by RUPERT BOTTENBERG and SCOTT C

With only four days remaining, the 2006 edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival may be winding down, but it’s still got a bunch of shows that’ll wind you up. Here are a few of the standouts:

Gonzales: After dropping the Chilly half of his moniker, ditching the rapping-goof routine and relocating from Berlin to Paris, this talented Canadian cat has toned it down and taken to issuing epiphanies and ironies on the ebonies and ivories. For the Jazz Fest, he’s doing his Pianovision thing, in which cameras trained on the keys transmit his fancy fingerwork for larger-than-life observation on screen. At Place des Arts, Fri., July 7, 6 p.m., $24.50-$34.50

Tumi & the Volume: Building on the live hip hop template perfected by the Roots, Tumi and co. bring their music to the people from the point of view of young, post-apartheid South Africa. Fusing rock, Afro-jazz, dub and big boom-bap sounds, the band has converted Canadian audiences with two previous visits, and have appeared alongside heavyweights like Coldplay, Blackalicious, Black Eyed Peas, Massive Attack and the aforementioned Roots. A genuine and unique declaration of the strength and reach of international hip hop culture, not to be missed. On the Samsung stage, Fri., July 7, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., free

The Roots: Philadelphia’s favourite sons return to Montreal for what is always a hot ticket. Freshly signed to Def Jam, the Roots will most likely be pulling out a lot of new material, eager to showcase some of the tracks from their upcoming LP, Game Theory. Word has it they’re touring with Stones Throw signee Aloe Blacc and Sound in Color Records’ pride and joy, DJ/producer Exile, who’ll most likely be performing opening duties. Don’t forget to check for the after party, featuring the DJ skills of ?uestlove, at Academy Club following the show. At Metropolis, Fri., July 7, 8:30 p.m., $42.50

Mark de Clive-Lowe: This master of the MPC 3000, who delivered a DJ set here last November, is also an accomplished keyboardist with an amazing ear for improvisation and rhythm. His Freesoul Sessions have been gaining popularity worldwide, combining hip hop, soul, jazz and broken beat flavours. This is a musical gift that will surely be a highlight of the festival. On the Samsung stage, Fri., July 7, 10 p.m., free

Yann Tiersen: Best known to anglos for his soundtracks to Amelie and Goodbye Lenin, Tiersen outdid himself with his latest album, Les retrouvailles, which caught him adding a little rock punch to his trademarked blend of stirring serialism and melancholy musette moderne. Hopefully his set here will favour that material. Opening is Final Fantasy, the project that’s raised Owen Pallett from merely the fiddle boy for the Arcade Fire to a force in Canadian alt-pop in his own right. At Metropolis, Sat., July 8, 8:30 p.m., $34.50

Follow Follow: Bringing together some of Montreal’s better-known jazz musicians—guitarists Rainer Wiens and Cordell Hennebury, drummer Thom Gossage, saxophonists Jean Derome and Frank Lozano, and bassist Tommy Babbin—Follow Follow offer a big tip of the hat to Fela Kuti, mixing their own original tracks with some heavy covers from the huge repertoire of the Nigerian Afro-beat icon. Although most of the band members are linked to other projects, it’s about time that people experience the truth and soul to be found at a Follow Follow show. On the Samsung stage, Sun., July 9, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., free

>> Music Listings