by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

You can always count on the Montreal Jazz Fest to play some of their best cards not in the high-priced halls of Place des Arts but right outside on the street. The free outdoor concerts are certainly numerous - a dozen stages, shows from noon to late night, for the full dozen days of the fest - and always include some outstanding items. This year is no exception, so here's a few highlights to watch for.

With the release of the film Standing in the Shadows of Motown last year, the secret is officially out. Nobody - not Elvis, not the Beatles or Stones, not even Herb Alpert or Ol' Blue Eyes - can claim to have played on more hits than the Motor City magicians called the Funk Brothers (none of whom was actually named Funk, but anyway…). For almost a decade and a half, the house band of the Motown soul label churned out hits the same steady way the factories of their burg Detroit churned out automobiles. At last, in their twilight years, they're getting their due. Catch this funky chunk of history while you still can. At the special Labatt Bleue Légère stage at deMaisonneuve and St-Urbain, Sun., July 4, 9:30pm

For brassheads, a visit to Toronto in recent years might see the passing of a bus on Spadina, and thus raise a niggling question: whatever happened to the Shuffle Demons? Well, that query was put to rest last year when the wildly attired saxophone unit (the very epitome of "zany") earned a Guinness World Record by assembling over 900 sax fiends in downtown T.O. this past May for a very public rendition of the Hockey Night in Canada theme. What a way to kick off a reunion tour! At the GM stage, Sat., July 3, 9pm and 11pm

Bassist Yossi Fine may have backed up Bowie and Lou Reed in his time, but glam rock is the last thing to expect when his Ex-Centric Sound System returns to Montreal. With Moroccan-Israeli drummer Michael Avgil and Ghanian musician/dancers Prince Nana Dadzie and Miss Adevo, Fine adapts entire African songs to a millennial Afro club groove, full of spark and spice. At the Bleue Légère stage on Tues., July 6, 7:30pm

Seems there's always room for one more band in Montreal's healthy klezmer scene. When that band can boast a bluesy angle by way of the diatonic harmonica as a pivotal instrument, and a groovy bump more aligned with the jazz-funk sound - as locals done good Shtreiml can - well, a prime seat at the table is guaranteed. Fresh off the new-release merry-go-round (their sophomore disc Spicy Paprikash hit racks a few months ago), Shtreiml have plenty of zesty dishes to serve up. At the Carrefour General Motors on Thurs., July 8, 9pm

It's not entirely inappropriate to call L.A.'s Eleni Mandell the female Tom Waits, even if she is a damn sight prettier. Mr. Waits was, after all, not only a major inspiration but one of the cats who gave her a push early on. The singer-songwriter Mandell hasn't looked back since, banging out great albums full of angst, black humour, bad-girl bite, rueful romance and above all, rock-solid songcraft. At the Bell stage on Thurs., July 8, 8pm and 10pm

There's a fine tradition of Chicano funk-rock coming out of the barrios of California. Back in the day, there were Santana, Malo, War and more, all fusing soul, hard rock, jazz and Latino rhythms into something new and exciting. That tradition lives on today with bands like Ozomatli and Los Mocosos, who keep the hybrid healthy with an updated dose of reggae, sak and hip hop. Los Mocosos have just released their latest CD, American Us (a title that would make ol' Eddie James Olmos smile), and they're itching to lay that stuff on you, so fire up the low rider and get on down there, vato! At the Bleue Légère stage on Thurs., July 8, 7:30pm

It's a shame that they're not bringing their star member and album-jacket artist R. Crumb along for the ride, but don't let that discourage you from checking out French act Les Primitifs du Futur. A manic mix-up of Gallic musette, American blues, gypsy jive and gin mill boogie-woogie, their sound may not be futuristic but it will trigger that primitive urge to shake a tail feather. At the Loto-Québec stage on Thurs. and Fri., July 8 and 9, 8pm and 10pm

Okay, so Bob Hope never shipped off to Afghanistan or Iraq to entertain the boys and girls in uniform. Probably just as well for him. One nostalgic note from the war after the War To End All Wars worth resurrecting, though, are the lively vocal stylings of the Andrews Sisters. Quebec's Isabelle Gagné, Nathalie Albert and Mylène Gauthier - collectively, the Moonlight Girls - have made their mark mimicking the Andrews siblings. Their new, self-titled CD, though, shows them taking things a bit further, branching out to classic chansons by Trenet, Aznavour and - oh hell, why not? - Beau Dommage. Get in the swing of things when the girls hit the FIJM stage this weekend. At the Loto-Québec stage on Sat., July 3, 8pm and 10pm

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