This just in (I suppose if I keep this up, the Montreal Jazz Festival will take me off its email list):
Stevie Wonder
Opens the Place des Festivals with a Concert Inaugurating the 30th Edition of the Festival
Montreal, Monday, May 11, 2009 - The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is extremely proud to offer our loyal fans another gorgeous gift as part of this 30th anniversary: a very special free outdoor concert by American music giant Stevie Wonder, in his first-ever visit to the Festival.... Stevie Wonder will literally launch the Festival's 30th anniversary celebrations when he opens the brand-new Place des Festivals this Tuesday, June 30 at 9:30 p.m. on the General Motors stage.... Stevie Wonder, peerless icon of American black music, is the ideal choice to illuminate an event as illustrious as the Festival's 30th anniversary....
Who doesn't love Stevie Wonder? Everybody loves Stevie Wonder. I love Stevie Wonder. I'd give my firstborn (sorry, Jonah) to be at that concert (after which I'd want him back). But what makes him "the ideal choice" to inaugurate the Jazz Festival's 30th year? Is it (I didn't write this, they did) because he's black? I'm just saying.
What this says to me is the Montreal Jazz Fest must be having economic tough times, and the execu-sphere doesn't feel as if it can survive with jazz alone.
ReplyDeleteWhat else should they do?
I’m not at all a purist and have no problem with festivals or clubs trying to survive by broadening their offerings. If the Dakota wants to book a pop star or blues star and sell out for two nights, more power to them. I figure that helps to pay for artists like Lionel Loueke, who may not draw. My disappointment with MJF stems from their using only pop/rock stars to promote what they are still calling a jazz festival, especially when they have booked giganto names in jazz. (I believe they are having tough economic times and some of their big sponsors have pulled out.) Promote the pop WITH the jazz and maybe some of the people who come for the pop will try the jazz?
ReplyDeleteNotice that they said "peerless icon of American black music," when they could have said peerless icon of pop music throughout the world. You do see the jazz folks when you go to there website, but you're right Pamela, they could just as easily have talked about some of the jazz acts in the press release.
ReplyDelete