This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which is set to return this Friday, June 20, and carry on to July 1.
To celebrate, there will be plenty of events for jazz and music lovers to attend across Metro Vancouver and the North Shore. The festival will consist of both free and ticketed events, including performances, workshops, artist talks, a club series and late-night jams.
Concerts on the North Shore will be performed at several locations, including the West Vancouver Memorial Library, Civic Plaza, BlueShore Financial Centre at Capilano University, Lynn Valley Village, and The Shipyards.
The festival will feature “a wide range of music that leans on our local scene and showcases a number of marquee acts from all over the world,” said Cole Schmidt, the festival’s co-artistic director. “There’s something for everyone.”
Several of the musicians performing will be introducing their own unique takes on the genre. Taras Luka, a Vancouver-based Ukrainian accordionist who blends jazz and classical music, will be performing a free show at Civic Plaza June 28.
Corey Harris offers a fresh take on the blues by combining reggae, soul, rock, and West African music. He began his musical career singing on the streets of New Orleans streets, and has won the MacArthur “Genius” award. Harris will be performing at the BlueShore Centre at Capilano University on June 26.
The workshops by both local and international performers will be free and open to the public, and will take place between June 23 and 27 at the Tom Lee Music Hall in downtown Vancouver.
This 40th anniversary iteration of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival will feature 187 events. Of these events, 50 will be free shows, which is “something that this festival is known for,” said Schmidt. They are put on “to get everyone out there, anyone who’s interested in checking out new music from all over the world.”
Jazz-lovers are invited to groove out to different and fresh takes on the genre with other music enthusiasts.
When asked about what Schmidt looks forward to in this year’s edition of the festival, he expressed that “the youngest generation of musicians right now is really exciting. They’re making great music and showing up to honor the history of the festival and jazz music in Vancouver.”
For more information, visit coastaljazz.ca.
Zain Alragheb is a student intern reporting for the North Shore News. She can be reached at [email protected].
