(Copyright © 2002 Len Dobbin)

Yes! The dates are exactly the same as the renowned Montreal International Jazz Festival, but this is a alternate jazz festival put together by a group of Montreal jazz musicians, like Mingus' "Newport Rebels" of 1960. Montreal is rife with jazz talent and this event originated in 2000 when fewer and fewer of the city's talented players were being booked for the "main event". Someone once quipped that judging by the people chosen to play the big Festival, they would probably do better if Helen Keller were doing the booking.

This year this eleven day event will feature over 200 musicians and artists in 61 shows, 18 of them free to the public. Besides some of the best talent residing here there will be musicians from the U.S., France and the rest of Canada. The Festival takes place in six locations, The Lion d'Or, 1676 Ontario East [the largest], further west on the same street are Alize, 900 Ontario E. and the Cheval Blanc, 809 Ontario E. If you head north there's action at the Casa del Popolo, 4873 St. Laurent and L'Escogriffe, 4467A St, Denis or west, at Le Va-et-Vient, 3706 Notre Dame West. For out of towners, the Papineau Metro is the closest to the Lion d'Or, Berri-UQAM is a stone's through from Alize and the Cheval, the Laurier Metro and then the #51 bus to St. Laurent, will connect you with the Casa, L'Escogriffe is a short walk from Metro Mt. Royal and Lionel Groulx is the closest stop for Le Va-et-Vient.

Some of the events scheduled are the following:

LION D'OR

June 28 - 8:30 The Felix Award winning Sylvain Provost - Norman Lachapelle duo.
10:30 Ranee Lee in her stage show "Dark Divas" with Richard Ring, Ron DiLauro, Richard Beaudet, Mike Fahie, John Sadowy, Daniel Lessard and Dave Laing.
June 29 - 8:30 Drummer Jim Hillman's "Merlin Factor" featuring the voice of Jacintha Tuku, the daughter of Salome Bey, and the keyboards of Steve Amirault.
10:30 Vibraphonist Jean Vanasse with a guest from France in bassist Jean-Philippe Viret.
June 30 - 8:30 DAVID AMRAM, multi-instrumentalist and composer in an homage to his late friend Jack Kerouac, two shows with a number of local poets and musicians including Ivanhoe Jolicoeur, Jean Derome and Normand Guilbeault.
July 2 - 8:30 MARILYN CRISPELL's piano is joined by Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker in a series of duets.
July 3 - 10:30 Bassist Pierre Cartier in an evening described as a voyage on a poem by Blaise Cendrar with Derome and Pierre Tanguay on board.
July 5 - 8:30 Pianist LEE PUI MING in a duo with Joanne Hetu.
10:30 A trio of Jean Derome, Normand Guilbeault and Pierre Tanguay
July 6 - 8:30 A two guitar event with a pair of veterans, Jacques Labelle and Canadian jazz icon, NELSON SYMONDS.
10:30 The Jean Beaudet "killer" trio with Adrian Vadady and Michel Lambert.
July 7 - 8:30 Roughly translated, this event is heralded as - "The Precursors, The Patriots" - a star studded evening featuring veterans of the Montreal jazz wars such as Nelson Symonds, Art Roberts, "Cisco" Normand, "Boogie" Gaudet, Maurice Mayer and Paul Lafortune.

ALIZE [all at 10 pm]

June 28 The quintet of bassist Ron Seguin including Geoff Lapp and John Fraboni.
June 29 The quintet of pianist Tom Van Seters with Joel Miller, Aron Doyle and Dave Watts.
June 30 Pianist Francois Marcaurelle's Quartet with Sylvain Provost and Norman Lachapelle.
July 1 The FIJM Concours winning Eduardo Pipman Quartet with Frank Lozano and Greg Amirault.
July 2 The Paul Cram Orchestra including Don Palmer and Tom Walsh.
July 3 Bassist Kieran Overs Ensemble with guest David Occhipinti. The group includes Nancy Walker, Andre Leroux and Quinsin Nachoff.
July 5 Jennifer Bell's large ensemble Altsys in an homage to John Coltrane. The band includes Dave Mossing, Colin Biggin, Andre White and Dave Grott.
July 6 The Joe Sullivan big band with people like Janis Steprans, Remi Bolduc and Al McNeil in the reed section.

CHEVAL BLANC [all at 3 pm]

June 30 "L.M.L.", with Serge Lavoie, Roberto Murray and Claude Lavergne.
July 2 The Frank Lozano quartet with Chet Doxas, Miles Perkins and Greg Ritchie.
July 3 Inside Out, a group led by guitarist Gary Schwartz with Zack Lober and Thom Gossage.
July 4 Guitarist David Occhipinti's trio.
July 5/6 The Kevin Dean - Dave Turner Organ Quartet with K.D. on organ, Janis Steprans and Andre White.

LA VA-ET-VIENT [all at 9:30 pm]

June 30 Bassist Daniel Lessard with Mohammed Abdul Al-Khabyyr and Yannick Rieu.
July 1 Pianist Pierre St-Jak's trio actually a quartet with saxophonist Lionel Martin.
July 2 The No Name Jazz Sextet with Roberto Murray, Aron Doyle and Ugo DiVito.
July 3 The Andre White - Kevin Dean Quintet with Remi Bolduc and Janis Steprans.
July 4 Trombonist Richard Gagnon's quintet with Ugo DiVito on drums.
July 6 Guitarist Benoit Charest and tenorman Jocelyn Menard with George Mitchell on bass.
July 7 Bassist Frederic Alarie in a quintet setting with Jon Geary, Andre Leroux, Jean-Francois Groulx and Michel Lambert.

CASA DEL POPOLO [all at 10 pm]

July 1 Guitarist Rainer Weins with Frank Lozano and Thom Gossage.
July 2 Clarinetist Lori Freedman with Nick Caloia, bass.
July 4 Magic Numbers, the trio of Quinsin Nachoff plus a string quartet.

L'ESCOGRIFFE [all at 10 pm]

June 28 Thuryn Von Pranke
June 29 Ivanhoe Jolicoeur in an homage to Miles Davis
July 1 Normand Guilbeault's homage to Charles Mingus
July 2 Andre Leroux in an homage to John Coltrane
July 3 A salute to Bird and Dizzy featuring Jolicoeur
July 5 A Latin Quartet featuring Normand Deveault
July 6 A tribute to organists Jimmy Smith and Larry Young (Khalid Yasin) by the Vincent Rehel organ trio

A little something for everyone, a great showcase for the many talented musicians who make Montreal their home, one not afforded them by the major festival in some time. A couple of carps, the number of names with incorrect spellings in their booklet was beyond the odd typo and, with the number of visitors in town during this ten day period, an English translation of their official booklet would have been a very good idea. The people behind the Off Festival are to be commended for an excellent slate of events, one put together with what would appear to be a great deal of thought.

For more info see their website: www.lofffestivaldejazz.com

lendobbin@sympatico.ca