OFF Jazz Festival – October 6-15, 2016 LiveEvents October 1, 2016 4733 OFF Jazz Festival A great jazz crossroads in the heart of Montreal’s fall season, Montreal’s OFF Jazz Festival, will be taking the city by storm for a 17th edition. This year, the festival will feature more than 110 musicians, as well as 24 concerts in 6 mythical Montreal venues, transforming this autumn into a feast for jazz fans and those eager for new sounds. The 17th edition of the OFF Jazz festival shines the spotlight on seasoned artists, as well as young creators from the local jazz scene. This year, even more so than in previous years, the festival will showcase collaborations between local musicians, musicians from across Canada, as well as international guests, thereby offering the public unprecedented meetings of musical minds. Among these guests we find Maggi Olin, Peter Bernstein, Ben Monder, Roscoe Mitchell, Georg Graewe and The Claudia Quintet, to name but a few of these high-caliber talents. OFF JAZZ APÉROFFS HAPPY HOURS Happy Hours (from 5:00pm to 7:00pm) are taking place at the Résonance Café, for the enjoyment of all walks of life (children are welcome). This friendly laid-back series lends itself to new discoveries, thanks to its pay-what-you-can policy. It offers a musical smorgasbord that will be sure to delight audiences. NIGHTCAPS HOSTED BY DIÈSE ONZE Dièse Onze — 10:30pm The trumpet player, Hichem Khalfa, will open the series on Friday, October 7th with his quintet. The next day, on October 8th, a high-profile guest, New York guitarist Peter Bernstein, will join the Andres Vial Trio on stage. The following week, two trios will light up the stage, one after the other: 3 RIO (with the launch of their self-titled album) on Thursday, October 13th, and on October 14th, the young Quebec musicians of 5 For Trio will dazzle with their chops. Passion and talent will definitely be on the program for these uplifting nightcaps! UNPRECEDENTED MUSICAL COLLABORATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL GUESTS For the evening concerts, presented at 8:00pm and 9:30pm, jazz fans will be able to enjoy some of the city’s best venues: le cabaret du Lion d’Or, Upstairs, The Sala Rossa, and Le Gesù. A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED HISTORIC CLOSING NIGHT For the closing night of its 17th edition, which will take place at Le Gesù, on Saturday, October 15th. The OFF JAZZ Festival invites the public to witness a significant collaboration in the history of creative music in Canada: Roscoe Mitchell & The Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra. This unprecedented project brings together 20 exceptional musicians and improvisers, 10 from Montreal and 10 from Toronto–to play new compositions by Roscoe Mitchell, a five-decade legend in the creative music world. For more information (including the complete list of concerts and events) and tickets, visit: www.lofffestivaldejazz.com 514-524-0831 Tickets can also be purchased directly from the box offices of the following venues: Lion d’Or (lepointdevente.com); Upstairs (514-931-6808) and Le Gesù (le gesu.com). OFF Jazz Festival It was in the winter of 1999 that the idea first took seed among a tight-knit group of Montreal jazzmen: they wished to create an event in their own image, a custom-made vehicle that would encourage creative expression from Montreal. They decided to take charge of their destiny by developing their own festival. 17 years later, the festival has become a mainstay of Montreal’s cultural life. Still run by a commitee composed of a majority of musicians, the festival has been able to preserve the values that underlie its mission.
