The third annual TD Niagara Jazz Festival boasts of performances from 40 different acts – featuring about 100 musicians who will be taking a stage in one of four municipalities.
St. Catharines Standard.ca: The many unique sounds of jazz will roll through parts of the region during an upcoming three-day event.
The third annual TD Niagara Jazz Festival boasts of performances from 40 different acts – featuring about 100 musicians who will be taking a stage in one of four municipalities.
Most of the jazz celebration will take place in Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines.
It was created to celebrate the art form of jazz in Niagara and will take place from Friday, July 29 to 31 this year.
There are also dinner performances scheduled in Niagara Falls and Thorold.
New to the format this time around is ‘Jazz in the Park,’ which will feature the ‘fiesta stage,’ a large bandshell guests will hear latin, jazz and swing music being played from.
There will also be a ‘Jazzy Juniors’ youth showcase at the Saturday outdoor event, taking place at Simcoe Park.
Jazz Festival co-founder and executive director Juliet Dunn said each year the event seems to be growing in popularity and she expects future editions will spread into other parts of Niagara.
“Who knows? Maybe it will grow into a week-long festival and every municipality can get a taste,” said Dunn.
Also a well-known performer in the Canadian jazz scene, Dunn said the lineup planned for the end of the month is full of talent – and many types of jazz music – an incredibly wide genre.
Manteca, the headliner at the event’s Friday night launch party, is one of the many acts that fans, including herself, are excited about catching live.
Juno-winning Liberty Silver, LMT Connection, the Barb Mantini Quartet and so many more are scheduled on this year’s bill.
Dunn also said the opening night at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines will feature appearances from several artists who will playing full sets later, on Saturday and Sunday.
“It really gives you an idea what’s going to happen the whole weekend,” she said.
Dunn, a local champion of jazz, also says part of the festival’s focus is to open people up to a form of music that many other mainstream styles are influenced from.
“We want to show people there are lots of different styles of jazz,” said Dunn.
But, the jazz festival also aims to simply bring people together.
“It’s about bringing the community together – the music is a plus,” said Dunn.
“It’s about more than just the art form,” she added.
Ticket prices and the performance schedule is available at www.niagarajazzfestival.com.
There will also be several food and drink options available, along with artisan vendors to choose from.
About 5,000 people are expected to attend throughout the weekend.
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