Volume 23 Issue 9 - June / July / August 2018

this year … I’m not going to argue that they’re jazz artists, but they
serve a certain purpose in attracting large audiences, which helps the
bottom line, which in turn helps us afford other artists. But whether
they’re jazz or not, nobody can argue that they’re not great musical
artists. And there’s a hope that their fans, who may not have been
exposed to jazz before, may catch some other shows and say “Hey, I
like this, why haven’t I heard this before?” Also, it’s not really fair,
because those critics often seize on one or two artists out of the 170
being presented, most of which in some form are legitimately jazz.
The music has evolved and cross-pollinated so much that it now
comprises many elements of world music, R&B, soul, blues, funk
and so on, so who can say anymore
in absolute terms what jazz is, or
isn’t? Particularly in the summer, jazz
becomes a bigger, more inclusive tent.
Besides, some of these more popular
artists can surprise you – for example,
a few years ago the Steve Martin
booking was roundly criticized, but in
my opinion his performance offered
more improvisational content than a
lot of the so-called “straight jazz” ones
did that year.
How long does putting together
each festival take?
With all the logistical challenges
and coordination of booking, organizing
and planning, it’s pretty much
a year-long process. The team generally allows itself some time off to
bask in the afterglow of the current festival, then it’s on to organizing
the next one.
Bettye Lavette
What would you like to say about this year’s festival?
I’m pretty excited about it, the expanded presence in Yorkville and
some of the new venues, artists and initiatives being offered, such
as blues legend Bettye Lavette heading up a Blues Revue for the first
time in the festival and the first-ever Toronto appearance by The Bad
Plus featuring their new pianist, Orrin Evans; the Industry Exchange,
a new series being held in the Stealth Lounge of The Pilot, aimed at
promoting emerging local talent from diverse musical backgrounds.
The Yorkville venues have given us the flexibility to present a lot of
Canadian talent, both established and lesser-known. I feel we’re
offering a program with a lot of range, featuring some legends such
as Herbie Hancock as well as some newer artists, in some of the city’s
most attractive venues.
All told, you’ve done seven or eight of these, so what do you
consider a successful jazz festival to be – how does that look?
Well, attendance and the bottom line are important of course and
it helps if the weather cooperates. But mostly, it’s the vibe of the
festival, the feeling of its interaction with the city itself, positive feedback
from audiences, seeing familiar faces and some new ones at the
shows. Having artists express an interest in returning is always nice
and often happens because this is such a vibrant city with so much
musical talent. And it’s a good sign when I see a lot of local musicians
in the audience.
Full disclosure! Aside from playing two
Yorkville concerts with Reg Schwager’s
Songbook and the Barry Elmes Quintet, I
plan on being one of the local musicians in
the audience Josh Grossman spoke about. I
like the eclecticism and look of this year’s
lineup, some of the new initiatives and the
overall scope and size of the festival. Above
all, I feel its setting allows for some musical
intimacy and the potential to be what a
jazz festival should be at the end of the
day – festive. I wish everybody an enjoyable
time at this year’s festival and a happy
summer of listening.
To see more detail about this year’s
lineup and schedule, visit
torontojazz.com.
Toronto bassist Steve Wallace writes a blog called “Steve
Wallace jazz, baseball, life and other ephemera,” which
can be accessed at Wallace-bass.com. Aside from the topics
mentioned, he sometimes writes about movies and food.
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