The Montreal Jazz Festival, known as the world’s largest jazz event and Montreal’s biggest festival (with an estimated 2 million attendees), once again enchanted both locals and tourists. This year’s edition, featuring bold programming and a diverse lineup, brought ten days of dancing, smiles and excitement to the city. Over 350 shows took place throughout the vibrant Quartier des Spectacles and featured an impressive array of artists from around the globe.

From legendary names like Norah Jones, to my new personal favourite, Laufey, the festival offered something for everyone. Whether your taste leans towards classic jazz, hip-hop, country, soul, blues, or cutting-edge electronic music, the festival catered to many musical preferences.

Other highlights included the dramatic performance of Apashe, who wowed the crowd with a 25-piece orchestra, and André 3000, whose unique style brought a different flavour to the event. The festival was also a showcase of incredible voices and instruments, ensuring that every attendee found something to love and dance to.

Unforgettable performances

The 2024 edition confirmed the major artist status of several musicians while also introducing others who left us eager for their return to Montreal. Female artists particularly shone on the festival’s stages: Norah Jones, accompanied by virtuoso instrumentalists including drummer Brian Blade, delivered exceptional performances. Laufey, the Icelandic-Chinese singer, not only performed twice in one day but also received the Ella Fitzgerald Award for her remarkable talent and influence on the international scene. She has also won a Grammy award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal. If you need a new artist to add to your playlist, do check her out. Her single “Dreamer” is spellbounding and has been playing continuously on my playlist.

Laufey at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Laufey(c)Frédérique Ménard-Aubin & Maurin

Montreal’s own Alexandra Stréliski reached the peak of her art with a magnificent orchestral concert presented twice to sold-out audiences at the Maison Symphonique. Japan’s Ichiko Aoba, playing with a local string quintet, and Dominique Fils-Aimé, whose powerful voice enchanted a rain-soaked Place des Festivals, were also standout performers.

Other notable performances included the unclassifiable English drummer and composer Yussef Dayes, New Orleans trumpeter Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), prolific guitarist Julian Lage, blues musician Cedric Burnside, and avant-garde saxophonist Kenny Garrett, whose performances solidified his status as a living legend.

                                                             “What I take away from this 44th edition is how lucky we are to have such a prestigious jazz festival here. When I spoke with journalists and festival-goers visiting the metropolis in recent days, I realized the immense privilege we have of hosting an event so popular here, loved, even adored by both the public and the artists.”

Unique moments

One of the most emotional evenings was the MIXTAPE show: A musical tribute to Canadian screenwriter and film producer, Jean-Marc Vallée, featuring performances by Patrick Watson, Elisapie, Alexandra Stréliski, Martha Wainwright, Beyries, Maxime Le Flaguais, Pierre-Luc Brillant, and Pilou, with artistic direction by Beyries and Alex Vallée, and musical direction by Jean-Phi Goncalves. Presented in a packed Wilfrid-Pelletier hall, this specially designed show celebrated the life and work of one of cinema’s greatest music lovers.

Mixtape, Hommage à Jean-Marc Vallée, photo by Victor Diaz

Reflecting on the festival’s success, Maurin Auxéméry, the programming director, said: “What I take away from this 44th edition is how lucky we are to have such a prestigious jazz festival here. When I spoke with journalists and festival-goers visiting the metropolis in recent days, I realized the immense privilege we have of hosting an event so popular here, loved, even adored by both the public and the artists.”

United by jazz

Presented by the TD Bank Group in collaboration with Rio Tinto, the 44th edition brought hundreds of thousands of festival-goers this year, including a significant increase in tourists. It was a celebration of jazz, diversity, and talent, bringing people together through the universal language of music. It left us looking forward to what surprises Jazz Fest has in store for us next year. In the meantime, let’s just keep grooving!

All images are courtesy of the Montreal International Jazz Festival.