In 2016, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival defied all expectations with its best list yet of musical heavy hitters, many of whom sat outside the jazz world. “We are very much an international festival. We are looking at artists and bands performing in other countries… [and] putting musicians from different cultures together on stage,” says the festival’s co-Founder John Orysik. “Collaborations have always been at the heart of what we do.”
The list of headliners was deep, including legends like Lauryn Hill, Sarah McLachlan, Neko Case, k.d. lang & Laura Veirs appearing together, Hiromi, Joe Jackson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Lovano Classic Quartet, and Gregory Porter. In total the Festival offered 300 concerts – half of those free! – featuring 1800 musicians at 35 indoor and outdoor venues. By now Coastal Jazz has a well-balanced offering of big shows on free, outdoor stages, heavy-hitting headliners at theatres like Queen Elizabeth or the Orpheum, and intimate concerts at smaller venues and clubs. And where there were big stages, the crowds followed.
The local scene was always well-represented across Festival stages, spearheading shows and showing up in various collaborations. Coastal Jazz commissioned cellist Peggy Lee to compose a new suite of music — Echo Painting — for a ten-piece ensemble that premier at the Festival in 2016. Vancouver’s Gordon Grdina, Kenton Loewen teamed up with clarinetist Francois Houle for a unique collaboration with French pianist Benoit Delbecq, as part of the Festival’s long-term commitment to spotlight French Jazz. You’ll find these and many other familiar faces from 2016 at this year’s Festival including Bruno Hubert, Dawn Pemberton, Cory Weeds and Jennifer Scott.
Frankie’s Jazz Club, which had just burst onto the Vancouver scene the previous fall, made its Festival debut. Frankie’s, a Coastal Jazz initiative at the time, had quickly become the epicentre for jazz and blues in Vancouver. Centrally located downtown, the room has a capacity of 100 and is designed for maximum listening pleasure. In addition to early evening performances, we are delighted to announce that audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy free Festival jam sessions hosted nightly at 11pm by saxophonist Mike Allen and his quartet. (Look for 2025 Frankie’s Jazz festival shows on our calendar soon!)
On a slightly sad note, Coastal Jazz paid tribute to “Vancouver’s King of Swing,” Dal Richards, on opening weekend. Dal passed away earlier that year just shy of his 98th birthday. For over six decades, Dal and his Orchestra delighted generations of swing fans during longstanding gigs at the Hotel Vancouver and the PNE.
Head to Instagram or Facebook to view the entire 2016 Festival schedule.
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Mark your calendars for the 40th anniversary Vancouver International Jazz Festival this June 20 – July 1, 2025. Catch up on all our festival flashbacks here. Do you have a great festival memory? Share your story with us.
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