Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Posted on 05. Jun, 2008 by BCXS in BC, Events, Vancouver, Victoria

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is coming up June 20-29th. I’m not the biggest jazz aficionado in the West, but I know a good thing when I see it, and this is a good thing. Over 400 shows (including 130 free concerts) take place during the 10 days of the Festival; jazz of all styles and stripes, blues, funk, Latin, fusion, electronica and world music resonates in venues big and small across the city. Vancouver International Jazz festival

A couple names that jumped out at me as I scanned the list of artists who will be performing were The Dave Brubeck Quartet and Herbie Hancock. But there’s a lot more than that going on at the ten day festival.

According to almighty Wikipedia:

The Festival grew out of a local jazz scene that centred around Vancouver Co-op Radio (CFRO-FM 102.7 FM), a community radio station, in the early 1980s. The Pacific Jazz and Blues Association was formed in 1984 and hosted the Pacific Jazz and Blues Festival, which showcased regional jazz and blues artists in addition to some international jazz musicians. By 1986, the group had changed its name to the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, secured corporate sponsorship, and partnered with Expo 86 to produce the first annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The inaugural festival included performances by Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Tito Puente, Tony Williams, Albert Collins, and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.

The Jazz Festival has been held every year since, becoming the largest such festival in British Columbia. Over 1000 volunteers help in producing the event, which includes performances in parks, community centres, concert halls, clubs, public plazas, and in streets of various neighbourhoods. In total, the Festival includes 400 individual performances, including 130 free concerts, and it draws 460 000 people each year.

Victoria JazzFest