By 1998, the accolades for Vancouver’s Jazz Festival from around the globe were hard to ignore. It had consistently delivered “the most concentrated week of creative music on the planet.” Each year artists, music fans and artists sought out to experience it themselves.
“Your festival is justly considered by everyone to be one of the greatest in the world today.” – Steve Lacy, Paris France
Attendance grew 50,000 to a 350,000 in 1998, with shows across 38 venues. In fact, the festival footprint expanded all the way to North Vancouver for the first time with three shows at Lonsdale Quay.
What a difference a big budget makes! With du Maurier’s cash sponsorship in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the programming team had the freedom to present 1400 artists over the ten-day festival. As always the music was a wide spectrum, going from the avant-garde through to straight-ahead swing to various forms of contemporary jazz. Headliners included the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and the Diana Krall Trio at the Orpehum. The Vogue featured Jesus Allemany’s Cubanismo, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and the John Scofield Quartet.
Willem Breuker Kollektief with Dave Douglas’ Tiny Bell Trio was a hit at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Friend of the festival, Tim Reinert, reminisced about at the show on the Coastal Jazz blog in 2019. “My third Jazz Festival, and Ken Pickering’s love of the European scene was starting to become evident. The Kollektief was over 30 years old by that point, but sounded as fresh and vital as they did in the early 1970s. This was the beginning of my interest in large jazz ensembles, which continues to this day.”
Other highlights included Colin James and The Little Big Band; Canadian saxophone great Jane Bunnett – who happens to be playing this weekend with Laila Biali at BlueShore CapU – and the Spirits of Havana with Marilyn Lerner Sextet; Philosopher Kings; Andy Summers; a rare appearance of Steve Lacy’s chamber opera The Cry;
“…the Vancouver Festival has blossomed into one of the continent’s finest annual events.” – The Wire, London, England
“The most well-balanced, all encompassing, and excitingly programmed monster-mash in North American jazz festivals, du Maurier Vancouver is the place where all roads converge.” – Downbeat Chicago
The Festival won Best Free Music Event in the Straight’s Best of Vancouver Awards that year. The paper noted, “Vancouverites on the tightest of budgets can enjoy several hours of top-quality music, absolutely free, every day for 10 days.”
A note to our readers: The Festival’s free programming is currently at risk. In the wake of the pandemic and challenging economic times, corporate sponsorship and government funding has been severely cut. Many arts organizations – not just Coastal Jazz – face uncertainty. The arts are more than entertainment, they provide critical services by combating social isolation, fostering creativity, and promoting positive mental health and well-being. Please support our end of year fundraising campaign with a single or monthly donation.
With your support, we can break down financial barriers, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy live music and experience the joy and transformative power of live music. Donate today.
