fronted a trio with Ralph Moore (tenor saxophone) and Reginald Veal (acoustic bass) in the air conditioned Montgomery Stage Theater. Apprenticing under Freddie Hubbard and the Donald Harrison/Terrence Blanchard groups, Allen and cohorts played some familiar and not so familiar songs beautifully. Allen set the tone for the show using his deft, humorous introductions to Monk’s “Misterioso”, Pat Metheny’s “James” and Christian McBride’s “A Morning Story”. During “James” Veal’s charts kept falling off the stand, even when Moore went to rescue them they fell off again and miraculously the band never missed a beat. “L’s Bop” by drummer Lenny White is usually heard as a vehicle for electric instruments, here the tune took a different acoustic turn propelled by Allen’s excellent drumming. On the last tune of the set, “Happy Times”, Moore really created some space with his improvisations which led to a round robin of trading fours with Allen and Veal, a fine way to conclude a sumptuous early afternoon of music.

I walked over to the Latin Tropical Stage where Orquesta Liberación de San José’s set was already in progress. Led by trombonist Kenny Washington, the Orquesta came on like gangbusters as three vocalists covered “El Cuarto De Tula” made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club. A few days earlier Eddie Palmieri passed away, so the Orquesta played a swinging rendition of his famous composition, “Vámonos P’al Monte”. The instrumentation of the band was interesting, two trumpets, two trombones, a baritone saxophonist, congas, timbales, piano, baby bass and the singers. They achieved a full sound without a drummer or a bongo player.

Rushed back to the Montgomery Stage Theater for my introduction to vocalist Tyreek McDole, currently topping the jazz charts with his debut record Open Up Your Senses. I can’t say enough about this young man, he is by far the most engaging, brilliant vocalist I have heard in quite some time. Playing the bells and tambourine, McDole entranced the crowd with his resonant baritone. A four piece band, Wolfie Williams (piano), Dylan Vann (tenor saxophone), Dan Finn (acoustic bass), Gary Jones III (drums), ably backed McDole’s commanding voice. At a mere 25 years of age, McDole appears to have distilled all of the baritone jazz voices of the past to create a new personal standard. What he choose to sing was also indicative of maturity, harkening back to the past on Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now” and jumping into the future with “Open Up Your Senses”. On the  final tune, Alan Johnson’s “Somalia Rose”, McDole had the entire audience singing the chorus. Just a marvelous early afternoon show from a rising star. Remember his name, Tyreek McDole.

Saturday evening vocalist Lalah Hathaway graced the main stage area, but before she came out, the band led by Jubu Smith on guitar, played an enchanting hymn called “In The Garden”.  Known for his exceptional work on guitar, Jubu sang in a commanding soulful voice, while adding his own signature licks. After that inspired song, Jubu retreated to the background to back up headliner Hathaway, who sang with unbridled joy. The crowd got excited when Hathaway announced she was going to sing one of her father, Donny Hathaway’s songs, “Love, Love, Love”. On that warm August evening, Hathaway paid tribute to her father with a stunning rendition. The beauty of her voice and the relaxed manner of her delivery, stayed with me for several days after the show.

At the Latin Tropical Stage, vocalist Hermán Olivera and the Orquesta Taíno played the last set on Saturday night and they came out wailing. Olivera, an extraordinary sonero with marvelous improvisatory skills, gave an enthusiastic performance, perhaps due to the fact that some of his relatives were in the audience. Normally I don’t get too excited by a salsa band, but Orquesta Taíno and Olivera got my whole body moving. They laid down such an infectious groove that kept me dancing the entire set. I pretty much know how Olivera performs, dancing by himself in front of the audience. That Saturday night was different however, as he danced with one of the salsa instructors during an instrumental break. There was a looseness that Olivera, a master of cool, calm, and collected behavior, displayed throughout the show. The final number, a tribute to the recently departed Eddie Palmieri, was the popular “Palo Pa’ Rumba”. Olivera hoped he would do justice to his former employer’s tune and he and Orquesta Taíno suceeded.

Before I knew it, Sunday (August 10) had rolled around and the Fest was almost over. So, I returned to the cool confines of the  Montgomery Stage Theater, where bassist Saul Sierra and his band concentrated on his latest album Caminos, A Pan-American Jazz Suite. Sierra was a most informative host, as the band took the audience on a musical ride through 8 different countries, including Perú, México, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay, Puerto Rico and the U.S. (New Orleans). The band, Saul Sierra (acoustic bass), Marco Díaz (piano and trumpet), Charlie Gurke (tenor and alto saxophones), Ahkeel Mestayer and Julio Pérez (percussion), tackled each tune with precision and grace. One interesting part of the show was the foray into some very cool rhythms, such as the Uruguayan Candombe, the Peruvian Landó, and the Venezuelan Merengue. The solos were uniformly good, however the two percussionists, Mestayer and Pérez, did some outstanding work as they moved from one rhythm to another. Listening to Sierra and company, in that early afternoon, was a wonderful way to begin my musical day.

In the lobby of the California Theater on First Street I caught Toninho Horta, singing and playing guitar on his original material. Horta has a kind of laconic style which fit the soft contours of the song “Luisa”, written for his sister. The great Marcos Silva contributed some superb piano on the two compositions I heard. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the whole set as I had to move on to the Montgomery Theater Stage for Ray Obiedo and his band.

In the past few years guitarist Obiedo has presented many different styles of music, either Afro-Cuban, Brazilian or Afro-Caribbean. Sunday was one of those occasions when Peter Horvath (piano), Jeff Cressman (trombone), Phil Hawkins (drums), Jon Bendich (congas), Derek Rolando (timbales), Dan Feiszli (electric bass), Obiedo (guitar) and Lilan Kane (vocals), filled the auditorium with their sultry superb sounds, focusing on rhythms from Cuba, Brazil and Saint Lucia.

Starting off with the Obiedo compositions, “Southern Side” and “Child’s Dance”, the band hit their stride during “True Or False”, and the two percussionists, Bendich and Rolando, brilliantly complemented each other in a fascinating 6/8 groove. A surprise came with the inclusion of the Antônio Carlos Jobim song ”Inutil Pasagem”, a deep cut by the Brazilian composer. Obiedo has a great ear for vocalists and Kane did not disappoint, in fact her singing lifted the band to new musical heights. Kane’s composition “Without You”, with guest Daniel Casares on tenor saxophone, turned out to be a very fine pop tune. Also her interpretation of “What A Difference A Day Makes”, a tune originally written in Spanish by María Grever in 1934, was  quite moving. To round out the evening, Obiedo played his tune “Santa Lucia”, featuring solos by Cressman on trombone and Horvath on piano. It must be noted that Obiedo’s guitar playing throughout the show encouraged the other musicians to express themselves to the fullest of their abilities. His percussive jabs and slashes pushed the soloists to find new forms of self expression.

Three days of very memorable music, from the suave sounds of José James to the spirited funk of the Ray Obiedo band. There were some discoveries, vocalist Tyreek McDole and Ghost-Note, and some superb established acts like Lalah Hathaway and Hermán Olivera. The 35th year of the San José Jazz Summer Fest once again provided a stellar line-up with a fantastic variety of music.

* All photographs by Brooks Geiken.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue — A Mardi Gras street party transplanted to Montréal, brass and funk igniting the downtown heart of the city.

For forty-five years, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM) has been the beating heart of summer in this city. What began as a bold idea in 1980 has grown into one of the world’s most cherished cultural gatherings—an experience that enriches not only Montrealers, but Canadians from across the country and visitors from every corner of the globe. Each year, they come to immerse themselves in the magic of music and the warm, festive spirit that only Montréal can provide.

This city knows how to welcome the world. It doesn’t simply host a festival—it creates a sense of belonging, where audiences, artists, and cultures converge. The FIJM has become a pioneer in live-event creation, constantly raising the bar for what a music festival can be. Its secret? The ability to unite government agencies, local businesses, sponsors, volunteers, media, and the public into a shared vision of celebration and artistry.

Over four and a half decades, this collaborative spirit has transformed the festival into an international beacon. It is more than a showcase of world-class performances—it is a driver of economic vitality, a stage for cultural exchange, and an enduring symbol of Montréal’s creative soul. With its blend of ticketed and free programming, the festival proves that excellence and accessibility can walk hand in hand, offering something for everyone while keeping the downtown core alive with rhythm and joy.

For ten electrifying days, June 26–July 5, 2025, we celebrated not only the extraordinary music, but also the city and the community that have made this festival possible. Nearly one million attendees flocked to downtown stages and cozy performance spaces, creating a ten-day urban symphony of sound and spirit.

Outdoor Magic: Free Concerts That Defined the Festival

Ayra Starr — The Nigerian Afrobeats star drew a sea of fans for one of the festival’s most memorable free spectacles. Rain gave way to dancing bodies, shoulder-to-shoulder as far as the eye could see.

Elisapie — The Canadian Inuk artist delivered a profoundly moving concert, weaving traditional Inuktitut songs with contemporary arrangements, bridging ancestral memory and modern storytelling.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue — A Mardi Gras street party transplanted to Montréal, brass and funk igniting the downtown heart of the city.

Monsieur Periné — The Colombian super group brought tropical swing and a sense of playful elegance to the outdoor stage, fusing cumbia, swing, and pop in a jubilant celebration that had the plaza dancing.

Esperanza Spalding (Closing Night) — The bassist-vocalist reinvented the art of the festival finale with a fearless, piano-led improvisation that blurred the line between concert and ritual.

Ticketed Concert Gems

Nas with Symphony — An orchestral reimagining of Illmatic. Ambitious, polarizing, and unforgettable, the show marked a bold anniversary statement.

Thundercat — The bass virtuoso stretched grooves into galaxies with his trio, delivering a futuristic jazz-fusion masterclass.

Natalia Lafourcade — Two sold-out nights of stripped-down voice-and-guitar intimacy in a hall of 3,000. Proof that silence and subtlety can be just as commanding as volume.

Mon Laferte — The Chilean-Mexican singer-songwriter delivered a riveting set, marked by her signature emotional honesty and dynamic musicality.

Surprise Show on June 28 at 11 pm

Avishai Cohen Trio — This free concert by the acclaimed Israeli bassist drew an ecstatic crowd. Cohen’s dazzling interplay with his trio showcased virtuosic improvisation, transforming an ordinary evening into an unforgettable FIJM memory.

Montreal Roots & Global Reach

This year also carried the weight of history. The festival spotlighted the Oscar Peterson centennial, honoring Montréal’s greatest jazz export with tributes, talks, and performances. Canadian voices—like Juno winner Caity Gyorgy—held their own alongside international stars, grounding the festival in its dual mission: to host the world and nurture the local.

Festival Timeline: 45 Years in the Making

1979 (Pre-launch): First attempt falters for lack of funds, but Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny concerts plant the seed.

1980 (1st edition): Official debut on Île Sainte-Hélène with Ray Charles, Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Vic Vogel. 12,000 in attendance.

1982: Moves to rue Saint-Denis. Launch of the Jazz Competition (TD Grand Jazz Award).

1987: Near collapse, saved by public and private partnerships.

1989: Relocation to the downtown core around Place des Arts; the “urban campus” model is born.

2004: Guinness World Records names it the world’s largest jazz festival.

2009 (30th edition): Opening of the Place des Festivals and the Maison du Festival. Stevie Wonder’s free outdoor show draws 200,000+.

2020: COVID-19 forces first cancellation. Festival returns in reduced form in 2021, fully restored by 2022.

2025 (45th edition): 350+ shows, iconic headliners, Oscar Peterson centennial, and a reaffirmation of its mission: music for all, most of it free.

The 45th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal was both a celebration and a statement. It reminded the world why this event holds such a unique place in the global cultural calendar: it is a festival for the masses and for the aficionados, for tradition and for the future, for Montréal and for the world.

As the city looks ahead to its 50th anniversary, one thing is certain: the sound of Montréal every summer will continue to be jazz—and all that jazz makes possible.

All photos by Danilo Navas
[click on images to enlarge]

The 36th edition of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival has come and gone. For me, the jazz festival signifies the official start of summer and it’s close to the actual 1st day of summer. This year the festival ran from June 23 to July 2, 2023.

I did not manage to get to Toronto until Sunday the 25th. I was enjoying nature in the Blue Mountain area of Ontario. I went Sunday to get my media pass, and with the media pass in hand, I went exploring the festival grounds.

Now, as it was last year the festival is taking up some of Yorkville and one of Toronto’s main streets. Avenue Road at Bloor was closed to vehicular traffic and a section of the street was set up for a super concert. Pop stars were going to be in attendance and the big crowds were forming.

The first show for me was a jazz quartet, well, perhaps modern is a better description. The Mary Ancheta Quartet. The band is made up of Mary Ancheta on keys, tenor saxophonist, Dominic Conway, bassist Matt Reid, and drummer Trent Otter. The band has a new EP, Level Up and it has some wonderful tunes, most if not all, played during the quartet’s appearance.

I enjoyed the show, Mary Ancheta on synthesizer takes a fill and wails, causing the folks in Yorkville to stop and gather around, me included. The bassist and drummer provide solid funk rhythms and push the song into overdrive. Not being outdone in the wailing department Dominic Conway takes the next break and he digs deep for a growling, honking rip-roaring run of magnificence, blowing heavy on his tenor saxophone.

The drummer Otter takes some fills and trades off with bassist Reid. The quartet joins in on the exit chorus and ends in a tight, dynamic fashion.

Exciting music, powerful tunes, and explosive fills by all the musicians. The show went from one strong tune to the next with a smooth flow and great playing all around. The highlight tune for me was “Level Up”. Some great Jaco-like runs and Herbie-esque organ playing, a very exciting tune.

After the show, I reached out to Mary Ancheta and asked her if she would like to take part in an interview. My “Take Five with Mary Ancheta”.

I decided I would approach a few female artists and ask them if they would like to do an interview. Malika Tirolien, the outstanding vocalist who was leading her own band agreed to an interview. Look for my interviews with these awesome artists in upcoming segments.

My next show happened the next day, Monday, one of the headline acts, well, there were supposed to be two but only one showed up. Avishai Cohen Trio and Brad Mehldau Trio. Avishai did the work of two trios, so it was fantastic.

Avishai Cohen is an outstanding stand-up bassist, a master of the contrabass. He plays in a percussive style. The excitement of his playing is in every string he slaps and plucks, pulls and strums, it is an event in and of itself. Stunning!

Prior to the show I checked out Aline Morales and friends. The friends were a samba powerhouse: “A Fantástica Bateria”, featuring Brazilian-based popular music and incorporating soul, funk, samba, afro, and afoxé. Music to get you moving, your heart pumping and your foot stomping. Aline Morales is a fantastic performer, singer, and percussionist.

When I arrived at Koerner Hall for my two-trio concert I noticed the sign on the front entrance. A small sign, really just a simple note, “Brad Mehldau Trio will not be performing at this evening’s concert”. No! I thought.

I found an official-looking person who told me that Brad Mehldau’s trio’s flight out of New York was grounded because of the severe lightning storm occurring early in the morning.
“Not to worry,” she said. “Avishai has agreed to do both shows.”

The band took to the stage. A young band, Guy Moskovich 26, on piano and drummer, Roni Kaspi 23, are both recent graduates of prestigious music schools. Avishai Cohen waved his greetings to the audience and made an apology for Brad but told the audience he would play both sections of the show with no intermission and it would be “incredible”.

He was correct, for me the show was incredible. From his phenomenal bass playing to his drummers’ outstanding showmanship and his pianist, who performed with solid technique and skillful stylings. The trio went through the new album Shifting Sands (2022) and some Cohen standards, including a song he performed with vocals. A love song, in Yiddish.

The next day June 27, a rainy, overcast, grey day presented me with a beautiful performance by Malika Tirolien Quintet. Her band is Malika Tirolien (Vocals and keyboard), Harvey Bien-Aimée (Drums), Caulder Nash (Synth Bass), Philippe L’Allier (Guitar), Jean-Michel Frédéric (Keyboard).

The weather cleared up for Malika Tirolien to put on her show. She had the audience moving and grooving to her melodic rhythms and her beautiful voice. I found her to be a great performer, interacting with the audience and getting the audience to sing backup vocals on the song “Don’t Come Around”.

Malika’s songs reminded me of the West Indies. She was all about a chill vibe, love, and spreading kindness to the audience through her catchy tunes, lovely voice, and dynamic band. A mix of genres, R&B, funk, soul, techno, jazz, and hip hop. All good music when in the hands of these fantastic musicians.

The next day, Wednesday the 28th saw the Toronto area with a smoke advisory and the Toronto Jazz Festival taking Environment Canada’s advice and postponing all outdoor events until further notice.

Well, that was it for me. Done! The rest of the shows I had intended to check out were all outdoor events.

That’s my festival wrap, I was fortunate to get to meet some great artists, hear some fantastic music, and share some of what I heard. I had made other plans for Canada Day, July 1st, and the 2nd of July I was back up north at my Sanctuary.

_{YouTube Video – TD Toronto Jazz Fest 2023 Recap}