In 1991 the onset of a new decade was still looking rough around the edges, proving change can be hard. While the economy was strong and it marked the official end of the Cold War, other conflicts were igniting, as Canada sent troops to support the Gulf War against Iraq. With the release of Nirvana’s highly influential album Nevermind, grunge music was making its debut, as was the World Wide Web, still fresh out of the gate. The word globalization was tossed around more frequently.
These were the halcyon days of Vancouver’s du Maurier International Jazz Festival, now in its sixth year. Its presence throughout the city during ten days at the end of every June continued to exceed expectations, as it cultivated a reputation for adventurous, intelligent programming. The Globe and Mail reported then, “Vancouver’s jazz festival starts and ends like many others – with performances by musical legends. But in between, the program reveals a wide-ranging eclecticism that seeks to push out the boundaries of the music, to forge into the future.”
Each year, the festival reliably offered up recognizable names to bookend smaller, less established acts that frequently became the must-see act of the festival, and sometimes, the next big thing on the music scene. This particular year featured jazz heavyweights Dizzy Gillespie with his United Nations Orchestra, as well as the senior Marsalis, pianist Ellis Marsalis. (His son Wynton played the first du Maurier International Jazz Festival in 1986, and was instrumental for putting it on the map.)
Also featured: Jon Jang and the Pan Asian Arkestra, Don Cherry, the jazz trumpeter (not the other one, and yes, we clarify every time), Courtney Pine Quartet, Mr Groove’s In the Heart saxophonist Maceo Parker, John McLaughlin Trio, John Korsrud’s Hard Rubber Orchestra, Ethiopian vocalist Aster Aweke and so many more.
“By a lot of standards, this is the best jazz fest in North America.” – Downbeat
Vancouver’s jazz festival wasn’t just a media darling. Year over year it continued to gain traction with the public. The previous year’s event drew 20,000 more people than in 1989, which boasted a 30% increase in attendance over 1988. The addition of Gastown Jazz was pivotal in achieving Coastal’s goal of taking jazz music out from the dark, dusty, bohemian assumptions and into the light. The founders of Coastal Jazz were fervent believers that “jazz can appeal to the masses if it’s presented right. They were always aiming to expose Vancouver to the wealth of music that lies outside the mainstream.”
“We’re inventing an audience,” co-founder John Orysik said in an interview. “By taking it outdoors, to the streets, people have a far better chance of hearing the music.” The strategy worked. In Vancouver, jazz music became approachable, less of a risky endeavour. That opened it up to a wider – and younger – audience. “One of the signs that the jazz audience was changing was the sight of baby carriages and families at the festival’s outdoor events.” Evidently, the audiences resonated with the artists too, as John Orysik explained. “The musicians love it here. They say the audiences in Vancouver are much hipper, more attentive than in most of the places they play.”
That year was the 20th anniversary of the du Maurier Arts Ltd, the funding agency of the festival’s title sponsor, du Maurier. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, du Maurier Arts was established in 1971 by the Imperial Tobacco Co, through The Houston Group, a Toronto public relations firm, to develop Canadian talent and to broaden public interest in the performing arts. It provided grants to numerous performing arts organizations including the Canadian Opera Company, the Shaw Festival and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Event sponsorship was one of the few channels left for cigarette brands to market themselves at that time. Television and radio advertising of nicotine products had stopped in 1972, and all other direct advertising of tobacco products had been banned since 1988. By 1991, in-store promotion was also prohibited. There were contentious arguments around nicotine brands using event sponsorship as a marketing loophole, but legalities and morality aside, it had its positives. Between 1981 and 2003 du Maurier Arts Ltd provided over $60 million to 675 arts organizations nationwide, including the Vancouver Jazz Festival. That kind of financial support wasn’t likely to be found elsewhere.
“We are very fortunate to have corporate sponsorship, otherwise we’d be in dire straits,” said Ken Pickering, Coastal Jazz co-founder and artistic programmer, in 1991. “We don’t want to exist on government handouts, but we do look for government investment in the cultural sector. The cultural sector is one of the areas of serious growth, and the economic spinoff is exceptional.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Dear reader: We have always strived to offer barrier-free access to live music, but today this mission is in danger.
Without consistent and increased government funding, 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. In difficult economic times, barrier-free access to the arts becomes even more important, especially for those who rely on free community events to stay connected and engaged.
Your voice can help!
Click here to learn how you can help us advocate for the arts before Election Day on October 19, 2024.
Catch up on all our festival flashbacks on our blog. Did you attend one of our early jazz festivals? Share your story with us! Join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter X @coastaljazz.
