OFF and running

>> L’OFF and two jam nights give the Jazz Fest some competition

by LEN DOBBIN

L’OFF Festival de Jazz de Montréal, running June 27 through July 7, began in 2000, put together by a group of Montreal jazz musicians as an alternative to the “main event”—much like Charles Mingus’s Newport Rebels of 1960. This city is rife with jazz talent, many of whom felt ignored by the Jazz Fest’s hiring committee (one musician quipped that they would have a better chance if Helen Keller were doing the booking).

This year’s OFF event spotlights over 200 musicians and artists in six locations—Lion d’Or, Alizé, Cheval Blanc, Casa del Popolo, l’Escogriffe and le Va-et-Vient. For a full rundown, go to www.lofffestivaldejazz.com, but for now, let’s look at some of the more interesting events. Lion d’Or has Ranee Lee doing her Dark Divas salute (Friday, June 28), and Jim Hillman’s contemporary group Merlin Factor, featuring the voice of Jacintha Tuku (June 29). A major event takes place here on Sunday, June 30, featuring a man who started the jazz policy at NYC’s now-famed Five Spot, who wrote the music for The Manchurian Candidate and Robert Frank’s Pull My Daisy, who’s played with the likes of Pepper Adams, Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford and Dizzy Gillespie, who was composer in residence with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein and who has conducted the MSO in children’s concerts. That man is David Amram, who not only composes but also plays French horn, piano, guitar, dumbek and assorted flutes. He takes the stage with a number of poets and musicians, including Jean Derome, Ivanhoe Jolicoeur and Normand Guilbeault, for an extra-long tribute to Amram’s friend Jack Kerouac.

Let’s fête the vets
In another appearance of note, renowned American pianist Marilyn Crispell joins forces with Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker (July 2). Bassist Pierre Cartier, with Derome and drummer Pierre Tanguay (July 3) will be another feature, as will be renowned pianist Lee Pui Ming in tandem with Joane Hétu (July 5). In another coup, on July 6, the reclusive Canadian jazz icon, guitarist Nelson Symonds, duets with another guitar veteran, Jacques Labelle, and later that night, a “killer” trio led by Jean Beaudet can be heard. The closing night, roughly translated as “the precursors, the patriarchs,” will be in honour of many of Montreal’s jazz veterans—among those expected to play: Nelson Symonds, Boogie Gaudet, Maurice Mayer and Paul Lafortune. Show times for all Lion d’Or shows are 8:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., and tickets are $24.

Alizé sees nightly shows from June 28 to July 6 (always at midnight, always free) by groups led by Ron Séguin, Tom Van Seters, Eduardo Pipman, the Paul Cram Orchestra featuring Don Palmer and Tom Walsh, Kieran Overs with Nancy Walker and guest David Occhipinti, Altsys and the Joe Sullivan big band.

At Cheval Blanc, there are groups led by musicians like Frank Lozano, Occhipinti and Kevin Dean with Dave Turner. That’s daily at 5:30 p.m., and free. The likes of Daniel Lessard, Pierre St-Jak, Richard Gagnon, André White and Kevin Dean, Benoit Charest and Frédéric Alarie can be heard at la Va-et-Vient in St-Henri, 9:30 p.m. nightly till July 7, $8 at the door. Between July 1 and 4, the Casa has folks like Rainer Weins, Lori Freedman and Quinsin Nachoff, 10 p.m. nightly, $16, while L’Escogriffe presents nightly tributes to Miles, Mingus, Trane, Bird and Diz and Jimmy Smith and Larry Young—10 p.m., $7.

Kick out the jams
Beyond the OFF, the two main spots for jam sessions are Upstairs and Pub Quartier Latin. Upstairs is where the two-time Juno-nominated pianist Jeff Johnston is joined by Dave Laing and a series of bassists—in order, Curtis Lundy (who’s played with people like Betty Carter and John Hicks), Jim Vivian and Ron Seguin. Things begin there at 11 p.m. nightly from June 27 to July 6, and admission is free. At the Quartier Latin, the trio of Skip Bey, Tim Jackson and Jim Hillman will welcome guests such as Shawn Loescher, Charles Ellison and (on July 4) pianist Lee Shaw—10:30 p.m. nightly, $7 ($8 Thursday through Saturday). :